WP will host the Lions at Newlands in the Currie Cup final after WP beat the Blue Bulls 31-23 in Cape Town, and the Lions demolished the Sharks 50-20 in Johannesburg.
WP were quick on their feet throughout the clash and supported this with good decision-making on attack and a solid defensive effort. In stark contrast, the Blue Bulls made mistakes at crucial times and missed three penalties, which cost them. The home final for WP marks back-to-back home finals for the Cape side and their third successive final appearance in the competition.
The Lions, meanwhile, secured their first final since 2011 and kept their unbeaten run at home this season intact as they produced an innovative attacking performance backed up by a power forward display that included a demolition job on the visitor’s scrum, to topple the Sharks. The team’s 50 points marked their second highest score in a semi-final and the fourth highest score by a winning team in a semifinal since 1954.
Scorers:
Lions – Tries: Akker van der Merwe, Howard Mnisi, Jaco Kriel, Ross Cronje, Ruan Combrinck, Warren Whiteley. Conversion: Marnitz Boshoff (4). Penalties: Marnitz Boshoff (4).
Sharks – Tries: Lwazi Mvovo, Lubabalo Mtembu, SP Marais. Conversion: Fred Zeilinga. Penalty: Lionel Cronje.
WP – Tries: Cheslin Kolbe (2), Nic Groom. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (2). Penalties: Demetri Catrakilis (3). Drop Goal: Demetri Catrakilis.
Bulls – Tries: Callie Visagie, Dean Greyling. Conversions: Handre Pollard, Jacques-Louis Potgieter. Penalties: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3).
