Young Leopards and East London Police will play at home, while Swallows and Fort Beaufort United will have to travel to face Eastern Province-based clubs in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Cape Super 14.
This was confirmed after the last round of the group stages at the weekend.
Though not yet confirmed by the tournament organisers, it is likely that Conference B toppers Police, with 15 points, will face EP’s Star of Hope in East London, while Conference A top-seeded team Young Leopards, with 14 points, will square up against Trying Stars in the Buffalo City region as well.
FB United will travel to Kariega to face defending champions Progress in a repeat of the 2025 final.
Mdantsane’s Swallows, with 11 points, will play Brumbies away.
FB United claimed the last quarterfinal spot from the Border Conferences.
The race for the last spot was between Walter Sisulu University Eagles, FB United and Komga United.
But it was FB United that sneaked into the knockout stages by a whisker.
They finished in second place in Conference B with seven points behind Police, who have 15 points.
EL Police beat FB United 26-23 at Baysville School of Skills, but that was enough to gain the men from KwaMaqoma a losing bonus point.
Whipping boys of the competition Eagles caused an upset at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane and shocked Komga United with a 15-12 scoreline.
This was the Eagles first ever victory in the Super 14.
Though that was the case, they needed a bonus-point win and superior points difference if they were to cross over to the knockout stages.
They finished in third place in their debut season with six points.
It was tense in the main game of the day in Mdantsane, but it was Young Leopards from Ducats who walked away with a 27-24 win over Swallows and silenced the home crowd.
That put Leopards among the unbeaten teams in competition and further increased their favourites tag status.
In what was a dead rubber in East London’s oldest derby, Old Boys beat Buffs 34-30 at Baysville.
In the EP conferences, Progress humiliated Hanley Villages 54-13, and they will come to the quarters with their tails up against Border‘s FB United.
Trying Stars defeated Park 24-10, while Brumbies proved too much for Stars of Hope, beating them 37-17.
Jeffreys Bay won 32-17 Jeoubertina United.
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