Lions play host to Currie Cup semi-finals

Xerox Golden Lions will play host to Tafel Lager Griquas in the Currie Cup semi-finals over the weekend.

The local franchise secured their place and a home semi by beating Griquas on August 24 in Kimberley. They managed a nail-biting 27-26 win to secure a semi-final spot at Emirates Airlines Park on August 31. The match will start at 2pm.

The Toyota Free State Cheetahs will host the Cell C Sharks in Bloemfontein in the other semi-finals at 5pm at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. The Cheetahs earned hosting rights for their top-four clash after holding their nerve in a tight encounter against DHL Western Province for a 38-33 win in Bloemfontein.

The Free Staters’ favourable points difference over their rivals from Johannesburg saw them finish the pool stages as the top team after they both racked up 22 log points.

The Sharks, meanwhile, entered the final pool game against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria knowing they only needed a bonus point to finish in the top four, and their 48-40 victory in a thrilling clash allowed them to book the last semi-final spot.

A late penalty goal by Lions fly half Shaun Reynolds sealed his team a 27-26 bonus-point victory against Griquas, who entered the match with their semi-final place sealed after both sides scored four tries in an exciting match.

The Gauteng outfit built up an encouraging 19-7 half-time lead, but they had to dig deep in a competitive second half to seal the victory after Griquas secured their bonus-point try and took the lead with 10 minutes left to play.

Reynolds’ penalty goal in the 74th minute, however, pushed them into the lead and they managed to hold onto that for the win.

In Bloemfontein, the Cheetahs showed true grit against Western Province to overturn a 26-12 half-time deficit for a 38-33 bonus-point victory and the top spot on the standings.

The Free Staters entered the match knowing that while a victory could earn them a home semi-final, a defeat may have seen them drop out of the top four completely. They did not disappoint despite having to fight with everything they had at times.

The Cheetahs found themselves trailing 12-0 early in the second quarter as Western Province took advantage of their ill-discipline, but a second-half hot streak saw them score four tries to add to their two in the first half, which earned them the win.

In the final pool match of the season, the Sharks booked the last semi-final berth with a bonus-point 48-40 victory against a gutsy Blue Bulls outfit at Loftus Versfeld in a humdinger of a match.

The defending Currie Cup champions from KwaZulu-Natal entered the match needing only a bonus point to guarantee a place in the top four, and they had it wrapped up early in the second half as they scored their fourth try.

In the end, both teams scored six tries, but two penalty goals and an extra conversion by the Sharks and proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. This performance was particularly remarkable for the home side, who were down to 14 men for close to 43 minutes after losing Johnny Kotze to a red card for a dangerous tackle.