The introduction of the French Top 14 league last week was an interesting twist to Rugby5 and it paid out a whopping R4913 after Toulon smashed Perpignan 38-0. This week it’s the Under 21’s who get a chance to throw a spanner in the works with Western Province hosting The Sharks. Currie Cup semi-finals and a World Cup final makes this weekend one to watch!

Match 1 sees the unlucky losers from last weekend’s World Cup semi-finals battle it out for third spot. Australia will be smarting after being taught a rugby lesson by the All Blacks, while the Welsh were probably unlucky to lose to the French. Wales has been one of the most impressive sides at this year’s tournament but have lost their inspirational captain Sam Warburton to suspension. His loss will be keenly felt, especially against a Wallaby side that is so good at the break-down.

The winner of this much will be the side that is able to overcome their heartbreaking loss in the semi-finals and pull themselves together for one last match. The Aussies have serious firepower out wide but the Welsh scrum should see them dominate at set-piece. A tough one to call but the Wallabies should sneak home in this one.

Match 2 is a typical North-South derby with the Golden Lions hosting Western Province in the first Currie Cup semi-final. The Lions haven’t hosted a semi in over a decade and will want to put on a great performance in front of their home fans. They have been the form team of the Currie Cup and John Mitchell’s side looks to be well settled and balanced. Last weekend’s drubbing at the Shark Tank won’t worry them too much as they rested much of their first team for the match.

It’s always a gamble resting before a knock-out match as a serious loss could cause them to lose some of the momentum they have gathered throughout the tournament. They will be taking on a WP side that has been bolstered by the return of their Springboks and the Lions will know that this Province side will be a different beast to the one they beat a few weeks ago. It should be an interesting match but WP’s recent influx of heavy hitters should swing the match in their favour.

Match 3 pits The Sharks against their bogey side: the Free State Cheetahs. Home ground advantage and the return of their experienced Springboks will add steel to the Sharks line-up that has been missing thus far. The Cheetahs have thrilled fans for much of the tournament, playing an open, aggressive style of rugby that generally leads to high scoring matches. Whether they change their style for a knock-out match remains to be seen but Naka Drotske’s men will start as underdogs, especially with the return of big match players Bismarck du Plessis, Pat Lambie and JP Pietersen. The Sharks should be too good for the men from Bloem but the Cheetahs are a side who can score from almost anywhere on the park.

Match 4 is a serious curve-ball, introducing Under 21 Currie Cup action into the Rugby5 bet for the first time. Western Province ended second on the log and will host the Sharks in the first of the semi-finals. Province looks to have been a mixed bag of results, which is probably a direct result of the injury woes experienced by the senior side. With many of their stars being drafted in by Allister Coetzee they will have struggled for continuity and consistency.

The Sharks have been solid, if unspectacular, and will take heart from a hard fought win over their semi-final opponents just weeks ago. Playing away from home will be a challenge but they have ground out wins in some tricky places this year, Potchefstroom being one of them, and they will know they have what it takes to get one over their coastal rivals.

Match 5 is one we have all been waiting for - The Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and France. On form alone the All Blacks should be too strong for their opponents, but history will tell us that writing off the French is a rather hazardous thing to do. They have twice KO’ed the Kiwis from World Cups and will know that this Dan Carter-less All Black side is beatable.

The host nation seem to be riding a wave of confidence following their stellar performance last weekend but Graham Henry will know that it is not quite job done, and will get the best out of his charges in what will most likely be his last game in charge. It’s hard to bet against the Blacks and they should repeat the result on the 1987 World Cup final.

‘All Wins’:

4 x 4 x 1 x 1 x 4 = R10

Cheeky Perm:

1,4 x 1,4 x 1,4 x 1,4 x 4 = R160

Safer Option:

1,4 x 1,4 x 1,4 x 1,2,4,5 x 4,5 = R640

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