Lions well set to end Currie Cup title drought as semi-finals approach

The Lions are in pole position to win the 2025 Currie Cup title, with the semi-finals set to be played out in Johannesburg and Kimberley on Saturday.

The Lions host the Boland Cavaliers at Ellis Park in the first semi at 5pm, followed by the Griquas versus Cheetahs showdown in Kimberley at 7:15pm.

Last year, the Lions had only themselves to blame when they lost the final to the Sharks at the death after a terrible exit mistake led to former Lion Jordan Hendrikse kicking the winner.

With the Sharks, Bulls, and Stormers failing to qualify for the playoffs, a Lions side packed with United Rugby Championship players should be too strong for the smaller unions.

In fact, the Lions have stuck to the same match 23 that beat Griquas 37-7 last week for the playoff. Led by the in-form PJ Botha, the clash between the two sides has a hint of revenge for the Lions after they went down 29-10 in round three of the competition in Wellington.

After a delayed start due to lightning threats last Saturday, coach Mzwakhe Nkosi’s men made their intentions clear against the visiting Griquas, with a convincing win which saw them climb to the summit of the Currie Cup log, securing a home semi-final berth, with ambitions of back-to-back home finals.

“Boland will be buoyed by their Currie Cup form, and after having got a positive result against us in the Boland, they will no doubt throw the kitchen sink at us,” Nkosi said.

“We’ll be prepared and up for it — it’s a home play-off, so we want to take full advantage of home ground conditions.”

Nkosi’s Boland counterpart, Hawies Fourie, had mixed fortune when finalising his team.

The Kavaliers have been boosted by the return of two key backline players. Playmaker Ashlon Davids is back at flyhalf after recovering from injury, while fullback James Tedder also returns after missing last week's Western Cape derby against Western Province.

There will be extra motivation for players such as Davids, Tedder, Sibusiso Sangweni, and HP van Schoor, who all had stints with the Lions.

Fourie, however, has been dealt a significant blow with both prolific try scorer Donovan Don and powerhouse Wayrin Losper ruled out due to injury.

For the Cheetahs’ visit to Griquas, coach Frans Steyn has made one change to the starting line-up, with Clayton Blommetjie moving from fullback to flyhalf to replace the injured Franco Smith. Michael Annies will be wearing the No 15 jersey, and Ali Mgijima will provide cover on the bench.

Steyn said: “I’m proud of the boys for the way they’ve fought to reach the semi-finals. The work was done throughout the season, and now it’s about executing on the day. We need to focus on what we do best, enjoy the game, and play for each other.

“Semi-finals are about delivering when it matters most, and the boys know what’s at stake.”

Teams for Currie Cup semi-finals

Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 RF Schoeman, 2 PJ Botha (c), 1 SJ Kotze. Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Lubabalo Dobela, 23 Rynhardt Jonker.

Boland: 15 James Tedder, 14 Xavier Mitchell, 13 David Brits, 12 Lunathi Nxele, 11 Jayden Bantom, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh (captain), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Khwezi Mafu, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Ameer Hendricks, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Mthokozisi Gumede. Replacements: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Lamla Nunu, 18 Laurence Victor, 19 Michael Benadie, 20 Jurie van Vuuren, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Juan Mostert, 23 Erik Lambrecht.

Cheetahs: 15 Michael Annies, 14 Prince Nkabinde, 13 Marco Janse van Vuren, 12 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Clayton Blommetjies, 9 Jandré Nel, 8 Neels Volschenk, 7 Pierre Raymond Uys, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Juan Venter, 3 Frankie Dos Reis, 2 Marko Jansen van Rensburg, 1 Cameron Dawson. Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Tielman Niewoudt, 18 John Kelly Okonkwo, 19 Sisonke Vumazonke, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Ali Mgijima, 23 Banie Britz.

Griquas: TBA