Cheetahs against Bulls in 2023 Currie Cup league phase Photo Cheetahs Twitter

The Cheetahs against the Bulls in the Currie Cup. Photo: Cheetahs via Twitter.

Currie Cup preview: Four left, who will make it through to the final?

The two Currie Cup semi-finals take place on Saturday afternoon in Bloemfontein and Durban as the top four sides go in search of glory.

by Mariette Adams

15-06-2023 12:52

in Currie Cup

The Cheetahs against the Bulls in the Currie Cup. Photo: Cheetahs via Twitter.

Two highly charged Currie Cup semi-finals will be staged in Bloemfontein and Durban on Saturday, when the Cheetahs host the Bulls and the Sharks welcome the Pumas for a spot in the final.

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SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE SEMI-FINALS

CHEETAHS VS BULLS (SATURDAY, 3PM, BLOEMFONTEIN)

The Cheetahs finished the Currie Cup league phase at the top of the standings, and will host the Bulls in the first playoff on Saturday. Hawies Fourie’s charges beat the men from Pretoria twice in the regular season – claiming a 32-7 win in the round three fixture in Bloemfontein, and a 31-27 victory at Loftus Versfeld last week.

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The Free Staters scored the most points (439) and tries (63) over the course of the 14-game league phase. It will be interesting to see how the Bulls’ defence copes with the Cheetahs attack in the semi-final. Jake White’s side has conceded the second-most points (415) and tries (53). Only the Griffons have conceded more in the Currie Cup.

That said, the Stadium has hardly been a fortress this season, with the Free Staters winning three, losing three and drawing one at their home venue. For this reason, the Bulls may fancy their chances of an upset in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

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SHARKS VS PUMAS (SATURDAY, 5:30PM, DURBAN)

The Sharks lost 44-5 to Western Province last week. The heavy defeat in Cape Town cost Joey Mongalo’s team a first-place finish in the standings, although they will enjoy home advantage when they face the Pumas – who are coming off a 27-17 win against Griquas in Kimberley.

The KwaZulu-Natalians beat the defending champions twice during the league phase – claiming a 19-12 win in Durban in round five, and a 24-22 victory in Nelspruit in round 10.

The semi-final in Durban on Saturday could witness another fiercely contested, low-scoring affair. The Sharks conceded the fewest tries during the regular season (37) while the Pumas conceded the second-fewest (38).

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