Currie Cup glory beckons for the Lions

Despite having finished at the top of the Currie Cup log and advancing to the final of this year’s competition, the Lions are not resting on their laurels.

The Johannesburg-based team is well aware that it’ll have to play much better than it did against defending champions, the Cheetahs, last weekend to have a chance of winning their first Currie Cup title in nine years.

The Lions host the Sharks in the 2024 final on Saturday and they’ll be boosted by playing in front of their home fans and familiar conditions. But beating the Sharks who they lost to earlier in the season, will require a Herculean effort from a youthful Lions side.

The Lions started slow in their semi-final against the defending champions, the Cheetahs last Saturday. They found themselves chasing the game from 14-Nil down, and they know it’s something they can’t afford to repeat in Saturday’s final.

Especially against a Sharks side that beat them earlier in the season and showed character last weekend in their semi-final match against the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

“They came here during the league game, and they beat us as well we weren’t at our best then. Credit to them they were very good that day but this week we have been preparing ourselves and we know exactly what to do we’ve fixed our game plan,” says Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Lions prop.

“For us, the major thing is just to start a lot better than we did. We were chasing the game we were 14 points behind, and I think it is the first time this season that we were chasing the game,” says Lions flyhalf Kade Wolhuter.

Former Cheetahs fullback, Tapiwa Mafura will be playing in his third consecutive Currie Cup final on Saturday but in his first for the Lions.

“Being in the Currie Cup final the past two years has helped me so much I think the composure that comes with having played in it helps a lot in helping the guys, some of them will be playing their first final,” says Lions fullback Tapiwa Mafura.

The 28-year-old who has won the competition previously with the Cheetahs and the Pumas says winning the competition would lift their spirits ahead of the United Rugby championship.

“The last time we were in the final I think that was in 2017 and the last time they won it was 2015 so it’s been a while since there was a trophy here before we get to the URC to win the trophy it would lift the spirit of the players and the fans before the URC,” Mafura adds.

Saturday’s match at the Ellis Park stadium will kick off at four o’clock and will be televised live on SABC 2.