Currie Cup semi-final preview: Will the Lions end Griquas’ reign?
· The South African
Griquas will secure a Currie Cup home final if they beat the Lions this weekend.
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The defending champions already have the edge, with their semi-final clash taking place in Kimberley.
Meanwhile, the Cheetahs will be out for revenge against the Pumas.
The South African looks at the two Currie Cup semi-finals and how these games could play out.
Can the Lions stop the champions at home?
Semi-final 1: Griquas vs Lions
Venue: Griqua Park, Kimberley
Kick-off time: 13:00
Griquas head into the semi-finals as the form team of this season’s Currie Cup.
Apart from a first-round loss to the Stormers, the Northern Cape side is on a six-game winning streak.
They also defeated the Lions 31-19 in Round 3, which would still be fresh in the visitors’ minds.
Coach Pieter Bergh has stuck to his guns, and this tactic is clearly paying off for the reigning champions.
Relying on a strong core group of players, Griquas seem destined to win at home – on paper, at least.
The Lions, meanwhile, reached the semi-final having to wait until the final round to do so.
Sitting in sixth on the Currie Cup table at one point, the Johannesburg side needed a 36-12 win over the Stormers to seal a spot in the playoffs.
The Lions demonstrated genuine depth when on the attack in that game, crossing the whitewash five times.
While history favours the reigning champions, the visitors’ performance against the Stormers will likely be dissected in the backroom.
This semi-final is also a repeat of last year’s final, where Griquas needed a late George Whitehead penalty to secure a fourth Currie Cup trophy.
Cheetahs and Pumas on the hunt in rematch
Semi-final 2: Cheetahs vs Pumas
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off time: 15:30
Will revenge be exacted in an instant rematch?
One week ago, the Pumas dismantled the Cheetahs 52-26 in Nelspruit, running in eight tries.
These teams meet again – in Bloemfontein this time – and the stakes are even higher.
In the league stage, Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn rested several top stars, but is expected to recall the big guns for semi-final.
At the heart of the Free State team, Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk is likely to start.
Neels Volschenk and Clayton Blommetjies will also add tremendous firepower to the Cheetahs’ line-up.
Meanwhile, the Pumas may feel confident, even with the home crowd against them.
Clinton Swart was reliable from the kicking tee, converting six out of eight attempts, while Chyle van Zyl and JJ Scheepers scored a brace of tries each, which will give the visitors plenty of confidence.
Volschenk is also playing his 50th game in the orange and white, adding another layer to this highly-charged clash.
Currie Cup semis: What else is at stake?
Beyond the obvious, the Currie Cup semi-final results will also determine where the final will be held.
Griquas only need to win to ensure the decider will take place in Kimberley.
If the Lions upset the champions, the Cheetahs could bring the final to Bloemfontein with a win over the Pumas.
Should both the Lions and Pumas win, the final would be held at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
WILL WE SEE A GRIQUAS VS CHEETAHS CURRIE CUP FINAL, OR WILL THE LIONS OR PUMAS CAUSE AN UPSET?
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