The Bulls forced to tackle against the Cheetahs. Photo: Cheetahs Rugby via Twitter.
Fantastic four: Currie Cup semi-final lineup confirmed
Find out who made it to the playoffs of the Currie Cup and who missed the cut after the final round of league action.
The Bulls forced to tackle against the Cheetahs. Photo: Cheetahs Rugby via Twitter.
The four teams that will compete in the semi-finals of the 2023 Currie Cup campaign have been confirmed, with Bloemfontein and Durban to host the two playoff games.
CURRIE CUP SEMI-FINALISTS CONFIRMED:
The Premier Division playoff lineup has been decided, with Cheetahs set to host the Bulls in Bloemfontein, and the Sharks scheduled to battle the Pumas in Durban. Both matches are scheduled for Saturday, with the kick-off times to be confirmed.
The produced one of their best performances of the season to clinch top spot in the Currie Cup standings with the Sharks relegated to second place, while the Pumas and Bulls secured semi-final places on a dramatic final weekend of the league phase.
Despite a valiant last-ditch effort on the final weekend of the regular season, the Lions, Griquas and Western Province have failed to qualify for the next round of the Currie Cup.
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Currie Cup semi-final match-ups:
Cheetahs vs Bulls (Bloemfontein)
Sharks vs Pumas (Durban)
FINAL ROUND OF LEAGUE-PHASES REVIEW
The defending champion Pumas showed their quality when they overcame a strong Griquas side in Kimberley on Friday afternoon. With that win, the Pumas secured a third-place finish in the standings.
Meanwhile, in the game staged in Welkom at the same time, the Lions delivered a potentially campaign-saving performance. The 39-22 bonus-point victory against the Griffons temporarily propelled them up to fourth place in the Currie Cup standings. Had the Bulls failed to accumulate any log points in Pretoria on Saturday, and had WP lost in Cape Town, the Lions may well have qualified for the final four.
The Bulls appeared to be on course for a big win at Loftus Versfeld, before the Cheetahs fought back to clinch a 31-27 bonus-point victory. While the hosts let the result slip, they did claim two bonus points for scoring four tries and losing by seven or fewer points.
These two bonus points allowed Jake White’s team to move ahead of the Lions in the standings, and took them six points clear of WP, ending the Capetonians’ hopes of qualifying for the Currie Cup semi-finals.
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Nevertheless, the last game of the round was an important one for the Sharks and Cheetahs in the context of the race for first place.
While the Free Staters moved to the top of the Currie Cup log with their win over the Bulls, their chances of clinching first position – and hosting a potential final – hinged on WP stopping a rampant Sharks side that had won seven matches in a row.
In the end, the Capetonians did the Free Staters a massive favour when they beat the visitors from Durban by 44-5.
THE PRIZED TROPHY:
