Currie Cup points system is a bit unfair

The Currie Cup fi xture list has been viewed as extremely lopsided, and perhaps even controversial, with log points being carried over from the Super Rugby Unlimited series – Is that fair?

While many teams are immediately put at a disadvantage, the question will still arise as to whether the best team actually won the Super Rugby Unlocked competition.

After winning the revised domestic Super Rugby competition, the Blue Bulls will start in the pound seats, courtesy of the amount of log points they managed to carry over.

The playing field just doesn’t seem to be level, but as Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White argued, it’s the same for all the teams.

But that may not be entirely true, because the Bulls and bottom-placed Griquas were the only teams to have completed all six of their scheduled matches.

Teams like the Lions only played four and the remaining teams, the Stormers, Sharks, Cheetahs and Pumas, just five.

The Bulls were also the only team who were allowed by SA Rugby to re-schedule their Covid-19-affected game against the Pumas.

With the fi xtures now reversed, the Bulls will play four away games in the Currie Cup, with only the away games against Western Province and the Sharks regarded as potentially challenging.

Western Province have four home games, but their two away matches against the Cheetahs and the Lions could pose speed bumps for them.

Defending champions the Cheetahs, only have to play away to the Blue Bulls, but welcome the Lions, Province and the Sharks to Bloemfontein.

The Sharks, however, could also find the going tough, having to play away to the Lions, Province and Cheetahs and their only “big” home game against the Blue Bulls.

The Lions will have to make the most of their only two home games, but even those are tough assignments against the Sharks and Province.

Two of their four away games are against the Blue Bulls at the intimidating Loftus bullring and they also face a trip to Bloemfontein to meet the defending champions, the Cheetahs.

There is no doubt the Blue Bulls will start as overwhelming favourites to host their first Currie Cup final at Loftus since 2009.

Will Covid be the winner (again) or will the Blue Bulls win the Currie Cup fair and square this time?