The Sharks rugby team from Durban remained eight points clear with 41 points at the top of the log after the 10th week of South Africa' s Currie Cup rugby competition on Sunday.

Their nearest rivals, Western Province from Cape Town, scored a 59-17 victory over the Leopards from South Africa's North West province at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday night.

Both Allister Coetzee and Anton van Zyl, the Western Province coach and captain, described their win as "satisfying" although they told Sport 24 they felt the nine-try performance was not as polished as they would like.

In an earlier game at Bloemfontein, hosts Free State Cheetahs beat the Currie Cup defending champions, the Blue Bulls 20-14. The result left Cheetahs third on the log with 32 points.

Fourth spot is taken by the Lions from Johannesburg, who hosted Griquas from Kimberley on Saturday afternoon. Notching up their fifth consecutive victory, the Lions won 40-29, giving them 30 log points.

The Sharks beat the Pumas 30-14 in an away game at Witbank in South Africa's Mpumalanga province on Friday.

In order to defend their title in the playoffs, the Blue Bulls must finish in the top four. Currently they are fifth on 29 log points.