Despatch out to continue domination as Cup gets under way

NELSON Mandela Bay club rugby teams will be hoping to kick off the President's Cup in grand style when they play tonight.

This comes after the teams played the last games of the first round of the EP Grand Challenge last week and now switch their attention to the President's Cup.

Gap Despatch, who have been in scintillating form in the EP GrandChallenge, hope to transfer their dominant showing to tonight's Group A clash when they lock horns with in-form PE SAPS in their opening President's Cup inDespatch.

Despatch go into the game with confidence after two consecutive high-scoring victories in their last two Grand Challenge games.

But the policemen are also on a high after producing brilliant performances towards the end of the first leg of the Challenge.

The visitors will also have a "can-do" mentality after managing what Despatch failed to do – by beating NMMU.

But the home side won the previous game against their opponents, so it will be a completely new ball game tonight.

In another Group A game, Progress welcome African Bombers to the Uitenhage Central Fields.

Progress have been far from convincing in the Grand Challenge, but they are eager to get back to the dominating side they can be.

But Bombers, who have not had the best of luck, aim to make their presence felt and put themselves in a commanding position from the first game like any other side.

Struggling Harlequins will clash with fellow strugglers Park at the Adcock Stadium.

Quins, who finished the first round of the Grand Challenge rooted at the bottom of the log, are a shadow of their former self after they set the stage ablaze in 2012 – winning the Eastern Cape Super 12 and the Sevens tournaments.

The northern areas outfit hope to have better luck this time around in the Cup.

But Park, who were hammered in their last two games, aim not to be the first victims of the home side.

The kick-offs in all the games are scheduled for 9pm. - Mkhululi Ndamase