How to win the Currie Cup? Forget about the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Those prophetic words by Suzuki Griquas coach Pieter Bergh came true as his team broke the Fidelity ADT Lions’ hearts at Ellis Park on Saturday as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, winning with a George Whitehead penalty after the final whistle.

It was the second year that the Lions gambled their URC chances on winning the domestic trophy and for the second year in a row, a full-strength URC side could win the title on home soil.

The heartbreak was understandable, and horrific if you are a Lions supporter, but for the rest of the competition, the rest of South Africa and the rugby romantics out there, this was a Currie Cup victory for the ages.

These days the so-called smaller unions fight for their right to still remain afloat. A team like Griquas may not have the crowd and infrastructure, but they had the heart. They had a bunch of players who would never lay down and a coach who must surely now be on the precipice of a URC franchise call-up.

BERGH DESERVES TO COACH IN URC

Pieter Bergh is one of the best coaches in the country, a rising star and it would be a travesty if a URC franchise doesn’t see his value in some capacity in the next few months.

Still, this was supposed to be a one-sided final. The Lions had romped into Saturday’s game on the back of a clear difference in quality. Their decision to play most of their URC squad in the Currie Cup while the other teams withdrew their players was a contentious one.

Last season it contributed to their poor ending of the season in the URC and there is every indication it may backfire again this year. But it was clear they were intent on winning a trophy - any trophy to deflect from their poor showing in the URC over the past four seasons.

So going into this final, Griquas were supposed to lie down and play dead. The Lions had walloped them 37-7 a few weeks back at the same venue. They had shown every team they faced they were a class above, and they were expected to roll up and take the trophy home.

DAVID VS GOLIATH

But Griquas had other ideas. The David-Goliath scenario gave them hope rather than despair and Bergh’s prophetic words when he entered the changeroom last Monday set the scene for one of the biggest upsets ever in the competition’s history.

And it showed that it meant more than just winning a trophy.

“I'm so emotional, you know. I've been emotional since the final whistle,” Bergh said afterwards.

“The whole week, I said on Monday, I walked into the team room and I said, if I hear the words URC this week, you get a R500 fine.

“We're not playing against the URC, we're playing against the Lions. And they've got 23 players and we've got 23 players. And it wasn't mentioned the whole week. And that was the mindset going into this game.

"So I think for the competition going forward, I think there's definitely not an asterisk next to this one. I think it's a proper Currie Cup win.

COMPETING WITH 20 PER CENT OF LIONS BUDGET

“And to do it, for long we've said that there's room for small unions in South African rugby. And hopefully this shows that we can compete with a budget, probably 20 per cent of the Lions budget.

"We came here and beat the full strength Lions team. They brought in Springboks for the final. So incredibly proud. Hopefully it opens doors for the smaller unions.

“Hopefully it shows that we can compete. Hopefully they find a way, the bigger unions, the smaller unions, Saru, SuperSport, hopefully find a way that we can play more competitive rugby. “We don't play any rugby until March, this team. So hopefully this shows that there's room for more teams playing in a better competition”

Bergh added that while this was their second final in four years, breaking the 55-year drought was special, but it wasn’t used at all in the build up.

“Yeah, you know, it's very special. Obviously four years ago there was a massive thing made. We knew we were playing in a final at home. About the 1970 team. This week we went the opposite direction. We didn't discuss it. We didn't talk about it. Just trying to take as much pressure off the players as possible.

FIRST TIME SINCE 1970

“But from our supporters, there's obviously chatter from them. But yeah, incredibly proud. You know, you'll always be a Currie Cup winner. And it's the first time since 1970. So I'm obviously incredibly proud. And hopefully we'll not wait another 55 years, this union. We've shown it's not two finals in four years. And hopefully we can build on this.”

What that future for Griquas is, is uncertain. At the moment there aren’t any prospects of bigger competitions to play in. The Lions move on to their tour to Cardiff this week to start the URC, licking their wounds. Last season the Sharks spoke openly about how the emotional toll of the final hampered their URC kick off and the Lions will be wary to heed that warning.

But for the Currie Cup competition, so awkward in the timeslot that it is currently in, the final was a masterstroke. The last two finals have been won after the hooter and this time Griquas had their fairytale moment.

With bigger and more prestigious competitions around, the debate should be ongoing about the future of the domestic showpiece, but it was clear the competition’s ethos was fulfilled when Griquas won it. An underdog breaking a 55-year drought. The scripts couldn’t be better.

Enough to fill Kimberley’s Big Hole with tears of joy. And remind us all why we love this game.

RESULTS

Suzuki Griquas 27 Fidelity ADT Lions 25

SCORERS

Fidelity ADT Lions - tries: Kelly Mpeku, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalties: Smith, Lubabalo Dobela.

Suzuki Griquas - tries: Cameron Hufke, Lourens Oosthuizen, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalties: Whitehead (2).

Suzuki Griquas upset the odds and ended a 55-year Carling Currie Cup droughts as their flyhalf George Whitehead sent home the perfect penalty kick to give them a massive upset 27-25 win over the Fidelity ADT Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday to win a pulsating final.

The rollercoaster ride ended almost in the same cruel fashion for the Johannesburg side as the result repeated itself from last season when the Hollywoodbets Sharks Jordan Hendrikse sent over a long range penalty goal to steal the title from them after the fulltime whistle.

This time it was virtually the same, although the drama was far from complete. The Lions had taken the lead with less than two minutes to go, and seemed to have won a turnover penalty to end the game when the Television Match Official intervened, spotting a deliberate knock on in the process.

“SLAP” CHANGED THE GAME

The “Slap” - as referee Christopher Allison called it - from Ruan Delport earned Griquas a reprieve and gave one of the most promising coaches in South Africa - Pieter Bergh - a first Currie Cup title as Whitehead sent the kick home to ignite tears and celebrations.

It was a fairytale ending for the competition and one that will go down in history, but it could be a costly one for the Lions, who had banked their URC season - as they did last year by playing a virtual first choice URC side against the smaller unions.

The fact they went into the final on the back of a big 37-7 win in the pool phases made them odds-on favourites, and it was expected they would romp home to the title. The fact that so few of their fans turned up for what was supposed to be a title walk says a lot about the marketing of the domestic competition as it does the Lions approach to the season.

The fact they have lost back to back finals raises the question if the trophy at all costs is ever the right way to go. The Lions faded badly last season and a number of their players have not had an off-season before the URC, which could see them fade badly again as the season draws to a close.

HEARTBREAK

The heartbreak of another losing final won’t help either and the rugby romantic will find it hard not to enjoy the celebrations and tears that flowed as Griquas broke their duck.

💎 For the first time since 1970, @GriquasRugby are #CurrieCup 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/VVjVR2rA3S

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) September 20, 2025

The point at the end of the day is that this game was everything for Griquas. The Lions leave on tour on Monday for the start of the URC and now must regroup quickly. The disappointment and heartache must be put aside, but the battle scars mean nothing against a Cardiff side that have been through a proper pre-season.

Saying that, Griquas came to Ellis Park with a mission to play and take on their more fancied hosts and for a large part of the game they did that. They tackled their hearts out, they went toe to toe with the Lions and when they got the chance, they took it.

If the Currie Cup isn’t all about the underdog upsetting the odds, then what is it about? The most famous victories in the domestic competition’s history are all about those moments that you remember. Whitehead just added himself to that prestigious list.

It's all over in the Carling #CurrieCup final at Ellis Park and Suzuki Griquas have done it 🏆#WhereChampionsRise | #PremierRugbyRealPassion pic.twitter.com/zp98TYAJkY

— The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) September 20, 2025

Bergh’s team rose from the ashes, they became giants in a game they were expected to tamely succumb to and they fought all the way. The dramatic ending made it only more beautiful for the team that has not tasted glory for so long.

LIONS WERE IN CONTROL FOR MOST OF THE MATCH

Because even as they scored first, a dropped pass from Chris Smith being scooped up by Cameron Hufke to go over, the Lions always seemed to be in control of the game, even though the scoreboard was never comfortable.

Smith got them onto the board with a penalty before a Quan Horn break - which must have caught the eye of the national selectors - put Kelly Mpeku away to take the lead.

Griquas hit back with a 5m penalty tap by Lourens Oosthuizen that barrelled over the line to retake the lead but Richard Kriel found a big hole to run in untouched and put his side into the break 17-14 up.

Griquas had no sooner got themselves level early in the second half through Whitehead’s boot than the ensuing kickoff bounced horribly for them and Henco van Wyk pounced to score a try to retake the lead.

With time running out, it was Mnombo Zwelendaba who went over with eight minutes to go after sustained pressure to put Griquas ahead and lift their hopes of the title.

DOBELA LOOKED TO HAVE WON IT

The Lubabalo Dobela penalty in the 77th minute seemed to end that, as the Lions started celebrating and their turnover penalty win on the 80th minute mark seemed to have won them the title.

But then the TMO intervened, and heartbreak ensued.

Whitehead was never going to miss from straight in front, and the Lions second consecutive season of gambling everything for a trophy backfired again.

For Griquas though, this was the fairytale they had dreamed of.

Scorers

Fidelity ADT Lions - tries: Kelly Mpeku, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalties: Smith, Lubabalo Dobela.

Suzuki Griquas - tries: Cameron Hufke, Lourens Oosthuizen, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalties: Whitehead (2).

The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division when the Fidelity ADT Lions host Suzuki Griquas in the final at Ellis Park on Saturday.

This will be the second successive year that the Gautengers will host the final, as they hope to capitalise on home-ground advantage against the tenacious visitors from the Northern Cape.

Saturday’s final, which will be refereed by Christopher Allison, is scheduled to kick off at 3pm and will be broadcast live by SuperSport.

Both teams secured their spot in the final with convincing performances in the semifinals. The Lions finished the league phase at the top of the log with five wins from seven matches and they flexed their muscles in the 67-19 semifinal victory last weekend over the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers.

Griquas, who ended the league season in second place, secured their place in the decider with a hard-fought 25-5 win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Kimberley.

The two teams have met once this season, with the Lions emerging as clear victors two weeks ago when they clinched top spot on the log with a commanding 37-7 victory over the visitors at Ellis Park in the final round of the league action.

That result will undoubtedly give the Lions a psychological edge heading into the final. Griquas on the other hand, will use that outcome as motivation to go one step further and create history.

Looking at the form guide, both teams come into the final with strong recent form, as indicated by their success in the semifinals, with each team losing only once in their last five games.

The Highvelders’ only defeats this season came on the road against the Cheetahs and Boland, while on home turf at Ellis Park, they have been a dominant force, as evident in their semifinal win which showcased their lethal attack.

However, the men from the Northern Cape had an equally strong run of form leading into the final league round, winning five consecutive games before their league loss to the Lions. Their victory over the Cheetahs in the semifinal demonstrated their defensive grit and resilience to bounce back.

A look at the history books reveals some interesting facts about the two teams’ past final appearances.

The Lions boast a far more successful history in the competition. They have won the coveted gold cup 11 times and shared it once, while also ending as runners-up on 13 occasions, making them one of the most frequent cup final teams.

The team from the Diamond City have three wins behind their name, the last of which came in 1970, while they were runners up in 2022.

Despite last year’s final appearance, the last time the Lions won the Currie Cup was in 2015, when they had that memorable run of form, with the Highvelders’ also making three Vodacom Super Rugby final appearances during that period.

Griquas, on the other hand, will have to page further back in the history books for their last final triumph, which was 55 years ago. Saturday will be the second final appearance for them in four years since then, following their home loss in 2022 to the Airlink Pumas, who went on to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.

For the Lions, new signing Angelo Davids has made an immediate impact with his prolific try scoring ability, with the speedy wing dotting down four times last week against Boland to double his tally of tries for the season so date, the same number as Griqua speed merchant Gurshwin Wehr.

The final is also the perfect stage for experienced Griquas flyhalf George Whitehead to display his playmaking abilities. The stalwart has been in prolific kicking form as usual, amassing 78 points via his reliable boot to place him top of the points scoring charts heading into the final.

Whitehead’s ability to bring into play the dangerous Griquas strike runners has been a hallmark of their season thus far, along with his steady kicking abilities.

A fascinating match is on the cards, with two strong packs of forwards going into battle, while both teams have exciting backs to finish off promising attacks.

Fidelity ADT Lions: 15 Quan Horn (captain), 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (vice-captain), 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze. Replacements: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Lubabalo Dobela, 23 Rynhardt Jonker.

Suzuki Griquas: 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelenedaba, 11 Gurshwin Wehr, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Caleb Abrahams, 8 Gustav Erlank, 7 Carl Els, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Derik Pretorius, 3 Cebo Dlamini (captain), 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids. Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 IG Prinsloo, 19 Marco de Witt, 20 Phumzile Maqondwana, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Tom Nel, 23 Connor Mahoney.

CARLING CURRIE CUP PREMIER DIVISION FINAL

Fidelity ADT Lions v Suzuki Griquas

Date: Saturday, 20 September 2025

Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Christopher Allison

Broadcast: SuperSport Rugby

There will no doubt be a lot of fist pumping, as there has been in recent weeks, if as expected the ADT Lions win Saturday’s Carling Currie Cup final against Suzuki Griquas in Johannesburg but the elation is unlikely to be shared by anyone else beyond the team’s most ardent fans.

Griquas will go in as heavy underdogs but also as the team most neutrals will be supporting. There may be several reasons for that, one of them obviously being that everyone loves an underdog, but also because if Griquas get their hands on the golden trophy for the first time since 1970 it will provide a narrative that keeps with the storied history of the competition.

If the Lions win, there won’t be. The Lions administrators or coaches might get excited about it, and of course there will doubtless be some media people who will inject hubris into the whole occasion by referring to “a glory moment”, or some such similar expression. But outside of those connected to the Lions, the overriding question will surely be “So what?”

It is a Vodacom United Rugby Championship team that is using the competition as a springboard to the inter-continental competition against a Currie Cup team. In the past two weeks, when the other unions aligned to URC franchises have reintroduced players, we have seen what a chasm there is between the two.

THROWBACK TO 1984 FINAL

There was only one occasion in living memory from the old era, when every Currie Cup final was seen as something akin to a test match, that there was such a distortion - when one team came from a completely different level of competition from the other.

It was Newlands in 1984. Natal, yet to become the Currie Cup winning union they were to become six years later, were in the B Section back then, but won through to the Cape Town decider because they won a semifinal in Durban.

In those days the B Section winners got as one of their prizes, along with a place in a promotion-relegation game, a chance to play the A Section runners up. Until that year, although Griquas did push Western Province all the way in the Kimberley semi in 1979, no B Section team had ever won. But Wynand Claassen’s team raised their game and won their Kings Park semi 26-15.

That win against a Free State (Cheetahs) side that had done so well in the A Section was great for the Durban rugby public, and soothed some of the disappointment over what had happened the week before - a comprehensive defeat at the hands of the A Section wooden-spoonists, the Northern Free State ‘Purple People Eaters’ in the promotion-relegation game in Welkom the previous week.

But few outside of what is now known as KZN gave them much chance in the final, which became less of an event when Free State were knocked out. Although Claassen’s team, with the late Gawie Visagie playing a blinder at flyhalf, did make a game of it in the first half, there was something inevitable about WP’s eventual win.

For it was the A Section winners against the B Section winners. Saturday at Emirates Airlines Park it is a URC team against a Currie Cup team. Same difference.

 

Grind mode.🛠️
🆚 Suzuki Griquas
🗓: Sat, 20 Sep
⏰: 15:00
🎟️: https://t.co/gCpr0DkZjY
🏟: Ellis Park Stadium
#ForOurCity | #LIOvGRI | #CurrieCup | #WhereChampionsRise
#LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/3B3xIvIx2g

— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) September 18, 2025

 

WINNING WILL MEAN EVERYTHING TO GRIQUAS

Why it would be good for the competition and the status of the trophy for Griquas to win is because it will mean everything to the players from the smaller union, and big for Kimberley. It will add to the legend of 1970, which was when Griquas won their third title in a final against Northern Transvaal (Bulls) that old timers still talk about with great reverence.

For Griquas a hold of the Currie Cup trophy will be a massive boost for rugby in the Northern Cape, and like was the case in the area around Nelspruit following the Airlink Pumas win in 2022, the trophy will be put on show at events around the promotion of the sport for months afterwards. In a nutshell, it will be a meaningful event.

Unless there’s a very distorted view of the realities of the South African rugby eco-system at the Johannesburg union, that shouldn’t be the case for the Lions beyond next week when they start their challenge in the URC.

 

362 days ago, it was heartbreak for the Lions 💔

A year later, they have the chance to put the memory of Jordan Hendrikse's last-minute kick to bed.

They host the #CurrieCup final on Saturday against the Griquas 🍿

📺 14:30 Build-Up | 15:00 Kick-Off pic.twitter.com/5xsd0kbqsB

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 18, 2025

 

If the Lions coaches think there’s something big to be gained from winning the Currie Cup, maybe they should ask Sharks coach John Plumtree if he gave its presence in the Kings Park trophy cabinet any thought when the heat was on during the last URC season. He didn’t. Which was why the Sharks didn’t go for it this time around.

A Lions win on Saturday, and it will take a miracle for that not to be the case, will quickly be forgotten, and it will only add to the fuel of the growing lobby who support the contention first made by former Springbok flanker Gert Smal, a past Currie Cup winner as both player and coach, that the trophy should be put in a museum.

LIONS LOSING SKIPPER WON’T CHANGE FAVOURITE STATUS

Both teams will be named later on Friday but what we know right now is that the Lions lost their captain PJ Botha this week to a leg injury that will keep him out until December.

That shouldn’t make much difference to their chances of winning against a team that has played eye-catching rugby and has, along with the Lions’ semifinal victims last week, the Boland Kavaliers, been a standout at Currie Cup level this year.

The problem for Griquas and their fans is that this is no longer that level, it is a step up, and they were well beaten by the same opponents and at the same venue in the last league game two weeks ago. It should be a similar result, but many South Africans not aligned to the Lions will hope I am wrong as a Griquas win will breathe some much needed air into the old trophy.

Carling Currie Cup final 2025

ADT Fidelity Lions v Suzuki Griquas

Teams to be announced.


Venue: Emirates Airlines Park

Kick-off: 3pm

Prediction: Lions to win by 20

There is an element of farce to it, for they are the only Vodacom URC aligned team that really set out to chase silverware in this year’s Carling Currie Cup, but the ADT Fidelity Lions are on the cusp of getting right what they did last year by getting their hands on the golden trophy.

The Lions will host their second successive domestic final when they play Suzuki Griquas in the decider at Emirates Airlines Park on Saturday.

The semifinal round did what the last round of league play the previous week did - it confirmed the wide chasm that exists between the URC teams and the rest. Last week DHL Western Province (Stormers), the Hollywoodbets Sharks and the Vodacom Bulls went onto URC footing by treating the games as URC warmups and won comfortably against teams that had hitherto been the standouts in the competition.

The Lions have had a URC look to them for a while, since before the other three mentioned teams started using the Currie Cup as a URC warmup, and as a result of that they have the synergy to their game you would anticipate. So Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, who were the talking point of the competition until they lost to the Sharks XV in Pietermaritzburg in their penultimate regular season game, went to Johannesburg with little hope.

Still, it was disappointing to see them execute their defensive game so poorly. Boland had enough of the ball early on and looked promising on attack on a few occasions, but let themselves down with the ease with which they allowed the Lions to run through them en route to a massive halftime lead.

Full marks to Boland for the way they kept trying but every time they threatened to break back the Lions would score again and the Lions fans at Emirates Airlines Park were able to start making their preparations to be back for next week’s final long before the end.

And Griquas, who were involved in a far tougher game in Kimberley against the Toyota Cheetahs than the 20 point winning margin might suggest, will know they will be up against it as they go in quest for their fourth Currie Cup title, the first of which was clinched before the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War in 1899 and the last of which was achieved in Kimberley in the 1970 final.

The sight of the Lions coaches, many of whom weren’t part of the early parts of their team’s Currie Cup campaign, does suggest that union is on a completely different script to the Sharks, WP and Bulls, who used the competition as a development tool only. The Sharks were the team that broke Lions hearts last September with their exciting win, clinched by a last gasp monster Jordan Hendrikse penalty, but they made their intentions of not going all out to defend their title clear from their early selections.

 

𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 | Fidelity ADT Lions 67 – 19 Boland Cavaliers

Off to the final we go... Let's go big Joburg!#ForOurCity | #LIOvBOL | #CurrieCup | #WhereChampionsRise
#LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/hxjGOgWKp9

— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) September 13, 2025

 

Ditto WP and also, a little later on, once Johan Ackermann had arrived to take over as the URC coach, the Bulls. However, the Lions clearly need a trophy, and maybe they’ve made the decision to risk the hit that their quest for domestic success could take to their URC challenge, as it did last year, because they know they have little chance of winning a trophy in the inter-continental competition regardless of what they do now.

HORN COULD BE IN BOK SQUAD BY SATURDAY

There is no denying how sharp and impressive they look, and Quan Horn’s form at fullback on the way to his man of the match award should have been noted by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, who this week needs to decide what he will do at fullback if, as expected, Aphelele Fassi is ruled out of the remaining Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches with the injury he sustained in the big win over the All Blacks in Wellington.

Horn of course was part of the Bok squad last year and Erasmus did mention a few weeks ago that he’d been intending giving him a chance again and then had to change his plans so it could be that the Lions will be without their No 15 in the final as Horn could well find himself at least in the national squad.

Of course, the key role of the Currie Cup these days is as a development competition, and in that regard the semifinal round saw the Kimberley game deliver on that. The Griquas wing Dylan Maart looks like he would not be out of place playing in the URC, ditto his opposite number at the Cheetahs, Prince Nkimande. Maart scored a brace, both of them spectacular tries, while Nkimane was the loan scorer for the losers in the central union derby.

 

The Carling #CurrieCup Final is heading back to Ellis Park for the second successive season - more here: https://t.co/DWPHXBbuyP 🥇#WhereChampionsRise | #PremierRugbyRealPassion pic.twitter.com/Dzu0gjQeL7

— The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) September 14, 2025

 

No-one is more promising though than the Griquas captain Clebo Dlamini, the impressive tighthead, and don’t bet against him popping up at a franchise like the Sharks during the URC season. Ditto the Boland flyhalf Ashlon Davids, who we hear could be a like for like Stormers replacement for the departed Manie Libbok.

Carling Currie Cup semifinal results

ADT Fidelity Lions 67 Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 19

Suzuki Griquas 25 Toyota Cheetahs 5

Final: ADT Fidelity Lions v Suzuki Griquas (Johannesburg, Saturday)

The Fidelity ADT Lions will host the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division final for the second successive season when Suzuki Griquas travel to Johannesburg next weekend after the two teams managed to progress to the decider by winning their semifinals matches staged on Saturday evening.

The Lions booked their second final in a row when they romped to a 67-19 triumph over a gallant Sanlam Boland Kavaliers at Ellis Park. In the second semifinal, at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley, Griquas defeated their neighbours, the Toyota Cheetahs, by 24-5 to secure their place in Saturday’s final, with kick-off planned for 3pm (to be confirmed).

The Fidelity ADT Lions, fielding a team stacked with Vodacom URC players, established their authority early in their semifinal and held a commanding 41-5 lead at halftime, easily outscoring the brave Kavaliers by 10 tries to three.

Lions wing Angelo Davids led the scoring with a blistering performance which resulted in four tries, three of those scored in a thrilling first half. Henco van Wyk contributed two, while SJ Kotze, Quan Horn, and Renzo du Plessis each scored one. The hosts were also awarded penalty try.

Chris Smith (flyhalf) was a major contributor with his boot, pulling the strings behind a dominant pack and scoring 15 points from six conversions and a penalty goal.

Boland, who won the First Division last year and emerged as the season’s surprise package with four league wins, managed to score three tries in the end through Sidney Tobias, Jayden Bantom, and Chriswill September, with James Tedder kicking two conversions.

Unfortunately, Tedder was also yellow carded late in the second half when he illegally stopped a Lions attack, which led to the hosts’ penalty try.

In the second semifinal, staged in in Kimberley, Suzuki Griquas progressed to their second final in four years with a hard-fought 25-5 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs. The win was inspired by two moments of individual brilliance from wing Dylan Maart, who scored a crucial brace of tries.

The men from Kimberley led 12-5 at the halfway staged and scored two tries in die second half without conceding any points.

They started the match with a quick-fire blitz of tries, which laid the foundation for a solid win in the Diamond City. Following a scrum penalty and an attacking lineout, the ball was spread wide before Zane Bester brought it back inside, creating the space for Albert Liebenberg to score the opening try.

Almost immediately after, the speedy Maart chased down a kick and, after the ball bounced favourably, he ran two-thirds of the field to score his first try of the eening game. This double-strike saw the home side take a commanding 12-0 lead.

However, the Cheetahs hit back just three minutes later, with a try from wing Prince Nkabinde after a turnover and successful offload.

The rest of the first half was a huge arm wrestle, with Griquas unable to capitalise on their advantage.

 

The Carling #CurrieCup Final is heading back to Ellis Park for the second successive season - more here: https://t.co/DWPHXBbuyP 🥇#WhereChampionsRise | #PremierRugbyRealPassion pic.twitter.com/Dzu0gjQeL7

— The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) September 14, 2025

 

The men from the Northern Cape emerged in the second half with renewed focus, performing better in the lineout and becoming far more clinical. Experienced flyhalf George Whitehead extended the lead with a penalty goal early in the second half.

The decisive moment came in the 56th minute when Griquas worked their way into the Cheetahs’ half after a penalty and Maart received a pass from Whitehead. With a lot of work to do, the prolific wing produced a spectacular dive to score his second try in the corner, much to the delight of his teammates and the grateful Kimberley crowd.

Whitehead converted the try and, with the final kick of the game, slotted a long-range penalty goal to seal the 25-5 victory, which has set them up for a trip to Johannesburg next weekend to face the Lions, whom they lost to in the league phase.

Scorers:

Fidelity ADT Lions 67 (41), Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 19 (5)

Lions – Tries: Angelo Davids (4), Henco van Wyk (2), SJ Kotze, Quan Horn, Renzo du Plessis, Penalty try. Conversions: Chris Smith (6). Penalty goals: Smith.

Boland – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Jayden Bantom, Chriswill September. Conversions: James Tedder (2).

Suzuki Griquas 25 (12), Toyota Cheetahs 5 (5)

Griquas – Tries: Albert Liebenberg, Dylan Maart (2). Conversions: George Whitehead (2). Penalty goals: Whitehead (2).

Cheetahs – Try: Prince Nkabinde.

The two moments of individual brilliance that saw wing Dylan Maart score a brace of tries was the key difference for the Suzuki Griquas as they beat the Toyota Cheetahs 25-5 in their Carling Currie Cup semifinal in Kimberley on Saturday.

The win means that Griquas head to Johannesburg next Saturday to play their second Currie Cup final in the space of four years.

The Griquas take one step closer to the #CurrieCup trophy 🏆#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/w2MALdXu1R

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 13, 2025

It might have turned out differently had the Cheetahs been more clinical and converted their opportunities while by contrast Maart in particular was excellent in nailing the opportunities that came his way.

His first try came in the ninth minute as he chased down a kick that bounced well for him after coming off a Cheetahs hand in an attempted charge down from inside the Griquas 22 and he ended up running two thirds of the length of the field to score.

That was just two minutes after lock Albert Leibenberg had scored his team’s first try after a scrum penalty had set up an attacking lineout and then the ball was spread across the field towards the left before centre Zane Bester used his pace to bring the attack back inside to the other touchline.

He created enough space for Bester who dived over.

So in the space of two minutes Griquas had propelled themselves into a 12-0 lead and at that point visions of the big win scored by the Kimberley team in Bloemfontein a few weeks ago started flashing through the mind.


However, as it turned out that proved to be the last points Griquas scored in the half and the Cheetahs struck back with their first try after 12 minutes to bring them into the game.

It was their powerfully built right wing Prince Nkimande who capitalised on a good turnover and then offload to blitzed down the right touchline to complete the score.

Griquas arguably got the better of the scrum battle in that first half, at least in terms of winning the more crucial scrum penalties, but they made a mess of their lineouts and it prevented them from getting the momentum they’d enjoyed earlier on.

At the same time the Cheetahs were halted by the good work that the home team did at the breakdown in slowing their ball down.

COMMANDING DRIVING GAME

The Cheetahs had enough attacking opportunities in the first half to feel confident at halftime that they still had a chance to win the game, but that dissipated as Griquas sorted out their lineout in the second half and became far more clinical.

As the game drew on the Griquas’ driving got more influential and commanding too.

However even though George Whitehead kicked a penalty just a minute into the second half to give his team a 10 point lead, it wasn’t until Maart’s second try that they had a clear advantage.

It came in the 56th minute after Cheetahs wing Nkaminde was perhaps lucky not to be carded for a reckless charge into the breakdown, with the TMO explaining that he couldn’t make out if he’d collided with his opponents head or not.

That meant it was just a penalty, but that penalty turned out to be well used by Griquas, for it was from the field position they got from that penalty that they launched the attack, in which flyhalf Whitehead performed an influential role in the creation with a good pass, that gave Maart his opportunity.

He still had a lot to do when he got the ball but produced a spectacular dive that dotted the ball down over the line on the corner flag.

Dylan Maart's athletic ability 🤯🔥

📺 Stream #CurrieCup on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/MiaOxYHXI7

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 13, 2025

Whitehead converted and then, when the game was done and dusted, kicked a long range penalty with the last kick of the game to make it a 20 point difference in the end.

With the ADT Fidelity Lions team they face next week effectively being a URC team, which makes it all seem a bit unfair, most South Africans without Lions leanings will be hoping they can use the opportunity to win their fourth Currie Cup trophy, the first of which was won in 1899, but they will need to work hard this week and make several improvements if they are to turn around the big defeat they suffered to those opponents in the final league game last Saturday.

Scores

Suzuki Griquas 25 - Tries: Albert Leibenberg and Dylan Maart 2; Conversions: George Whitehead 2; Penalties: George Whitehead 2.

Toyota Cheetahs 5 - Try: Prince Nkimande.

The Fidelity ADT Lions cruised into the Carling Currie Cup final with a ruthless 67-19 (41-5) win over the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.

In a match where the Lions oozed pizazz and asserted their dominance with clinical switch plays and a suffocating defence, Angelo Davids stole the show, scoring four tries, including a first-half hat-trick.

From two minutes in, when Davids dotted over his first of four tries, it was clear that the Lions were not playing courteous hosts.

That point was hammered home with three more tries in the first 23 minutes.

Angelo Davids finishes off a beautiful team try from the Lions 🦁🏉

📺 Stream #CurrieCup on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/jdHqmcbUk1

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 13, 2025

Henco van Wyk scored a brace and SJ Kotze - the big loosehead prop - brought the house down with a sidestep that left defenders getting a taste of the Ellis Park turf.

By the standards of the match, a relatively subdued ten-minute spell followed and, despite Sidney Tobias adding solace for Boland when he crossed over from a powerful maul, the Lions were relentless in their audacity.

Davids ended the first half by plucking the ball out of the air, as if his hands and the ball had a magnetic attraction.

Boland’s misery was compounded at the start of the second half with James Tedder sin-binned for a deliberate knock down, gifting the hosts seven points thanks to the awarded penalty try.

And, of course, Davids was still not done. He added his fourth try of the match, and eighth of the season, by pouncing on a pinpoint chip kick from Smith, who seemed to have a direct line to Davids’ instinct.

The conversion was missed, but the damage was long done.

There were some late flashes of resistance from Boland. Jayden Bantom scored a superb solo try, chipping over the top and regathering to dot down, and Chriswill September added another later on to make the scoreboard look slightly more respectable.

But whatever Boland were going to do, the Lions always had a response.

Quan Horn wriggled through a vice grip to score under the posts to respond to Bantom’s effort while Renzo du Plessis woke up when September came knocking, sealing a 67-19 win.

With a ten-year Currie Cup drought and last year’s final loss haunting them, this performance suggests that the Lions are not just chasing redemption, they are demanding it through equal measures of ruthlessness and radiance.

The first #CurrieCup 2025 finalist is confirmed 👏🦁#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/hikbmPcBXG

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 13, 2025

© By Antoinette Muller

Scorers:

Fidelity ADT Lions – Tries: Angelo Davids (4), Henco van Wyk (2), SJ Kotze, Quan Horn, Renzo du Plessis, Penalty try; Conversions: Chris Smith (6); Penalties: Smith.

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Jayden Bantom, Chriswill September; Conversions: James Tedder, Juan Mostert.

Will the Carling Currie Cup dream stay alive for the so-called smaller unions, or will the Fidelity ADT Lions swoop in and steal it away from them?

The stage is set for the Currie Cup semifinals this weekend and while three of South Africa’s top four franchises have been ousted with the young teams they selected for the tournament, the Lions decision - as they did last year - to use the competition as a long United Rugby Championship pre-season - allowed them to finish top of the log after the pool rounds.

There is no doubt that the budget and quality of the Lions starters - who will all be lining up in the URC in a few weeks time - is both bigger and better than the other three teams that have qualified for the Currie Cup semis, but will it be enough to see them to the title.

Last season that same strategy was upended by a similar strategy and a last minute kick by the Sharks in the final. This season there seems to be little that is standing in their way to take the title - except for the bravery of some of the smaller sides still in the competition.

Forget the fact that this same strategy bit the Lions badly in the closing stages of the URC where their insistence on concentrating on the Currie Cup led to a string of late URC season injuries and a very bad dip in form.

In the Currie Cup pond they are very much the big fish and will want to dine on the smaller fry.

There are so many debates on the go about the domestic competition and its place in the SA Rugby ecosystem, but for the next two weeks, the only debates will be about where the golden trophy will rest for the next 12 months.

And the Lions are intent that they will take it to Ellis Park.

On paper, with a bunch of URC stalwarts, everything points to them rolling into the final on the back of their stars. Their opposition - Boland Kavaliers - are dipping in form and have had their dream Currie Cup debut stunted by the loss of key players to injury and their own form in their last few games.

To be fair, Hawies Fourie’s side have punched above their weight and made their supporters believe in this Currie Cup season, claiming a number of scalps along the way. But the season may be a game too far for them unless they can repeat their giant-killing exploits away from home in the Lions’ den, so to speak.

Fourie would already have been very satisfied in what his players have achieved, and will believe the season was already a success, but the hope that comes with making the playoffs will fuel Boland in these 80 minutes.

The team did receive a boost when two players - flyhalf Ashlon Davids and fullback James Tedder returned from injury after missing their last game against WP last week. Davids, Tedder, Sibusiso Sangweni and HP van Schoor are all ex-Lions players and will be keen to get another win over their former paymasters.

The other semifinal sees Frans Steyn’s Toyota Cheetahs face their nearest rivals - Suzuki Griquas - in a very interesting fixture in Kimberley.

Not only did Griquas win the pool fixture quite easily a few weeks ago, but they have been quietly building as a side and will be supremely confident going into the game. Their coach - Pieter Bergh - is one of the most promising rising stars in coaching ranks and will want nothing more than to give the region another title.

The Cheetahs have lost young Franco Smith to concussion, meaning Clayton Blommetjies will play flyhalf, and is likely to be a target for Griquas. Blommetjies can be brilliant but his off-days can be costly as well.

The derby will be fascinating to watch, with Griquas looking to maximise home advantage to try and make their second final under Bergh.

FIXTURES

Carling Currie Cup semifinals

Saturday

Fidelity ADT Lions v Sanlam Boland Kavaliers

Ellis Park, 5pm

Prediction: Lions to win by 14

Suzuki Griquas v Toyota Cheetahs

Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley 7.15pm

Prediction: Griquas to win by 7

A place in this year’s Carling Currie Cup Premier Division final is the big prize on offer when the two semifinals will be staged in Johannesburg and Kimberley on Saturday.

The Fidelity ADT Lions host the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers at 17h00 at Ellis Park in the first encounter, which will be followed by the 7:15pm kick-off at the Suzuki Stadium, where Suzuki Griquas host their central South African neighbours, the Toyota Cheetahs.

The Lions secured pole position with a commanding 37-7 victory over Griquas in the final round of the league action last weekend, meaning they will be brimming with confidence heading into the semifinal.

Their form this season has been impressive, which enabled them to finish the league phase at the top of the log with five wins from seven matches. Their only two losses came against the Cheetahs (47-31) and Boland (29-10), interestingly both on the road.

The latter result will no doubt be extra motivation for the Joburg outfit who will be keen to avenge that loss and continue their dominance at Ellis Park.

Boland, meanwhile, have enjoyed a memorable campaign since being promoted to the Premier Division after the SA Cup. They have consistently proved their credentials, securing a top four finish with four wins and a couple of close-fought losses.

Their home victory over the Lions in the league phase was a definite highlight, demonstrating their ability to ruffle the feather of the more experienced teams.

However, they are coming off a 40-22 derby defeat to DHL Western Province in their final league match, a result that saw them slip from second to fourth place on the final log. Kavaliers coach Hawies Fourie knows they would need to regroup quickly and rediscover the form that saw them winning on a regular basis.

According to their respective form guides, the Lions stand stronger with two losses from their last five games, while Boland in turn have three wins and two losses (both in their previous two outings), over the same period.

This match is set for a clash of styles, with the attacking rugby of the Lions against the tenacious, hard-working grit of the Boland side. The Kavaliers’ ability to defend stoutly and capitalise on their opportunities will be key, while the Lions on the other hand, will look to dominate the set piece with their more experienced pack, hoping to unleash their dangerous backline at their high-altitude venue.

The second semifinal pits two of the competition's most consistent performers against each other, when Suzuki Griquas host the Toyota Cheetahs in Kimberley.

Both have been in good form for much of the season, and their neighbourly rivalry adds an extra layer of intensity to this knock-out encounter.

 

All Carling #CurrieCup eyes on Joburg and Kimberley this weekend - more here: https://t.co/kubTEmIg2i 👀#WhereChampionsRise | #PremierRugbyRealPassion pic.twitter.com/gzL1ft1nAk

— The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) September 11, 2025

 

Griquas have the better run-in of the two teams, winning five consecutive games after a first-round loss. This run of form saw them rise to the top of the log before their final-round defeat to the Lions. Despite the setback, their home ground advantage in Kimberley should be key factor.

Suzuki Stadium has been a formidable venue for visiting teams – Griquas’ last defeat at their home ground was more than a year ago against the Lions – and the team from the Diamond City will look to make home ground advantage count to book their spot in next weekend’s final.

Equally, the Cheetahs also had a strong season. Four wins allowed them to finish tied on 23 points with the Kavaliers to clinch third place on the standings due to a superior points’ differential. However, their form has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, with big wins and close-fought losses.

Furthermore, Frans Steyn’s Free Staters will be looking to bounce back from a narrow 35-31 away defeat to the Vodacom Bulls in their final league encounter. A late surge in last weekend’s exciting game showed their typical fighting spirit, and they will need every bit of that resilience against a good Griquas outfit.

Their Carling Currie Cup head-to-head record in the last five seasons is is closely contested, with each team securing four wins, plus a drama-filled draw in the last nine encounters between them, which points to another tight, exciting battle on the cards.

Match Information:

Fidelity ADT Lions v Sanlam Boland Kavaliers

Date: Saturday, 13 September

Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Kick-off: 5pm

Referee: Griffin Colby

Broadcast: SuperSport

Suzuki Griquas v Toyota Cheetahs

Date: Saturday, 13 September

Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley

Kick-off: 7:15pm

Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

Broadcast: SuperSport

When the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV were hammered 64-0 by the Vodacom Bulls in their second Carling Currie Cup game there was a context that perhaps wasn’t understood by the critics who slammed them, but it left the coach JP Pietersen with a mission that for many would have been a bridge too far.

The image of a bridge was what the former Springbok wing, who won the Rugby World Cup under the coaching of Jake White and captaincy of John Smit, used when he spoke to his players in the inevitable fall out from a result that had many running to the record books to see if it was the biggest ever Bulls win over the Sharks.

“After that Bulls game there was obviously a lot of hurt and some hard talking but I told the guys they were on a bridge,” said Pietersen.

“I said to the guys we are crossing a bridge, are well all in or are we going to jump off? They all said ‘No, we are all in’. That period wasn’t nice, and I could easily have gone to Plum (URC coach John Plumtree) and told him I am out if I don’t have some URC players playing for me as the group is not up to it.

“But I didn’t do that. I am young in coaching, still wet around the ears, having been doing it for just four years, but what I believe from my experiences, also what I experienced as a player, is that it is important for you as a coach to remain true and honest to the players.

"I didn’t want to change what I had said to them when we first came together as a group at the start of the season, I wanted them to know I retained my belief in them and what they could do.

“On that Monday, amidst all the hurt and disappointment, I had one on ones with the guys over the standard that was needed to play for the Sharks. What kept coming back at me was them feeling that five out of 10 was good enough.

"I said no, you have to operate between six and seven as a young group, and between seven and eight is needed at URC level.

“We spoke about what it means to wear the Sharks jersey, and together with the help of captain Nick Hatton, who played a big role at that point, what was needed was taken on board.

"The following week we conceded only one try to the Cheetahs and were maybe unlucky to lose narrowly, and we showed further growth when we went to Kimberley to play Griquas.

“Griquas were in excellent form and are very difficult to play in Kimberley. A lot of people would have been expecting us to take another 60 pointer. But it was 19-12 after 72 minutes before Griquas scored a late try to make the game look less close than it really was. Then we beat Western Province and then we beat an in form Boland Kavaliers team.”

SHARKS TOOK OPPOSITE TRAJECTORY TO BULLS AFTER LOFTUS

That Boland game in Pietermaritzburg was effectively the last to be played by the group of players that Pietersen brought together at the start of the season. For in their final league game against the Airlink Pumas in Durban this past weekend, the Sharks started to go into URC mode.

The Bulls side that smashed the Sharks in Pretoria was loaded with URC players, and it wasn’t a fair contest. The Sharks players and coaches didn’t forget the arrogant post-match comments of the Bulls Currie Cup coach after that game, he accused the Sharks of not respecting the Currie Cup, and it was a motivation for them.

Ironically, the Bulls’ new URC coach Johan Ackermann stepped in the week after that Loftus game and affirmed a change of approach to align with that of the Sharks and Western Province, and until the last game, where Ackermann used it as a URC warmup, the Bulls never won again.

By contrast the Sharks XV used the Currie Cup for what it should be used for - a chance to develop and grow.

So while the Sharks XV’s season doesn’t look like a success if you look at their position on the Currie Cup log, Pietersen succeeded in the only mission that was realistic at the start of a campaign that his team went into after just 10 days of preparation - they improved as a team and at the same time repeated last year’s feat of infusing an admirable team culture.

CULTURE SHONE THROUGH IN BOLAND WIN

That culture and character was writ large at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg when the young Sharks players dug deep after conceding the lead late in the game to Boland and fought their way from deep in their own half after the hooter to win the game via a Siya Masuku penalty.

“If you look at how we progressed then I think we can feel satisfied with how it went. That Boland game was the last game that team will play together as from this week we will see a mix and match with URC players as we start preparing for the new season,” said Pietersen.

“As a coach you need to lead, you have to decide how you will get best from the group. I was challenging the players the whole time. I was always very aware that many of them were not long out of high school, where they would usually have been winners, and would not be used to losing.

"So how they reacted to defeat was going to be part of their learning experience, and the challenge was to bounce back. I challenged them to do that.

“Nick was driving it from the inside. Throughout the season the idea was that when the campaign is finished we have got to be different from when we started. Every Monday was tackled with a positive mindset, even if sometimes there were hard words spoken. There was always energy, heart and the players were always challenging each other at training.”

The Sharks’ slow start to the competition was because the players were given three weeks off at the end of the regular season, meaning after the Sharks URC side lost to the Bulls in the URC semifinal at Loftus, and then they had two weeks of preparation.

“It was more like 10 days and much of that was a period of testing. There were only a few days where we focused on game specifics and we started out against Lions and Bulls sides who were loaded with URC players. The smaller unions have all done really well in the Currie Cup, but you must remember that they would have had cohesion we wouldn’t have had as they play in the SA Cup before they play in the Currie Cup.

“That was what I had to constantly remind my younger players - they are not better than you, they have just played together more often. And as the season progressed you saw that balance out.”

MUCH YOUNGER TEAM THIS YEAR

The Sharks’ approach was very different this season to last year, when they also didn’t use many URC players but made more liberal use of players you could consider the next cab off the rank. This season’s team, as Pietersen explains, was much younger in the Currie Cup.

“We went way younger this time around and also played some club players. Last year the big difference was experience. We had in flyhalf Lionel Cronje a player who was around a long time and played for every union, we had Reniel Hugo at lock, hooker Dan Jooste had been around the block a few times, and we also had Murray Koster in the beginning.

“We had Yaw (Penxe) in the back field so we had a mix of experience and youngsters and it was spread out nicely. This year we didn’t have those leaders, we just had Nick (Hatton), with the other guys all developing as leaders.

"They knew what to say, but were still learning and in a development phase. You need a mixed bag of experience and youth for the youngsters to learn, and for instance last year Jurenzo Julius, who is a freaky talent, was helped by Lionel.”

The Sharks didn’t win the Currie Cup this year, but what is similar to last season is the way the team became incrementally better each game - which is a sure sign of good coaching. Had the Currie Cup league phase been contested over a double round, there might have been a similar outcome. Last season the Sharks lost the first three games and then didn’t lose again.

CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO FORMAT AND TIMING

Given that the Sharks see the Currie Cup as a vehicle to blood youngsters, Pietersen would ideally like to see the competition played over two rounds, or for the Sharks XV to play in the SA Cup during the season, parallel to the URC. For it is then when the players need game time.

“The youngsters are playing in a very tough environment, because they hardly play during the URC season but then because of logistical challenges they are suddenly required to jump in at Investec Champions Cup level.

"Someone like Hakeem Kunene suddenly found himself facing the might of Bordeaux last season, in Bordeaux, which was one heck of a jump to have to make. We end up blooding guys in the Champions Cup and that is very tough on the kids.

“This above my salary grade and something for SA Rugby to sort out, but while the URC is on we should have something running parallel to it like the old Vodacom Cup used to with Super Rugby. Or we should play in the SA Cup. It should be played at the same time as the URC, not out of season.

“These kids need rugby, and it takes time for youngsters to come through and get into the groove. Look at (flyhalf) Jean Smith. He played his best game for us against Boland, but it took a while for him to find his feet. You need to give the players 10 games at least. We need to avoid a situation where someone like Hakeem doesn’t play any games and then suddenly he’s playing against the Leicester Tigers or Bordeaux.”

Yet for all of that, Pietersen believes the shortened competition did still give a glimpse of what the Sharks have for the future.

“Nick Hatton stood out again by far, both as a leader and a player. Matt Ramao, the flanker, is the silent assassin. Vusi Moyo, the flyhalf, is another Junior Bok, and you can see see his talent. Ceano Everson, the No 9, was really good when he started playing for us, Jean Smith excelled in his last game, Albie Bester is just 20 but showed signs he can physically stand up as an inside centre. Jaco Williams is exciting, we just have to decide whether he is a wing or a fullback.”

JP LEARNED FROM CROSS SECTION OF COACHING STYLES

Pietersen has a special empathy and understanding for young players that has been informed by his own experiences as a player. He was blooded very young, he was just 19 when he first started playing under Dick Muir at the Sharks, and he says it was quite a contrast between Muir’s “loving style” with his players and the more hard-nosed pragmatic approach of Jake White at the Springboks.

“I was very young when I first played for the Boks. You know how Jake is. We were under the pump in 2006 and I was just a junior. There was myself and Ruan (Pienaar) and Bismarck (du Plessis) with all the men like Victor (Matfield) and Schalk (Burger).

"There was no time to moan, I often think about that. There was love but the main thing was the main thing, we had to win, but I was still just a youngster. Like a lot of the guys we are blooding now. I think I operated a lot on fear so I am very aware of that when I coach youngsters.

“At the Sharks we had Dick who was always giving you love, encouraging you to play your own game, to enjoy yourself, whereas Jake was completely the other way. You had to think about what could go wrong. With Dick it was more a case of ‘if they score six tries we will just have to score seven’.

“I played under a lot of coaches and I learned a bit from all of them. I had Dicky, I had Jake, I had Peter de Villiers, Heyneke Meyer. I also had Robbie Deans in Japan, Richard Cockerill, who was a really hard taskmaster, and (former All Black centre) Aaron Mauger. So it was a broad learning, and all of them were different.

“Sometimes I didn’t understand as a player what was going on but I always reflected and then learnt. You need if you are going to become a coach to process all of that nicely into a model that is best for you.”

The Carling Currie Cup season that will conclude over the next fortnight has brought tremendous excitement and some nail-biting games but the final round of league play would have provided a message to anyone who was hyping it on the quality of the participants.

While the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, Suzuki Griquas and the Toyota Cheetahs will fly the flag of the smaller unions in the semifinal phase, with the ADT Fidelity Lions the only Vodacom United Rugby Championship aligned union to make it, the impact of the return of URC players to the other teams brought some shuddering perspective.

In the end the Bulls, who had lost every game since they switched away from their policy of going all out for Cup success by picking players who could be used in the URC, only just beat the Cheetahs on the scoreboard at Loftus. But in reality they were comprehensive victors because the late Cheetahs fightback came when the game had already been won and lost and the Bulls were down to 14 men due to the red card shown to Marcell Coetzee.

DHL Western Province ended the competition stone last, and by some distance, but when they had their URC players back at the weekend they were way too good for their plucky neighbours from the Boland, who were considered the achievers of this year's competition, in the Western Cape derby. The Lions, who have been on a URC footing for longer than the other teams, were way too good for Griquas and the Sharks only needed a clutch of URC players to be too good for the Airlink Pumas.

There’s been some criticism of the bigger unions for bringing in URC players but unless they wanted to go to the expense of organising separate warmup games, the way they have done it was the way to do it. The Stormers and Boland used to play each other in a pre-season friendly anyway back in the days of Super Rugby, so you could say the timing of that game was perfect.

And the Sharks and the Stormers both only have one specific URC focused warm-up game to play after this, with the two teams heading to George for a repeat of the game they played in the Garden Route city two years ago. It is not the URC aligned unions at fault for the distortion in the final round that undermined the competition, but the scheduling. If the Currie Cup was played at a tme when it ran parallel to the URC, situations like this last weekend would not emerge and the competition would also be of superior qualities with stronger teams.

If there is a question it is over the length of the window some URC players were given in the Lions side. It is clear that the Lions are desperate to make up for last year’s narrow defeat to the Sharks in the final and they will be clear favourites to do just that - but it may also come at a cost in the URC, like it did last year when after a promising start they ran out steam later in the season.

That the Sharks realised where the Currie Cup belongs in the order of priority, and they do believe it cost them having to play a Currie Cup final a week before they started their URC campaign in Connacht, became clear with their attitude this season. They achieved a development triumph through Nick Hatton’s fast improving young side, but one thing the URC coach John Plumtree definitely didn’t want was any commitment to a semifinal or final in the domestic competition for his URC players.

The game against the Pumas, with other players playing the curtain-raiser against what proved a strong young Saracens side, was enough for Plumtree. After Friday night’s game in George he has two weeks to the first URC game in Glasgow, which is as it should be.

Still, while the URC players had to play the final round, it does appear a shame that the Pumas were knocked out of the competition and most neutrals would have hoped for Griquas, Boland, Cheetahs and the Pumas to make the semifinals rather than have a URC team win it, in which case you have to question the point of it all.

The Currie Cup these days is for the smaller unions, and at the weekend we saw what we knew already - while they all have the potential to grow, and they will provide a useful reservoir of talent to the more depth challenged URC franchises in the coming months, they are still a long way behind the major unions.

Final round Carling Currie Cup results

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV 19 Airlink Pumas 14

DHL Western Province 40 Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 22

Fidelity ADT Lions 37 Suzuki Griquas 7

Vodacom Bulls 35 Toyota Cheetahs 31

Carling Currie Cup semi-finals (both Saturday, 13 September)

ADT Fidelity Golden Lions v Sanlam Boland Kavaliers (Johannesburg, 14.00)

Suzuki Griquas v Toyota Cheetahs (Kimberley, 16.00)

The Vodacom Bulls beat the Toyota Cheetahs 35-26 (halftime 28-5) in their Currie Cup Premier Division match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday evening.

It was a five-try apiece showdown that fit the “tale of two halves” cliché: the Bulls scored four of their five tries in the first half, with the Cheetahs flipping the script in the second.

Marcell Coetzee was quick out of the blocks, crossing within the first two minutes to give the hosts the lead.

Cheswill Jooste followed before the clock struck ten, and Keagan Johannes’ faithful boot-ultimately the difference between the sides-put the Bulls in command.

Carel Jooste broke the flow in the 16th minute, capitalising on a chaotic passage near his own try-line. The missed conversion set the tone for the evening.

The Bulls extended their lead before the break: Mpilo Gumede dotted down after a textbook rolling maul, and David Kriel crashed over following a dominant scrum and quick pick-and-go. Johannes was flawless from the tee, converting both.

First half in the bag ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/tnUEhLIvZn

— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) September 6, 2025

The Cheetahs struggled to contain the Bulls’ momentum early on, conceding territory and possession as the home side controlled the set piece and breakdown. But things shifted dramatically early in the second half when Coetzee was shown a red card for a high tackle with no mitigation.

Jooste had already bagged his second, offering some cushion after Coetzee’s dismissal, but playing with 14 men for nearly half an hour was always going to be tough.

Cheswill Jooste is lethal 🐂✨

📺 Stream #CurrieCup on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/7ZfVZWPG8V

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 6, 2025

The Bulls were forced to adjust their defensive shape and slow the tempo, allowing the Cheetahs to mount a spirited comeback.

Jandre Nel, Prince Nkabinde, Pierre-Raymond Uys and Vernon Paulo all crossed the whitewash. The Cheetahs’ flair was evident-Nel’s length-of-the-field effort and Nkabinde’s pace stood out.

But goal-kicking proved decisive. The Cheetahs left valuable points behind, and despite the heart shown in their late surge, it was the Bulls who closed out the match with composed game management and tactical kicking.

© Written by Antoinette Muller

SCORERS:

Vodacom Bulls - Tries: Marcell Coetzee, Cheswill Jooste (2), Mpilo Gumede, David Kriel; Conversions: Keagan Johannes (5)

Toyota Cheetahs - Tries: Carel-Jan Coetzee, Jandre Nel, Prince Nkabinde, Pierre-Raymond Uys, Vernon Paulo; Conversions: Cohen Jasper (3)

The Fidelity ADT Lions edged out the Suzuki Griquas 22-17 (15-7) in their Currie clash at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Kick-off was delayed by over an hour due to severe weather, but unlike the fans who braved Mother Nature, Griquas could do little to weather the storm the Lions unleashed.

The Fidelity ADT Lions move to the top of the standings with a thumping win🦁#SSRugby | #CurrieCup pic.twitter.com/hZXi8kGEvk

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 6, 2025

Griquas struck first through Lourens Oosthuizen in the fourth minute, with George Whitehead adding the conversion to give the visitors an early lead.

 But ambitions to shine brightly like Kimberley diamonds were soon dashed.

Nico Steyn thought he had opened the scoring for the hosts, but the TMO ruled a tackle without the ball in the build-up.

The Lions regrouped quickly and their breakthrough came from Henco van Wyk, who hit a switch pass at pace and crossed the line.

Chris Smith converted to level the scores.

Momentum shifted further in the Lions’ favour when Richard Kriel finished off a sweeping attack to put the hosts ahead.

It's all about the support line from Richard Kriel 🤌

📺 Stream #CurrieCup on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/1u08LBTHj8

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 6, 2025

Smith missed the conversion but added a penalty before the break, extending the lead to 15-7.

Kriel’s unconverted try ensured the Lions were in control at halftime, while Griquas’ troubles deepened with Mnombo Zwelendaba sent to the sin bin in the 38th minute.

PATIENCE, PRECISION AND PUNCH

The second half began more subdued. Steyn was first over the whitewash again, this time with no TMO intervention.

Angelo Davids then stole the show, running the length of the field for a solo effort.

Quan Horn added the final flourish with a touchline finish after an intercept and slick handling.

Smith contributed two more conversions and another penalty to round off a dominant performance.

The Lions will take heart from a display that combined patience, precision and punch.

Their ability to absorb early pressure and shift gears with clinical execution bodes well for the campaign ahead after finishing top of the log.

For Griquas, the challenge will be to regroup quickly and rediscover the spark that saw them strike first -- before the lightning did.

© Written by Antoinette Muller

SCORERS:

Fidelity ADT Lions – Tries: Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Nico Steyjn, Angelo Davids, Quan Horn; Conversions: Chris Smith (3); Penalties: Chris Smith (2)

Suzuki Griquas – Tries: Lourens Oosthuizen; Conversions George Whitehead (1)

DHL Western Province secured their first win of the Carling Currie Cup in the final round-robin match, securing a bonus-point 40-22 (halftime 7-8) victory over an ill-disciplined Sanlam Boland Kavaliers at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.

In sunny conditions at the DHL Stadium, the hosts finally broke their winless streak in emphatic fashion, scoring six tries to three against a Boland side that struggled to maintain discipline throughout the match.

The Kavaliers, who came into the game second on the log and chasing a home semifinal, were undone by three yellow cards and a staggering 20 penalties conceded.

Western Province end the #CurrieCup season with their first win 👏🔥#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/OSYSCkVAfR

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 6, 2025

The match began with Boland dominating possession and territory, but their inability to convert pressure into points proved costly.

Tighthead prop Dayan van der Westhuizen opened the scoring for the visitors with a pick-and-go try, but flyhalf Juan Mostert missed the conversion.

Western Province responded through prop Vernon Matongo, who powered over after sustained pressure.

Replacement flyhalf Jurie Matthee, who came on for Jean-Luc du Plessis, slotted the conversion to give WP a slender 7-5 lead.

Mostert added a penalty shortly before halftime to edge Boland ahead 8-7 at the break, but the warning signs were already flashing for the Kavaliers. 

Flanker Sauleigh Arendse was sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements and WP began to assert themselves.

BRILLIANT TEAM TRY

The second half belonged entirely to Western Province.

Replacement flanker Adre Smith crashed over from a maul to reclaim the lead and, moments later, winger Leolin Zas finished off a sweeping move to extend the advantage.

Backline get in on the act now as it goes wide to Zas and he cruises over for the third try.

🔵⚪️ 19-8 🐴 (48 mins)#WPvBOl #wpjoulekkerding pic.twitter.com/DHnT9bVqQT

— WP RUGBY (@WP_RUGBY) September 6, 2025

Matthee's boot kept ticking the scoreboard over and WP’s dominance in the scrum and maul began to wear down the visitors.

Boland thought they had hit back through Xavier Mitchell, but the TMO ruled a forward pass in the build-up.

WP capitalised on the reprieve with a brilliant team try finished by Jonathan Roche, securing the bonus point and stretching the lead to 26-8.

Fourth try in the bag as Jonny Roche pops up in the right place at the right time to score.

🔵⚪️ 26-8 🐴 (53 mins)#WPvBOl #wpjoulekkerding pic.twitter.com/gx5IlHyF9A

— WP RUGBY (@WP_RUGBY) September 6, 2025

Despite a spirited effort from Boland, including a well-worked try by Donovan Don and a late score from Llewellyn Claassen, their hopes were dashed by continued indiscipline.

Jayden Bantom, who had earlier created Don’s try, was shown a yellow card for interference at the ruck—Boland’s third of the afternoon.

Western Province sealed the win with a sixth try, this time through Marcel Theunissen, after another dominant maul.

Matthee added his fifth conversion to cap off a standout performance, having injected pace and precision into WP’s attack since his introduction.

Captain Deon Fourie, celebrating his 100th cap for Western Province, led from the front in a memorable victory that, while too late to salvage their campaign, offered a glimpse of promise for the future.

Ons Yster @Deonf. #wpjoulekkerding pic.twitter.com/GHrTSBRPW7

— WP RUGBY (@WP_RUGBY) September 6, 2025

WP finish bottom of the log but can take heart from a performance full of grit and attacking flair.

For Boland, the defeat not only cost them a probable first home semifinal but could jeopardize their place in the playoffs altogether, depending on other results.

Their ill-discipline and inability to capitalise on early dominance will be key areas to address ahead of the knockout stages.

SCORERS

DHL Western Province - Tries: Adre Smith (2), Vernon Matongo, Leolin Zas, Jonathan Roche, Marcel Theunissen; Conversions: Jurie Matthee (5).

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers - Tries: Dayan van der Westhuizen, Donovan Don, Llewellyn Classen; Conversions: Jayden Bantom, Don; Penalty: Mostert.

A URC-boosted Hollywoodbets Sharks finished their Carling Currie Cup campaign on a high by picking up a 19-13 win over the Airlink Pumas in both teams’ final pool match of the competition at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Friday night.

The result moves the Sharks up to sixth on the log for the time being, while the losing bonus point picked up by the Pumas moves them up to fourth on the log, just inside the playoff places.

But they are level on points with the ADT Fidelity Lions above them and Toyota Cheetahs below them, and will require the Lions to lose by a heavy margin against the Suzuki Griquas, or the Cheetahs to go down to the Vodacom Bulls, and neither to pick up losing bonus points, to hold onto their semifinal place.

In the match, both teams enjoyed a host of chances, but both made vital mistakes on numerous occasions and couldn’t take advantage of their opportunities, with the Sharks team in particular, fittingly looking like a side that hadn’t played a game in a while.

That led to a try-less first half, although both teams had players going over in the corner, only for the TMO to see both tackled into touch first before dotting down the ball.

That meant it was the Pumas that led 6-0 at halftime, thanks to two penalties from the boot of flyhalf Clinton Swart, during a period in which they had been reduced to 14 men.

It was Pumas hooker Eduan Swart who was sent to the bin in the 13th minute for a no-arms tackle, and the Sharks should have taken the lead after a monster scrum deep in their 22m, but they were unable to get over, while they also botched two lineouts, as the visitors cleared.

FULL-TIME. #CarlingCurrieCup #CurrieCup #SHAvPUM pic.twitter.com/2OEv3BHplZ

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) September 5, 2025

That allowed the Pumas to take the lead against the run of play, Swart slotting penalties in the 19th and 23rd minutes, followed by no further points over the rest of the half.

The second half was then a bit more open, and it was the Sharks that finished better, getting in for three tries while the Pumas only managed one.

The first came in the 46th minute as the Sharks seized on a Pumas error in their own half, flyhalf Siya Masuku sent a lovely grubber ahead for fullback Yaw Penxe to chase, toe ahead and dot down the unconverted score.

In the 59th minute, the Sharks got their second, on attack in the Pumas' 22m, the ball went to replacement loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi, to step through the defence and dive over, with Masuku’s extras putting them into a 12-6 lead.

But the Pumas weren’t behind for long, as five minutes later, replacement lock JJ Scheepers broke down the middle of the field into the 22m before being tackled short. Eventually the recycled ball was superbly chipped by scrumhalf Ross Braude to wing Lundi Msenge out wide to catch and score, followed by Swart’s conversion putting them ahead again.

The back-and-forth half continued in the 68th minute as the Sharks retook the lead, attacking into the Pumas' 22m before inside centre Francois Venter ran a good line to burst through and score, and Masuku slotted the conversion to get them ahead 19-13.

Francois Venter punches a hole in the Airlink Pumas' defence 🏉💣

He wins it for the Hollywoodbets Sharks 🙌#SSRugby | #CurrieCup pic.twitter.com/JG5bLWrveB

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 5, 2025

The final 10 minutes were dominated by the hosts as they tried to seal the win, but a number of errors on the Pumas' tryline meant they couldn’t get another try.

Scorers

Hollywoodbets Sharks: Tries - Yaw Penxe, Phepsi Buthelezi, Francois Venter; Conversions - Siya Masuku (2)

Airlink Pumas: Try - Lundi Msenge; Conversion - Clinton Swart; Penalties - Swart (2)

Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has admitted that his decision to put in a virtual Vodacom United Rugby Championship squad for the Bulls’ final Carling Currie Cup outing of the season against the Cheetahs is not ideal, but he has no choice.

Ackermann spoke at length about trying to secure warm-up games for his team ahead of the URC and that two matches fell through, leaving his team with little option but to go this route

The team selected is packed with Bulls stalwarts, led by veteran Marcell Coetzee and has a lot of depth even though there is a long injury list and the Bulls have seven players in the starting 23 for the Springboks against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Bulls fans will see a first glimpse of returning Bok Jan Serfontein, who lines up in the 12 jersey to partner David Kriel in what could become a defining partnership this season.

SA under-20 star Cheswill Jooste is on the one wing, with Devon Williams at the back and Alfonso Isaacs on the other wing getting a chance to impress. The Bulls have a settled halfback combination of Embrose Papier and Keagan Johannes.

Up front another SA under-20 star Jaco Grobbelaar gets a chance to impress alongside last season’s SA under-20 captain JF van Heerden, while Johan Grobbelaar anchors the front row of Alulutho Tshakweni and Mornay Smith.

The loose trio sees a long-awaited return for Celimpilo Gumede after injury with Abri van der Westhuizen at eight.

On the bench Currie Cup captain Nama Xaba joins new Bok Cobus Wiese and former Stormers halfback Paul de Wet alongside a bunch of youngsters.

The injury list is still extensive and in this game the Bulls are missing the following players: Gerhard Steenkamp, Dylan Smith, Bryan le Roux, Khutha Mchunu, Akker van der Merwe, Joe van Zyl, Ruan Vermaak, N JV Rensburg, Reinhardt Ludwig, Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom, Nizaam Carr, Corne Beets, Jeandre Rudolph, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sergeal Petersen, Stravino Jacobs, Sti Sithole, Jean Erasmus, Chris Barend Smit, Cornel Smit, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Johan Goosen and Jannes Kirsten.

Some will return in time for the start of the season while others have a more long term prognosis.

Vodacom Bulls: Devon Williams; Cheswill Jooste, David Kriel, Jan Serfontein, Alfonso Isaacs, Keagan Johannes, Embrose Papier; Abri van der Westhuizen, Celimpilo Gumede, Marcell Coetzee (captain), JF van Heerden, Jaco Grobbelaar, Mornay Smith, Johan Grobbelaar, Alulutho Tshakweni.

Replacements: Juann Else, Ruan Swart, Francois Klopper, Cobus Wiese, Nama Xaba, Paul de Wet, Harold Vorster, Stedman Gans.

There are five teams in contention for semifinal spots as the final round of the Carling Currie Cup arrives. Four teams will be using this weekend as an important step in the on-field preparation for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship season, which starts three weeks hence.

That, in a nutshell sums up the two separate narratives that are apparent for a final weekend of league play that, because so much has changed with some of the teams because of the preparation for the URC, frankly undermines the competition.

There is of course one team that belongs to both subsets. The ADT Fidelity Lions are both warming up for the URC and they still have an interest in winning the Currie Cup, something that was denied them by the last gasp monster penalty from their former teammate Jordan Hendrikse playing in Hollywoodbets Sharks XV colours in last year’s final.

The other three URC coaches may wonder at the wisdom of Ivan van Rooyen, the Lions’ URC coach, chasing Currie Cup success. The Sharks certainly felt it cost them a bit at the start of the URC that their final preparation games for that competition were a 100 minute semifinal against the Vodacom Bulls followed by a tight final and then just a one week gap before they had to be in Connacht.

The Lions’ commitment to the Currie Cup, which was ultimately in vain, arguably cost them in the URC, when they clearly ran out of steam later on after a promising start. Not that a passage to the playoffs is necessarily a done deal for them seeing they are hosting the impressive Suzuki Griquas in their final league game.

It is an away game for Griquas and on that basis the Lions will be strong favourites. But last week Griquas were away too against the Toyota Cheetahs and delivered a statement performance. Griquas, who like the other smaller unions had the SA Cup as a momentum builder before the Currie Cup started, should also be a bit more cohesive as a team given that the Lions have only recently started to reintroduce some URC players.

BOLAND SHOULD KICK THEMSELVES

A win will be enough to put the Lions into the playoffs, and they may already know they are in the playoffs by the time they play as the Airlink Pumas have a tough away game on Friday against a Sharks XV that has beefed up on URC players on a night where their game serves as a double header with the URC warmup clash with English club Saracens (kick-off 16.00).

The Sharks will play their annual George warmup against the DHL Stormers as an additional pre-season game next week so they are not completely at URC strength, but they have enough experience in their ranks to start as strong favourites to knock the Pumas out of the race.

Not that the Pumas are alone in being up against it among the contenders for playoff spots. The Boland Kavaliers have become the favourite other team of many fans for the passionate and entertaining way they approach the game but on Saturday they play an almost fully loaded Stormers team in the Cape derby at DHL Stadium.

Many of the big guns, including Evan Roos, who should be in Auckland with the Boks, are playing for Western Province in the final match of a season in which, regardless of Saturday’s result, they will finish last.

Again, it seems unfair on Boland that suddenly at this late stage the whole competition should be subverted, although coach Hawies Fourie will probably be honest enough to admit his team conspired against themselves when, instead of kicking the ball into touch off the last move when they were leading in Pietermaritzburg last week, they kicked to attack and the Sharks XV capitalised by building up to the penalty that Siya Masuku kicked to win the game.

ACKERMANN MAKES HIS DEBUT

The Toyota Cheetahs are in the same boat as all the other non-URC franchises as Johan Ackermann makes his debut as Bulls coach at Loftus. Unsurprisingly, with the organisation of specific URC playoff matches like the one in George next week being costly exercises, the Bulls too are using this as a URC warmup.

The Bulls are certainly an interesting one when it comes to the Currie Cup as it would be completely understandable if the Sharks camp are remembering with some mirth how the Bulls Currie Cup coach accused them of not respecting the competition when they won 64-0 at Loftus against the Durbanites in the second round.

The following week Ackermann, who took up position as the new Bulls head coach from Jake White, decided that the Bulls policy should be the same as that of WP and the Sharks, meaning treat the Currie Cup as a development tool and no more.

That week the Bulls were thrashed at Loftus by the Pumas and they haven’t won a game since, while the team that was chided for disrespecting the competition has shown definite progress and ended the under-strength phase of the Currie Cup last week on a notable high.

That is both a lesson in being careful what you say because it could end up making you look silly and, perhaps more importantly, an indicator that the Currie Cup needs to be played in a different window if it is going to be taken seriously by unions who don’t want to let it compromise their URC campaigns.

CARLING CURRIE CUP FINAL ROUND FIXTURES

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV v Airlink Pumas (Durban, Friday 7pm)

DHL Western Province v Sanlam Boland Kavaliers (Cape Town, Saturday 2:45pm)

ADT Fidelity Lions v Suzuki Griquas (Johannesburg, Saturday 5pm)

Vodacom Blue Bulls v Toyota Free State Cheetahs (Pretoria, Saturday 7:05pm)

Springbok loose forward Marcell Coetzee will lead a new-look Vodacom Bulls team in their final Carling Currie Cup match of the season, against the Cheetahs on Saturday evening.

Coach Johan Ackermann, who has stepped in to manage the transition between the Currie Cup and Vodacom URC, has loaded the side with VURC veterans, among them Johan Grobbelaar, Embrose Papier, David Kriel, and Devon Williams.

Among the more interesting selections are dynamic lock JF van Heerden, just 21 and a hulking 2,01m figure with real potential. Jan Serfontein, the accomplished Springbok centre, also pulls on a Bulls jersey - for the first time in eight years – on his return to the capital.

Keagan Johannes will direct affairs in the No 10 jersey, while under-20 star Cheswill Jooste gets another opportunity to stake a claim for URC action.

The bench has real bite too, with the likes of Nama Xaba, Cobus Wiese and Stedman Gans to call on.

Against this backdrop, the Bulls have a mounting injury list that now totals 24 players, all with varying degrees of injury.

Those unavailable for selection against the Cheetahs this weekend are Gerhard Steenkamp, Dylan Smith, Bryan le Roux, Khutha Mchunu, Akker van der Merwe, Joe van Zyl, Ruan Vermaak, N JV Rensburg, Reinhardt Ludwig, Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom, Nizaam Carr, Corne Beets, Jeandre Rudolph, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sergeal Petersen, Stravino Jacobs, Sti Sithole, Jean Erasmus, Chris Barend Smit, Cornel Smit, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Johan Goosen, and Jannes Kirsten.

Consequently, the team’s medical staff have their hands full trying to ensure players are fit in time for the start of the Vodacom URC in three weeks’ time.

VODACOM BULLS v CHEETAHS

1. Alu Tshekwani

2. Johan Grobbelaar

3. Mornay Smith

4. Jaco Grobbelaar

5. JF van Heerden

6. Marcell Coetzee (Capt)

7. Mpilo Gumede

8. Abri van der Westhuizen

9. Embrose Papier

10. Keagan Johannes

11. Alfonso Isaacs

12. Jan Serfontein

13. David Kriel

14. Cheswill Jooste

15. Devon Williams

16. Juann Else

17. Ruan Swart

18. Francois Klopper

19. Cobus Wiese

20. Nama Xaba

21. Paul de Wet

22. Harold Vorster

23. Stedman Gans

As anticipated there has been an infusion of Vodacom United Rugby Championship players into the two Hollywoodbets Sharks team chosen for Friday night’s Durban double header featuring matches against the Airlink Pumas and the English club, Saracens.

Springbok flanker Vincent Tshituka will lead a mix and match Sharks XV team that among others also features his brother Manu as his looseforward partner for the final Carling Currie Cup match of the season against the Airlink Pumas, while Tino Mavesere will lead a Sharks Invitational team into battle against Saracens in the Hollywoodbets Kings Park curtain-raiser.

The Currie Cup game kicks off at 7pm and the Saracens game, which is a warm-up for the URC for the hosts and for the Gallagher Premiership for the visitors, will start at 4pm. Fans who get down to the Durban rugby headquarters will get a chance to see most of the players who will feature in the early stages of the URC, which kicks off three weeks from now, in action.

That includes a few Pumas players who are understood to be linking up with the Sharks for the URC campaign from October. The team under Tshituka’s command looks marginally the stronger of the two Sharks sides, with more established URC players in the team. Apart from the two Tshituka’s that includes fullback Yaw Penxe, centre Francois Venter, flyhalf Siya Masuku, the Springbok duo of Phepsi Buthelezi and Jaden Hendrikse, lock Emile van Heerden and hooker Fez Mbatha.

Junior Springbok stars Phatu Ganyane and Batho Hlekani feature in the pack, with the latter playing lock. He is normally a flank. Jean Smith, one of the stars of last week’s Currie Cup win over Boland Kavaliers in Pietermaritzburg, will play this Currie Cup game off the bench but he is starting at No 10 in the curtain-raiser.

The team to play Saracens also features experienced lock Jason Jenkins and a host of players who have done well in the Currie Cup, among them Junior Bok inside centre Albie Bester and flanker Matt Ramao, who is described by his coach JP Pietersen as a silent assassin and who has been identified as a star of the future.

Jaco Williams, another Junior Bok who Pietersen thinks may have a big future, will be on the wing against Saracens and play off the bench in the Currie Cup game.

With another warmup game ahead of the URC scheduled against the DHL Stormers in George next Friday it appears some players who were heavily involved in the Currie Cup have been given a chance to have a brief respite. For instance regular Currie Cup captain Nick Hatton will only play off the bench in this game.

Springbok World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am will be making his return from injury by playing off the bench against Saracens. With Jenkins also in the curtain-raiser team, that makes it two Boks in the unit.

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV v Airlink Pumas: Yaw Penxe, Phikolomzi Sobahle, Diego Appollis, Francois Venter, Paschal Ekeji, Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse, Phepsi Buthelezi, Vincent Tshituka (captain), Manu Tshituka, Emile van Heerden, Batho Hlekani, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Fez Mbatha, Phatu Ganyane. Replacements: Jacques Marais, Dian Bleuler, Mawande Mdanda, Deon Slabbert, Nick Hatton, Ceano Everson, Jean Smith, Jaco Williams.

Hollywoodbets Sharks Invitational v Saracens: Hakeem Kunene, Aiden de Villiers, Christie Grobbelaar, Albie Bester, Jaco Williams, Jean Smith, Tiaan Fourie, Jannes Potgieter, Matt Romao, Tino Mavesere (captain), Deon Slabbert, Jason Jenkins, Cohen Kiewit, Willem van der Hever, Kayden Kiewit.

 Replacements: Jacques Marais, Dian Bleuler, Dian Heunis, Gideon Koegelenberg, Meno Barnard, Coetzee le Roux, Ceano Everson, Chris Horak, Luhanyo Am.