The Lions will be favourites to lift a first Currie Cup title since 2015, when they take on the Griquas in the final at Ellis Park on Saturday.
For the second season in a row the Lions will host the Currie Cup final at Ellis Park on Saturday, this time against the Griquas, in what should be an entertaining encounter between the two best teams in the competition this year.
The Lions and Griquas finished first and second on the log respectively, and comfortably won their semifinals, with the Highveld side thumping the Boland Cavaliers 67-19, while the Northern Cape team triumphed 25-5 over their neighbours, the Cheetahs, in Kimberley.
The two in-form teams will thus battle it out in the finale, although the Lions will be heavy favourites, with them having backed a strong team of URC regulars over their last few games.
They will also be desperate to win their first title since 2015, especially after they botched it last year when they allowed the Sharks to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat with a long range penalty after the full-time hooter from their former flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse.
Although they will be underdogs, Griquas will be eager to put up a fight, with this their second appearance in the Currie Cup final in the past four years, after they finished runners-up to the Pumas in 2022.
Chris Smith
One of the Lions‘ top performers recently has been former Bulls flyhalf, Chris Smith, who signed for the Joburg side in the off season, and he has made a great start with the team, and said they are very confident heading into the final.
“We have had a good run of results over the last three or four games, so there is a lot of confidence in the team. You don’t need much motivation when you are playing in a Currie Cup final, and playing at Ellis Park makes it even more special,” said Smith.
“We have been taking every game seriously. We knew that Boland would be a tough match, they had beaten us earlier in the competition so we had to be on top of our game against them.
“It was a good performance from us, we were clinical with our chances and are happy with the outcome. We have built up some good momentum and will take that into the final.”
It is also an important final to win for the Lions as they will take a lot of confidence from that, were they to win, as well as momentum, into their URC campaign which kicks off in two weeks’ time.
They face Cardiff in Wales first-up, followed by Zebre and Benetton in Italy, and they won’t want to go into those games coming off a loss in the Currie Cup final.
