THE first round of the Rugby Premier League will be concluded this weekend, with FNB Kudus leading the title race at the halfway stage, while FNB Wanderers and FNB Unam lurk in the background.
After six rounds of matches, Kudus lead the log on 28 points followed by Wanderers on 25 and Unam on 23. However, the coastal side's title credentials will be severely tested when they travel to Windhoek to take on FNB Western Suburbs at the Hage Geingob Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
Suburbs have lost ground on the leaders, trailing on 16 points in fourth place and will have to win the encounter if they want to remain in the hunt.
They have won three and lost three matches, but have been competitive and with a bit of luck could have won more.
Last weekend they went down 20-17 to FNB Rehoboth, while they also ran FNB Unam close before going down 37-25 in April.
Even in their 45-10 defeat to Wanderers, Suburbs gave a great second half defensive display and had they taken their chances, the score could have been much closer.
Kudus, meanwhile, have had a great start to their campaign and are the only remaining unbeaten team in the league.
They beat Rehoboth 32-15 and Unam 20-5 in their opening two home matches, and after beating Trustco United 45-19 on 23 April they went to the top of the log for the first time.
Wanderers briefly regained the lead, but Kudus staked their claim as serious title contenders when they beat Wanderers 29-25 on 11 June.
In a great match that ebbed and flowed throughout, Kudus took a 12-10 halftime lead. The lead changed hands several times in the second half but Wanderers seemed to have won it when a penalty by substitute Denzo Bruwer put them 25-22 ahead in the closing stages.
Kudus fullback Lloyd Jacobs, however, capped a man-of-the-match performance with his third and winning try, after selling an outrageous dummy to a flummoxed Wanderers' defence.
That win was characterised by a great defensive effort and growing self-belief, and Suburbs will certainly have a tough task on their hands.
Wanderers, meanwhile, will be determined to get back on track after suffering two defeats in a row, when they take on Trustco United in their traditional derby.
Last week Wanderers lost 37-31 to Unam in a close encounter, and even outscored Unam by five tries to three, but they conceded too many penalties, and Unam fullback Aljarreau Zaahl capitalised, scoring 22 points with the boot.
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Wanderers have developed a strong and mobile pack of forwards with players like captain Christo van der Merwe, Lebeau du Preez, Darius van Solms and Stefan Hattingh impressing, and with speedsters like Nandi Karuuombe and Ryan Coetzee in the backline, they are also dangerous on the counterattack.
United will start as distinct underdogs after a difficult start, which has seen them winning only one of their opening six matches.
That was a close 35-31 win against bottom of the log Reho Falcon last week, but they are in a rebuilding phase with a largely new squad. Current form, however, is not the sole or defining yardstick when it comes to derby matches and United coach Robbie Dickson and his players will be highly motivated for the encounter.
Unam travel north to take on FNB Grootfontein, who are sixth on the log on 13 points. Grootfontein are a tough proposition on their home ground, but Unam will be buoyed by their win against Wanderers last week and with players like Zaahl, Darryl Welmann and Shareave Titus in fine form, they are sure to attack.
In tomorrow's final match, fifth-placed Rehoboth take on bottom-placed FNB Reho Falcon in the Rehoboth derby.
Rehoboth have remained competitive, winning three matches and losing three, which included a narrow 18-16 loss to Unam.
Falcons, meanwhile, have struggled and are still looking for the first win of their campaign, and although they enter as the clear underdogs, they too will be inspired by their derby rivalry.
