Currie Cup semi-finals: Everything you need to know

The Currie Cup reaches the semi-final stage with four proud unions still in the running to snatch the world’s oldest provincial rugby tournament.

Both semi-finals will play out on the highveld with Gauteng-based stalwarts the Lions and Bulls topping the table through the round-robin phase.

Who will contest the Currie Cup semi-finals

On current form, the Fidelity ADT Lions should be considered firm favourites against defending champions, the Toyota Cheetahs, when the two sides meet in the first of two Carling Currie Cup Premier Division semi-finals on Saturday, with the Johannesburg clash starting at 14:30.

The second semi-final is scheduled for 17:00 in Pretoria between the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks XV. The two winning teams will battle it out for the historic trophy on Saturday, 21 September at 16h00. Supersport will broadcast both matches.

What happened in last season’s Currie Cup?

Last year, the Free Staters sprang a minor surprise by beating the Vodacom Bulls by 31-27 in a pulsating semi-final in Bloemfontein, while in the other semi-final, the Airlink Pumas edged the Hollywoodbets Sharks 26-20 to progress to the 2023 final, where the Toyota Cheetahs prevailed 25-17 over the team from Mpumalanga to lift the famous trophy for a seventh time.

This year, the defending champions followed the low road to the playoffs when their victory last weekend over the Airlink Pumas, in their final league match, saw them grab the last available knockout spot.

Who are the favourites?

Playing in Saturday’s first semi-final in Doornfontein, the Fidelity ADT Lions will have both form and home ground advantage on their side when they take on their Free State rivals as they aim to reach the final for the first time since 2019.

Bolstered by playing at the imposing Emirates Airline Park, the Joburg outfit established themselves as the best side during the league phase of the Premier Division. They amassed 437 points in their 10 games and only conceded 215, which placed them as the most prolific scoring side as well as the team with the best defence.

Furthermore, the Fidelity ADT Lions have been consistent with their form and scoring abilities during that time, while the Toyota Cheetahs have been blowing hot and cold at the same time, only clinching their semi-final berth with a nervy win in the last round of regular action.

While the log leaders lost only once in the league, their Free State opponents could only manage five wins, a draw and four losses during the same period.

However, knockout rugby is an entirely different beast, as showed by last year’s results, and the Johannesburg hosts will be wary of the dangers of underestimating the gritty defending champions.

Bulls and Sharks meet again

The second semi-final, between the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks XV at Loftus Versfeld, has all the hallmarks of another Currie Cup classic and is a repeat of the finals of the 2020 and 2021 seasons, both won by the team from Pretoria.

While the men from Pretoria have occasionally stumbled, they have considerable depth in talent and flexed their muscles to show their pedigree at the right time to grab second spot on the log which, crucially, earned them a home semi-final.

Although the KwaZulu-Natalians stuttered during the opening stages of the campaign, suffering three defeats in a row, they managed to regain their mojo by winning six and snatching a draw during an impressive seven-game unbeaten stretch.

Last weekend, the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV edged the Vodacom Bulls 24-18 in a wet and windy Durban during the final round of league action in what was a rehearsal for this week’s semi-final in the Jacaranda City.

Both sides have strengthened their match-day squads with Vodacom United Rugby Championship regulars, so it will be interesting who will come out tops in this intriguing encounter.

What happens if the semi-finals end in a draw?

If a semi-final ends in a draw at the end of the 80 minutes playing time, the winner will be determined as follows:

• The team with the most points after two periods of eExtra time of 10 minutes each way, and if the scores are still level;
  
• The team to have scored the most tries during the match (including extra time), and if the scores are still level;
  
• The team with the higher log position after the completion of the league phase will be determined the winner.

Match information – Carling Currie Cup semi-finals:

Semi-final 1: Fidelity ADT Lions vs Toyota Cheetahs
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Date: Saturday 14 September
Time: 14h30
Referee: Christopher Allison
TV: SS Rugby

Semi-final 2: Vodacom Bulls vs Hollywoodbets Sharks XV
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Date, Saturday 14 September
Time: 17h00
Referee: AJ Jacobs
TV: SS Rugby

Which teams will reach the final?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.