It will be a historic double or damned déjà vu for Griquas when they host the Pumas in the Currie Cup final in Kimberley on Saturday (15:00 kick-off), writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
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After seven rounds of league action and two contrasting semi-finals last weekend, we’re down to two.
These two.
On Saturday, one of these teams will seize the crown jewel of South African rugby. For Griquas, it would be a fifth Currie Cup crown and the first time they’ve gone back-to-back, while for the Pumas, it would be only their second time lifting the trophy.
To go forward, we first need to go back to 2022, when the Pumas spoiled the Peacock Blues’ party by claiming a 26-19 win in the very Kimberley venue where this year’s champions will be crowned to win their only Currie Cup title.
Five months ago, they broke Griquas’ hearts at Suzuki Stadium again, this time in a classic SA Cup final. The visitors stormed into a commanding 28-7 lead, before the hosts fought back to take the game into extra time at 28-all.
The Pumas ultimately prevailed 38-35, taking the City of Diamonds by siege once again and becoming the first team to win the competition twice. As imperious as Griquas have been this season, history suggests the Lowvelders are live underdogs.
That said, Pieter Bergh’s men have been dominant, losing just once, in the dying moments of their season opener against the Stormers XXIII in Cape Town. Since then, they’ve been unstoppable, with only the Cheetahs coming within touching distance yet still losing 24-21 to the defending champions.
Their red-hot run to finishing the regular season top of the table included an emphatic 38-14 win over the Pumas in Nelspruit in Round Six. A skin-shedding smashing, it saw Griquas snap a six-match losing streak against their fierce rivals; however, they’ll only truly get the monkey/puma off their back by clinching Saturday’s final.
Whereas the men from Kimberley have been a pace-setting picture of consistency, the Pumas have had to scratch and claw their way into the final after starting their campaign with successive losses to the Sharks and Lions. They won three straight from there before the aforementioned home hiding by Griquas, and sealed a playoff place with a purring 52-26 win over the Cheetahs.
Finishing third meant that Jimmy Stonehouse and his charges had to travel to Bloemfontein for a rematch against the Cheetahs, where they came back from 10-0 down to stun their hosts 27-24. The first of last weekend’s semi-finals was the complete opposite of the cagey clash that followed it, as Griquas lashed the Lions 52-12.
Even with the finals history between these teams in Kimberley, Griquas are in their strongest position yet. They’re a well-oiled machine, leading the competition in attack and defence, and it would take a major implosion for them not to retain their title.
This time around, fear not Griquas fans – your boys will get it done at home to wash away those awful memories of finals past and keep the Currie Cup in Kimberley.
Prediction: Griquas by 12.
Suggested Bet: Pumas +12.5 at 1.86.
