Currie Cup semi-final: Sharks braced for Blue Bulls stampede

One of the Sharks favourite rivalries is set to resume this Saturday, when they take on the Blue Bulls in the first semi-final of the 2017 Currie Cup final.

The match will be played at Growthpoint King’s Park, with kick-off at 2.30pm.

The second semi-final, between Western Province and the Golden Lions, will be played at Newlands in Cape Town at 5pm.

Sharks fans who are slightly longer in the tooth will recall the fairytale (miracle?) win over their feared rivals in 1990.

Back then they were known as the Banana Boys, and how that win changed the balance of power in South African rugby.

The Sharks, sponsored by Cell C, will line up as follows:

15 Garth April

14 Kobus van Wyk

13 Lukhanyo Am

12 Marius Louw

11 S’busiso Nkosi

10 Curwin Bosch

9 Louis Schreuder

8 Daniel du Preez

7 Jean-Luc du Preez

6 Keegan Daniel

5 Ruan Botha (captain)

4 Tyler Paul

3 Ross Geldenhuys

2 Franco Marais

1 Thomas du Toit

Replacements:

16 Akker van der Merwe

17 Juan Schoeman

18 John-Hubert Meyer

19 Jean Droste

20 Jacques Vermeulen

21 Michael Claassens

22 Tristan Blewett

23 Odwa Ndungane

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PAST FINALS (since 1990)

1990 Natal 18 Northern Transvaal 12 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

1991 Northern Transvaal 27 Transvaal at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

1992 Natal 14 Transvaal 13 at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

1993 Transvaal 21 Natal 15 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban

1994 Transvaal 56 Free State 33 at Springbok Park, Bloemfontein

1995 Natal 25 Western Province 17 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban

1996 Sharks 33 Golden Lions 15 at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

1997 Western Province 14 Free State Cheetahs 12 at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town

1998 Blue Bulls 24 Western Province 20 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

1999 Golden Lions 32 Sharks 9 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban

2000 Western Province 25 Sharks 15 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban

2001 Western Province 29 Sharks 24 at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town

2002 Blue Bulls 31 Golden Lions 7 at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

2003 Blue Bulls 40 Sharks 19 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

2004 Blue Bulls 42 Free State Cheetahs 33 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

2005 Free State Cheetahs 29 Blue Bulls 25 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

2006 Blue Bulls 28 Free State Cheetahs 28 (shared) at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

2007 Free State Cheetahs 20 Golden Lions18 at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

2008 Sharks 14 Blue Bulls 9 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban

2009 Blue Bulls 36 Free State Cheetahs 24 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

2010 Sharks 30 Western Province 10 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban

2011 Golden Lions 42 Sharks 16 at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

2012 Western Province 25 Sharks 18 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban

2013 Sharks 33 Western Province 19 at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town

2014 Western Province 19 Golden Lions 16 at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town

2015 Golden Lions 32 Western Province 24 at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

2016 Free State Cheetahs 36 Blue Bulls16 at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

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