The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 Currie Cup Premier Division when the Lions host Griquas in the final at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 15:00.
This will be the second successive year that the Gautengers will host the final, as they hope to capitalise on home-ground advantage against the tenacious visitors from the Northern Cape.
Top of the log
Both teams secured their spot in the final with convincing performances in the semi-finals.
The Lions finished the league phase at the top of the log with five wins from seven matches and they flexed their muscles in the 67-19 semi-final victory last weekend over the Boland Kavaliers.
Griquas, who ended the league season in second place, secured their place in the decider with a hard-fought 25-5 win over the Cheetahs in Kimberley.
The two teams have met once this season, with the Lions emerging as clear victors two weeks ago when they clinched top spot on the log with a commanding 37-7 victory over the visitors at Ellis Park in the final round of the league action.
That result will undoubtedly give the Lions a psychological edge heading into the final. Griquas on the other hand, will use that outcome as motivation to go one step further and create history.
Strong form
Looking at the form guide, both teams come into the final with strong recent form, as indicated by their success in the semi-finals, with each team losing only once in their last five games.
The Highvelders’ only defeats this season came on the road against the Cheetahs and Boland, while on home turf at Ellis Park, they have been a dominant force, as evident in their semi-final win which showcased their lethal attack.
However, the men from the Northern Cape had an equally strong run of form leading into the final league round, winning five consecutive games before their league loss to the Lions.
Their victory over the Cheetahs in the semi-final demonstrated their defensive grit and resilience to bounce back.
A look at the history books reveals some interesting facts about the two teams’ past final appearances.
The Lions boast a far more successful history in the competition. They have won the coveted gold cup 11 times and shared it once, while also ending as runners-up on 13 occasions, making them one of the most frequent cup final teams.
The team from the Diamond City have three wins behind their name, the last of which came in 1970, while they were runners up in 2022.
History books
Despite last year’s final appearance, the last time the Lions won the Currie Cup was in 2015, when they had that memorable run of form, with the Highvelders’ also making three Super Rugby final appearances during that period.
Griquas, on the other hand, will have to page further back in the history books for their last final triumph, which was 55 years ago.
Saturday will be the second final appearance for them in four years since then, following their home loss in 2022 to the Pumas, who went on to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
For the Lions, new signing Angelo Davids has made an immediate impact with his prolific try scoring ability, with the speedy wing dotting down four times last week against Boland to double his tally of tries for the season so date, the same number as Griqua speed merchant Gurshwin Wehr.
The final is also the perfect stage for experienced Griquas flyhalf George Whitehead to display his playmaking abilities.
The stalwart has been in prolific kicking form as usual, amassing 78 points via his reliable boot to place him top of the points scoring charts heading into the final.
Whitehead’s ability to bring into play the dangerous Griquas strike runners has been a hallmark of their season thus far, along with his steady kicking abilities.
A fascinating match is on the cards, with two strong packs of forwards going into battle, while both teams have exciting backs to finish off promising attacks.
TEAMS
Lions
15 Quan Horn (captain), 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 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (vice-captain), 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze
Replacements: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Lubabalo Dobela, 23 Rynhardt Jonker
Griquas
15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelenedaba, 11 Gurshwin Wehr, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Caleb Abrahams, 8 Gustav Erlank, 7 Carl Els, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Derik Pretorius, 3 Cebo Dlamini (captain), 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 IG Prinsloo, 19 Marco de Witt, 20 Phumzile Maqondwana, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Tom Nel, 23 Connor Mahoney.
Note: Should the scores be tied at the end of the 80 minutes of play in the Currie Cup final, the match will proceed to extra time, which will consist of two 10-minute halves with a one-minute break in between. The team that scores the most points at the end of this extra period will be declared the winner. However, if the scores are still level after extra time, the result will be decided based on log position from the regular season. Since the Lions finished the league stage in first place (26 points) and Griquas in second (25 points), the Lions would be declared the winners of the 2025 Currie Cup based on their superior log position.
Match information
Lions vs Griquas
Date: Saturday, 20 September
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: Christopher Allison
