The picture is finally clear and the Currie Cup 2025 semi-finals are locked in after a weekend of heavy weather, red cards, and a late scramble for precious points. The Lions will host Boland at Ellis Park, while Griquas welcome the Cheetahs to Kimberley, a bracket earned through statement wins and a gritty chase that went down to the final whistle at Loftus.
The last round brought a surge of senior United Rugby Championship experience into several matchday squads and it showed in the scorelines. Lions, Bulls, Sharks, and Western Province leaned on seasoned heads, and although some of those teams sit outside the knockouts, their late lift reshaped the path to the semis for those who made it.
Lions set the pace at Ellis Park
The Lions produced a commanding 37-7 victory over Griquas in Johannesburg, a result that not only underlined their attacking rhythm but also sealed top spot. Former Bulls flyhalf Chris Smith kicked 10 points and the Pride ran in five tries, a reminder of how quickly they can turn pressure into points.
After poor weather delayed kick-off, Griquas struck first through Lourens Oosthuizen with George Whitehead converting. The Lions settled, then flipped the narrative through Henco van Wyk and Richard Kriel, and when Mnombo Zwelendaba was shown a yellow card late in the half, Smith nudged the gap to 15-7 at the break.
The second half belonged to the hosts, with scrumhalf Nico Steyn darting over to stretch the margin before Smith added another penalty. Former Stormers wing Angelo Davids powered over and Springbok fullback Quan Horn finished the fifth try, and by the third quarter the outcome was beyond doubt.
That win lifted the Lions to 26 points, the best tally in the competition after five wins from seven matches. It also confirmed a home semi that fits their surging form and depth, a blend strengthened by URC names returning just in time for the knockout push.
Griquas hold second despite a bruising afternoon
Griquas arrive in the semi-finals as second seeds with 25 points from five wins, a body of work built over the full campaign. Saturday brought a tough lesson at Ellis Park but the men from Kimberley still earned the right to bring the Cheetahs to town in the last four.
The early try at Ellis Park showed Griquas’ willingness to play, yet once the Lions established control they were relentless. The challenge now is to reset at home where conditions in Kimberley and the energy of a local crowd often tilt tight contests.
Cheetahs ride the bonus point wave
At Loftus, the Cheetahs lost 35-31 to the Bulls, but they left Pretoria with two bonus points and the prize that mattered most, a place in the semi-finals. The Bulls ripped into an early lead, then a red card to Springbok flank Marcel Coetzee opened the door and the Cheetahs stormed back to within a single score by the end.
The home side looked untouchable through 50 minutes, stacking up five tries that set the tone of the afternoon. Coetzee powered over to open the scoring, winger Cheswill Jooste crossed twice, and there were finishes for Mpilo Gumede and David Kriel, while flyhalf Keagan Johannes landed five conversions for a 28-5 halftime cushion and then 35 on the board soon after the restart.
Once reduced to 14, the Bulls were forced to defend in waves as the Cheetahs went to work. Scrumhalf Jandre Nel struck to spark belief, winger Prince Nkabinde and replacement hooker Vernon Paulo followed, and with time running out flank Pierre Uys forced his way over to pull the visitors within range, only for a knock-on after the hooter to end the charge.
For the Cheetahs, the equation was simple and unforgiving, grab every point available and keep the door open. The late surge did exactly that, and now a short trip to Kimberley awaits, a semi-final set by resilience as much as it was by tries scored in the heat of a comeback.
Bulls take the win and the lessons
Johan Ackermann’s Bulls, featuring URC players short of minutes, closed their campaign with a show of power and grit. The first 50 minutes were textbook control and execution, then came the red card and a test of nerve, and they still found enough to close it out under pressure.
The Bulls’ scoreboard told a story of clinical finishing, with five tries and perfect kicking from Keagan Johannes before cards changed the dynamic. They end the season in sixth with three wins and 15 points, a reminder that final-round momentum does not always rewrite the broader arc of a campaign.
Boland complete the last four
Boland claimed the fourth spot with four wins and 23 points, a return that shows how much they have added to this season. They were beaten 40-22 by Western Province in Cape Town on the last weekend, yet their overall work holds up, and they now take on the top-seeded Lions in Johannesburg.
Western Province finished the campaign with just one win and six points, though that victory over Boland came with authority. The Pumas pushed hard but fell 19-13 to the Sharks in their final outing and finished fifth on 21 points, while the Sharks closed in seventh on 14 points.
What the standings tell us
The final table carries a clear message about the balance of power this season. The so-called smaller teams, led by Boland, Griquas and the Cheetahs, earned their semi-final places over months of consistent work, even if a last weekend surge from bigger unions skewed the closing narrative.
The Lions are now widely seen as favourites to go all the way, a status that is hard to argue after topping the table and thriving with several URC players in the mix. Yet home-field advantage in Johannesburg and Kimberley only sets the stage, it does not settle the result.
The semi-final fixtures at a glance
- Lions vs Boland at Ellis Park in Johannesburg,
- Griquas vs Cheetahs in Kimberley.
SA Rugby will confirm the kick-off times and dates in due course. Fans can circle the venues and prepare for two matches that pair form with familiarity, and pressure with opportunity.
Keys to the Lions vs Boland matchup
The Lions arrive with scoreboard fluency and set-piece stability, sharpened by the work of Chris Smith off the tee. Their try map against Griquas, from midfield strikes to wide finishes for Angelo Davids and Quan Horn, hints at variety that makes them hard to choke.
For Boland, the road to Ellis Park is a reward for a season built on guts and continuity. They have been praised for what they bring to the competition and their task now is to slow the Lions enough to bring the contest into the final quarter with something to play for.
Keys to the Griquas vs Cheetahs matchup
Kimberley gives Griquas a familiar edge, a surface and setting that rewards accuracy and discipline. Even after a heavy defeat, they carry the confidence of five wins and a season spent in the top half of the log.
The Cheetahs, however, will look at Loftus and see evidence that they can absorb punches and still score in clusters. With players like Jandre Nel and Prince Nkabinde showing finishing touch, and the pack able to squeeze late penalties and field position, the visitors have the weapons to force a classic.
Voices from the camp
“The log has been a yo-yo for the last two weeks, so I’m happy we can have a home semi-final, it makes a helluva difference.
We’ll however keep our feet firmly on the ground, and try put in another good performance in the semis.”
Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi cut a grounded figure despite the emphatic win and the top seed. His words echo what every semi-finalist knows, good form is a platform, not a guarantee, and the next 80 minutes will ask even bigger questions.
Final word
This tournament has been a story of contrasts, of big unions seeking rhythm ahead of URC duties and of so-called smaller unions refusing to blink. The semi-finals bring those narratives together, Lions and Griquas at home, Boland and the Cheetahs on the road, all four with a reason to believe.
From the thunder of Ellis Park to the hard yards in Kimberley, every inch will matter, because that has been the blueprint of this season. Two matches, two tickets to a final, and a weekend that promises to reward the brave while punishing the careless.
As the dust settles on a dramatic Round 7, one truth stands out, the margins at this level are thin and the teams that marry discipline with ambition tend to last the longest. The chessboard is set, the stakes are real, and the Currie Cup waits for its next twist.
