Sharks looking for seventh Currie Cup win on the trot against Pumas

The Free State Cheetahs will somehow have to stem the bleeding with a callow team when they take on Western Province at Newlands in a Currie Cup match on Saturday.

The Cheetahs come into the match on the back of 45-15 loss against the Sharks last weekend and nothing suggests that their squad‚ staffed mainly by Varsity Cup players‚ will be able to live with WP.

The Cape side have a vastly experience unit filled with Super Rugby players and a smattering of Test experience as well.

Coming off a bye‚ the home team will also be fresh while the Cheetahs at least will be better for the experience they endured last weekend when they were put to the sword.

Had the Sharks been more clinical the score could’ve been much higher.

WP have lost the last three against Free State but with the Bloemfontein side battling in two campaigns [PRO 14 is the other]‚ they are severely depleted for a match in which WP prop Ali Vermaak will earn his 50th cap for the union.

The Sharks are on a six-match winning streak and are looking for a seventh straight win for the first time since 2010 when they travel to Nelspruit to take on the Pumas on Friday evening.

The KwaZulu-Natalians‚ who moved to the top of the standings on 29 points with victory over the Cheetahs last weekend‚ have been in fine form this season.

Their only defeat was in the opening round of the competition against a full strength Free State.

They will‚ however‚ face a determined Pumas outfit looking to return to winning ways after being pipped by one point last week.

The Sharks won the last three matches between the sides‚ which included a 29-0 victory in the second round.

But the Pumas emerged victorious in Nelspruit in 2014 and 2015‚ which will boost their confidence.

The Lowvelders have made five changes to their team for this match‚ which includes the return of fullback Justin van Staden to the starting XV‚ while prop De-Jay Terblanche will achieve a special milestone as he plays his 170th match for the union.

The Sharks welcome back Springbok flyhalf Curwin Bosch in one of four changes to the starting team‚ with the others being the inclusion of props Thomas du Toit and Ross Geldenhuys in the front row and Garth April at fullback.

Griquas host the Golden Lions in Kimberley on Friday night with both sides languishing at the bottom of the table.

Golden Lions coach Swys de Bruin’s side shows five personnel changes‚ with prop Jacobie Adriaanse and Kwagga Smith starting‚ while Griquas made four changes up-front which sees hooker AJ le Roux and former Junior Springbok prop Nicolaas Oosthuizen feature in a new-look front row.

 - TimesLIVE