The 2026 Currie Cup heads into Week 6, and with just two rounds of the regular season remaining, the race for the four semifinal spots is heating up. In this blog, we recap the Week 5 action from a betting angle, take a look at the latest standings and keep an eye on all things betting-related ahead of Week 6.
Week 5 Review
Lions 29 Boland Cavaliers 38
There was money for the Lions, who were backed from -9.5 to -14.5, but it was Boland Cavaliers who caused the upset, winning comfortably at Ellis Park.
My bet here was over 60.5 points, which arrived with some room to spare.
Griquas 55 Sharks XV 21
Griquas were well backed here, moving from around -12.5 to -17.5. After looking a little shaky early on, they took control of the game and duly delivered for their supporters.
It was another winner for me, with over 63.5 points arriving fairly comfortably.
Pumas 29 Stormers XXIII 7
The handicap was fairly stable at around Pumas -6.5 during the week, although there was some support for the Stormers shortly before kick-off.
That included myself, as I took the Stormers at 3/1 to win the game. They dominated much of the first half but still found themselves behind at the break, and in the end they were well beaten by this Pumas side.
Blue Bulls 52 Cheetahs 62
The Bulls were +6.5 for this game and, at 42-17, it looked as though the Cheetahs were going to run away with a massive victory.
The Bulls came storming back, though, and managed to get within seven points before a late Cheetahs penalty pushed the final margin back out to ten.
I was on over 61.5 points, which remarkably had already arrived by halftime!
I'm still trying to figure out why the Cheetahs opted to kick that final penalty. They could simply have kicked the ball out and won the game. Had the penalty fallen short or dipped under the crossbar, for example, the Bulls could potentially have counter-attacked and levelled the match.
Table Update
Griquas and the Cheetahs are joint top of the table on 21 points with two matches remaining, with Griquas currently ahead on points difference.
The Pumas are third on 17 points, while Boland Cavaliers round out the semifinal positions on 16.
The Lions are three points further back on 13, meaning they remain very much in the hunt. The Stormers XXIII have 11 points and the Sharks XV are on 10, so both still have a mathematical chance of reaching the semifinals.
The Blue Bulls, meanwhile, are bottom on 3 points and can no longer qualify.
With only two rounds remaining, there is still plenty to play for, particularly in the battle for the final two semifinal positions.
Week 6 Fixtures
Friday 21 August
Pumas v Griquas – Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela
Blue Bulls v Stormers XXIII – Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Sharks XV v Lions – Woodburn Stadium, Pietermaritzburg
Sunday 23 August
Cheetahs v Boland Cavaliers – Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
I'll be back on Monday with my handicap predictions for Week 6.