Heading into an action-packed sporting weekend, here’s what you need to know.
Friday
We kick off the weekend with Rugby courtesy of the Australians and SuperRugby-AU.
Western Force vs Reds – Cbus Super Stadium (Robina, Queensland) – Kick off @ 11:05 (SuperSport 1)
The Force are going into their 6th SuperRugby-AU fixture still searching for their first victory of the campaign, while the Reds are eyeing the top spot on the table. The Queensland side is 2 points behind Brumbies at the top, granted the Reds have played one game more than their Canberra rivals.
The Gallagher-Premiership heads into week 2 since resumption, and that gets underway tonight.
Sale Sharks vs Exeter Chiefs – AJ Bell Stadium (Manchester, England) – Kick off @ 19:00 (SuperSport 8)
A Saffa packed Sale side will take on table-toppers Exeter as the Sharks look to move back up to second place, and get themselves to within touching distance of 1st place.
The day’s rugby action concludes with a Guinness Pro-14 encounter, the first since the COVID shutdown.
Benetton vs Zebre – Stadio Comunale di Monigo (Treviso, Italy) – Kick off @ 20h00 (SuperSport 1)
While neither team will make it through to the play-offs (Zebre 6th in Conference A and Benetton 5th in Conference B), that won’t take away from the fact that both sides are hungry for rugby after months away from the game. This should be a cracker of an encounter.
- Football
In the local front we still only have soccer to keep an eye out for this weekend, with the Absa Premiership getting underway early this afternoon.
Golden Arrows vs Black Leopards – Emirates Airline Park – Kick off @ 13:30 (SuperSport 4)
The weekend opener will see a desperate Black Leopard side try and escape the relegation zone, and will try to build on their 3-2 win over Maritzburg United last Sunday.
3-points will take Lidoda Duvha out of 15th place and into a safer 13th place.
Bidvest Wits vs AmaZulu FC – FNB Stadium – Kick off @ 15:30 (SuperSport 4)
This one a must-win for both sides as Amazulu FC sits in 14th place, 1 spot and 1 point from relegation, while the Bidvest Wits will try and chase down the top 4. The Clever Boys are in 5th place, just 6 points off the pace of Mamelodi Sundowns in second.
Maritzburg United vs Mamelodi Sundowns – Kick off @ 18:00 (SuperSport 4)
Sundowns have been trying to catch up to Kaizer Chiefs for a good while now, and while the Amakhosi keep leaving the door open for the Sundowns, with 2 consecutive losses (3-1 vs Bloemfontein Celtic & 3-2 vs Polokwane City), they still have a 6 point buffer with as many matches remaining for Sundowns this season.
In Europe, a new UEFA Europa League champion will be crowned.
Sevilla vs Inter Milan – RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne, Germany) – Kick off @ 21:00 (SuperSport 3)
Inter Milan competes in their first European final in a decade, and are favourites following their 5-0 thrashing of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Semi-Final. That, however, doesn’t mean that Sevilla should be written off, as they pulled off a brilliant come from behind 2-1 victory over Manchester United in their Semi-final bout.
- Cricket
For the purists, there’s some red-ball cricket getting underway later today.
England vs Pakistan – Test 3 Day 1 – Ageas Bowl, Southampton – Starts at 12:00 through to Tuesday (SuperSport 2)
The tourists can leave the UK with at least a series draw, following England’s 3-wicket victory in the 1st encounter, and rain resounding victory in the second.
Before Pakistan heads home, they will take on the English in a three-match T20-series, starting next Friday.
- Golf
PGA Tour – The Northern Trust – Day 2 – TPC Boston – Play starts @ 21:00 through to Sunday (SuperSport 5)
In the race to determine who wins the FedEx-Cup, TPC Boston will see current leader Justin Thomas looking to join Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as the only players to win it more than once.
South Africans to look out for include Dylan Frittelli & Louis Oosthuizen.
LPGA – Woman’s British Open – Day 2 – Royal Troon Old Course – Play starts @ 11:30 through to Sunday (SuperSport 12)
The Royal Troon Golf Club will host their first woman’s open, as they only allowed woman to join as members just 4 years ago.
Ashleigh Buhai, Monique Smit and Lee-Anne Pace are the only three South Africans to follow.
Saturday
- Rugby
Brumbies vs Waratahs – GIO Stadium (Canberra, Australia) – Kick off @ 11:15 (SuperSport 1)
The Brumbies will look to stay atop the standings and increase their lead over the Reds in second place, while the Waratahs, currently 3rd and 3 points behind the Brumbies, will try to make the title chase a bit more interesting.
In England, the Gallagher Premiership resumes with some mouthwatering clashes on the cards.
London Irish vs Northampton Saints – Twickenham Stoop (Twickenham, England) – Kick off @ 15:00 (SuperSport 8)
London Irish have slipped to three straight defeats in the Gallagher Premiership, their worst sequence since February 2018. This will also be their first home game at Twickenham Stoop since losing there 40-42 to Gloucester in May 2000.
Northampton Saints only victory in their last six Gallagher Premiership Rugby fixtures was 16-10 at Worcester 6 March, however, the Saints have won three of their last four away games in all tournaments. The Saints have also won on three of their last four visits to The Stoop.
Leicester Tigers vs Bath – Welford Road (Leicester, England) – Kick off @ 17:30 (SuperSport 8)
Leicester Tigers have slipped to successive defeats at Saracens and Exeter but at Welford Road, they have won their last four matches in all competitions.
Bath have won their last three matches against The Tigers in Premiership Rugby, their best run in league play against the East Midlanders since winning four in succession in the old Division One between 1990 and 1992. Bath have won on their last two visits to Welford Road and have never won three in succession at the famous old venue.
In Europe, play will resume with the Guinness Pro-14.
Glasgow Warriors vs Edinburgh – BT Murrayfield (Edinburgh, Scotland) – Kick off @ 18:15 (SuperSport 1)
Rugby in Scotland returns with this clash, as play-off chasing Edinburgh take on a Glasgow Warriors side with a point to prove.
There are fascinating match-ups right across the park – especially for Scottish qualified players who are hoping to be involved in this autumn’s extended Test window
Leinster vs Munster – Aviva Stadium (Dublin, Ireland) – Kick off @ 20:35 (SuperSport 1)
Munster will be back in action for the first time since February as Johann van Graan’s men take on Leinster, as they look to secure a place in the PRO14 semi-finals.
Munster have been victorious in three of their last four away games in the Guinness PRO14, winning away at Cardiff Blues, Connacht and Zebre.
- Football
Locally, still only soccer action to look out for as the Absa Premiership continues in the Gauteng Bio-Bubble.
Polokwane City vs Highlands Park – Loftus Versfeld Stadium – Kick off @ 15h30 (SuperSport 4)
Polokwane City currently resides in a dangerous position on the table… dead last. A win against centre-of-the-table Highlands Park could see them escape 16th place, and launch them to at least 13th.
Baroka FC vs Chippa United – Bidvest Stadium – Kick off @ 18h00 (SuperSport 4)
Baroka FC, currently in that 13th spot, can trade places with Chippa United, in 12th, with maximum points, to put some more breathing room between them and possible first division football next season.
- Cricket
As Pakistan and England continue to battle it out in Southampton on day 2 of their 3rd and final test, in the Caribbean there will be some T20 excitement to look out for.
ST Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs St Lucia Zouks – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago) – Starts @ 16:00 (SuperSport 11)
Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago) – Starts @ 23:30 (SuperSport 2)
- Tennis
In New York preparations for the US-Open continues with the Western & Southern-Open, which will get the 2020 ATP Tour season back underway following a 175-day suspension due to COVID-19.
Normally held in Cincinnati, this year’s tournament will be played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, where World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Daniil Medvedev will headline the field.
Western & Southern-Open Starts @ 17:00 (SuperSport 6)
- Motorsport
The MotoGP stays in Austria this weekend, with Marc Marquez who’ll sit out yet again to nurse his broken shoulder and miss out on more important points, following his crash in the season-opening race.
Brad Binder will look to hit the ground running in pursuit of another MotoGP-class victory.
Styrian MotoGP Qualifying – Starts @ 14:05 (SuperSport 6)
Sunday
If you feel like waking up in the wee hours of the morning to watch two guys beat the snot out of each other…
UFC – Munhoz vs Edgar – UFC APEX facility (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Starts @ 02:30 (SuperSport 11)
- Motorsport
In Austria, there’s a full day of racing action on the cards.
Styrian MotoGP – Main Race (SuperSport 6)
- Moto3 starts @ 10:45Moto2 starts @ 12:05
- MotoGP starts @ 13:55
- Rugby
Rugby Action flows over to Sunday with two more Guinness Pro-14 matches to wrap up the weekend.
Connacht vs Ulster – Aviva Stadium (Dublin, Ireland) – Kick off @ 17:30 (SuperSport 1)
According to the Irish Examiner, Connacht is getting ready to unleash “caged animal” Bundee Aki on Ulster, with Andy Friend saying that the Ireland centre is in better shape than at any time during his two-year tenure as head coach.
Aki will make his 100th appearance for the western province when Connacht resume their 2019-20 Guinness PRO14 campaign against their interprovincial rivals and no-one is keener to restart, says his Australian boss, than his midfield “wrecking ball”.
- Football
Football will definitely be the highlight of the day, with the Absa Premiership opening the show.
Cape Town City FC vs Orlando Pirates – Loftus Versfeld Stadium – Kick off @ 15h30 (SuperSport 4)
Orlando Pirates will try and turn their season around, playing out to 3 consecutive draws since play resumed while scoring only once.
Meanwhile, Cape Town City FC is on a good run of form, coming off two big wins, beating Chippa United 1-0, before getting the better of Mamelodi Sundowns, winning 3-2.
Kaizer Chiefs vs Stellenbosch – Orlando Stadium – Kick off @ 18:00 (SuperSport 4)
Table-toppers Kaizer Chiefs have been inconsistent since the restart of the Absa Premiership, as they keep on blowing opportunities to pull out in front and ending their 5-year trophy drought.
Then… the big one.
UEFA Champions League Final – Paris Saint-Germain F.C. vs Bayern Munich – Estadio Da Luz (Lisbon, Portugal) – Kick off @ 21:00 (SuperSport 3)
Both sides cruised to a 3-0 victory in their respective semi-finals, though the bookies are favouring Bayern to claim their 6th Champions League title, their first since 2013.
The German outfit is also chasing a treble and will have to pull out all the stops against PSG, as the French outfit will be making their first-ever appearance in this stage of the competition.
- Cricket
As the English and Pakistan continue to battle it out on day 3 of their 3rd and final test in the series, the Caribbean Premier League will offer up some T20 excitement.
Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Tridents – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago) – Starts @ 16:00 (SuperSport 11)
Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Lucia Zouks – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago) – Starts @23:30 (SuperSport 2)
