The big guns in South African rugby will be jockeying for position this weekend when the Top Eight phase of the Bankfin Currie Cup competition kicks off.

The teams going through from the two preliminary sections are Western Province (with 12 log points), the Pumas (11), Falcons (9), Lions (9), Blue Bulls (6), Free State Cheetahs (6), Natal Sharks (6) and Griqualand West (1).

The Top Eight kicks off with a bang, with two games that could almost be viewed as semifinal clashes. At Newlands WP and the Lions do battle, while the Sharks - without suspended Springbok flyhalf Butch James - would want to reverse their bad form when they take on the Blue Bulls in Pretoria.

And in another match that promises mouthwatering rugby the Pumas and the Falcons meet at the Puma Stadium in Witbank on Sunday. The fourth game is on Saturday, at ABSA Park in Kimberley between the Free State Cheetahs and Griquas, who are basically out of the running after securing only one point in the preliminary stage.

However, Cheetahs coach Peet Kleynhans was not prepared to summarily dismiss the Griquas claims of a win on Saturday. "They won't be easy prey on Saturday. Everybody asks me if it is nice to have an easy start to the Top Eight, but I can assure you Griquas in Kimberley is never an easy game for Free State," Kleynhans said.

"It never is for any team," the coach added. "There are so many Free State players who went there to further their careers and they have a lot to prove. So we expect a tough one on Saturday."

The Cheetahs start the Top Eight phase with only six points, behind Western Province (with 12 log points), the Pumas (11), Falcons (9) and the Lions (9). Kleynhans, however, sees it as a challenge to leapfrog these teams in their quest for a semifinal berth.

"Look, we know that we cannot allow a mishap. If we let slip once we are in trouble and the players are aware of it. It's almost like a knockout competition for us, but we are looking forward to the challenge. We realise we must win everything," the coach said.

The game at Newlands has the potential to develop into a humdinger. There is no love lost between the sides and the possibility of Springbok centres Japie Mulder (pictured) and De Wet Barry squaring up again for the first time after their infamous clash in the Super 12 game between the Stormers and the Cats adds extra spice to the game.

Barry is on the substitutes' bench, but WP coach Gert Smal jokingly said he could get a run "depending on how Japie behaves".

According to Smal his team will have to improve at line-out time, be more precise at the point of contact in the rucks and mauls, concede less penalties and be more efficient in their tactical kicking. Referring to the penalty count against them in last week's game against the Bulls, Smal said the ruck is still a very grey area and a lot of the time it depends on the referee's interpretation.

"I won't say it's always like that, but I'd like to see from my side that we're more precise going into the rucks," he added.

"We are still not satisfied with our game," said Smal, "and have put in a lot of hard work in the past three weeks."

Even though they twice beat the Lions very convincingly last season, Province are expecting a tough encounter.

"They may be without André Vos (injured) and Rassie Erasmus (moved to Free State), but Joe van Niekerk is a very talented youngster that I rate very highly and they have a very strong side," said Province skipper Corné Krige.

"If we allow them to play in our faces, it's going to be a long day," he added. "They have a big pack of forwards that gets their momentum going and that's where we'll have to stop them."

Lions coach Frans Ludeke was confident that his team has turned the corner and he is optimistic about their chances of inflicting the first defeat on WP in this year's Currie Cup competition.

The Sharks face an uphill battle. Rudolf Straeuli's men lost two in a row now, to the Falcons and the Cheetahs, and they will have to pull something out of the hat to revive their campaign. They are without captain Mark Andrews, centre Andre Snyman and James and it's going to take a special effort to beat the resurgent Bulls at Loftus.

Straeuli, however, was adamant that his team has what it takes to make it to the semifinals. "We are by no means out of the running and we will have a say in the final destination of the Currie Cup. The Sharks know exactly what is required of them in the remaining four games in order to reach a place in the top four," he said.

The feathers will fly in Sunday's battle of the "smaller" unions at Witbank. The Pumas and Falcons are the surprise packages of this year's competition, although some observers expect them to battle now that the big guns have their Springboks back.

The Pumas made Western Province sweat for a narrow victory at Newlands, while the Falcons boast victories over Free State and the Natal Sharks. Not much separates the teams on paper and a very interesting battle is on the cards on Sunday.

Teams for ABSA Park, Kimberley:

Griquas: Henri van Niekerk, Dennis du Plessis, Lourens Venter, Edrich Lubbe, Jearus Nicholas, Corrie Avenant, Matt Botha, Attie Stander, Bertus Heunis, Solly Tyibilika, Nelis Swart, Hanu Nel, Dawie Theron (capt), Hedley Wessels, De Waal Venter. Substitutes: Tom Drewett, Ian Wessels, Jaco Barnard, Thando Manana, Garth Zandberg, George Binikos, Quintin van Tonder.

Cheetahs: Leon van den Heever, Wylie Human, Helgard Brink, JP du Toit, Edrick Fredericks, Kennedy Tsimba, Neil Powell, Johan Erasmus, André Venter, Hendro Scholtz, Boela du Plooy (capt), Joe Beukes, Dougie Heymans, Andries van der Linden, Daan Human. Substitutes: André van Niekerk, Danie Saayman, Gerrie Britz, Gromingo Mzunga, Jimmy Powell, MJ Smith, Conrad Barnard.

Referee: Andy Turner (Western Province)

Kick-off: 15:00.

Teams for Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria:

Blue Bulls: Johan Roets, McNeil Hendricks, Frikkie Welsh, Boeta Wessels, Gavin Passens, Jaco van der Westhuyzen (capt), Joost van der Westhuizen, Chris le Roux, Piet Joubert, Anton Leonard, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Piet Boer, Jannie Brooks, Sias Wagner. Substitutes: Danie Coetzee, Wessel Roux, Matt Frank, Danie Rossouw, Coenraad Groenewald, Danie van Schalkwyk, David Manuel.

Natal Sharks: Justin Swart, Anton Pitout, Deon Kayser, Trevor Halstead, Stefan Terblanche, Herkie Kruger, Craig Davidson, Shaun Sowerby, Charl van Rensburg (capt), Warren Brosnihan, AJ Venter, Etienne Fynn, John Smit, Ollie le Roux. Substitutes: Lukas van Biljon, Eduard Coetzee, Albert van den Berg, Warren Britz, Dave von Hoesslin, Gaffie du Toit, Rodger Smith.

Referee: André Watson (Sarfu)

Kick-off: 15:00.

Teams for Newlands, Cape Town:

Western Province: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Gus Theron, Braam van Straaten, Pieter Rossouw, Chris Rossouw, Neil de Kock, Bob Skinstad, Hendrik Gerber, Corne Krige (capt), Hottie Louw, Quinton Davids, Cobus Visagie, Charl Marais, Toks van der Linde. Substitutes: Pieter Dixon, Faan Rautenbach, Thys Stoltz, Adri Badenhorst, Johannes Conradie, Werner Greeff, De Wet Barry.

Lions: Conrad Jantjes, Thinus Delport, Gcobani Bobo, Japie Mulder, Dean Hall, Louis Koen, Werner Swanepoel, Russel Winter, Piet Krause, Joe van Niekerk, Jannes Labuschagne (capt), Johan Ackermann, Willie Meyer, Leon Boshoff, Heinrich Kok. Substitutes: Delarey du Preez, Lawrence Sephaka, Kleinjan Tromp, Wikus van Heerden, Bennie Nortje, Clinton van Rensburg, Grant Esterhuizen.

Referee: Mark Lawrence (Pumas).

Kick-off: 17:05.

Teams for Puma Stadium, Witbank:

Pumas: Marius Goosen, Jacques Juries, Kat de Jager, Franco Smith, Marius Schoeman, Nel Fourie, Hakkies Hüsselman, Frans Allers, Pierre Uys, Ryan Jacobs, Gerhard Laufs, Derrick Grobbelaar (capt), Hakkies Swart, Henry Kemp, Christo Bezuidenhout. Substitutes: Paul Hoffman, Jaco Venter, Hendry Rheeders, Denzil Manuel, Conrad Breytenbach, Willie Nagel, Jan-Harm van Wyk.

Falcons: Dawie du Toit, Turtuis Douw, Ettiene Botha, Adrian Jacobs, Wynand Lourens, Joe Esterhuizen, Deon de Kock, Lodewyk Hattingh, Naas Rossouw, Nicky van der Walt, Braam Els (capt), Ralf Schroeder, Matthew Proudfoot, Skipper Badenhorst, Gunder Williamson. Substitutes: Jan van der Schyff, Japie Barnard, Stephan Britz, Jaco Booysen, Freddy Roberts, Juan Houtshamer, Jan Cloete.

Referee: Carl Spannenberg (Sarfu)

Kick-off: 15:00.