Cheetahs secure Currie Cup play-off berth, while Griquas end season on a high
The Toyota Cheetahs regained their form at the perfect time, when they managed to nail down the fourth and final semi-final spot with a well-earned 41-14 win (halftime 14-9) over the Airlink Pumas in their final Carling Currie Cup league game at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With this victory, the Cheetahs will face the Fidelity ADT Lions next weekend in Johannesburg, while the Vodacom Bulls will take on the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV in Pretoria.
Unsurprisingly, the Lions made sure of top spot on the log with a 10-try, 62-5 (halftime 31-0) mauling of the NovaVit Griffons on Friday evening.
The hosts crossed the try line five times in each half, with No.8 Jarod Cairns, wingers Rabz Maxwane and Boldwin Hansen, and substitute flanker JC Pretorius all scoring twice. Lock Darrien Landsberg and flanker Renzo du Plessis also contributed to the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, in Kimberley, former Western Province youth player Bobby Alexander delivered a late blow to his former team, scoring a last-minute try that secured a 37-29 victory for the Suzuki Griquas in their final Carling Currie Cup match at Suzuki Stadium on Friday afternoon.
It seemed like WP would walk away with a victory in the dead rubber played in the City of Diamonds, but scrumhalf Alexander had other ideas when he came off the bench.
With the visitors 29-27 ahead, with a minute left, some incredible play from the Griquas back-line resulted in Alexander scoring a brilliant converted try under the poles.
Despite the victory, the Griquas were unable to advance to the semi-finals, finishing sixth with 24 points, just one point shy of fourth place.
Western Province, made a late attempt to snatch the win after Alexander’s decisive try, ended the season one spot below Griquas with 20 points.
The Kimberley side held strong to beat back the visitors’ onslaught and in the 80th minute, Griquas were awarded a penalty on the halfway line for their outstanding defensive effort, and Zinedine Robinson sealed their 2024 Currie Cup campaign on a high note by slotting it over.
• On Sunday afternoon at 3pm, the curtain comes down on the league phase of the Currie Cup, when the Sharks host the Bulls in Durban in an interesting pre-play-off clash.
The teams will meet again next week in the semi-final and will be keen not to show their hand too early, though they would not want to be dominated. This could result in a cagey, and tactical arm-wrestle.
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