The build-up has a familiar hum at Ellis Park, the sense that a proud union is on the brink of a statement win, and that a fearless challenger is arriving with nothing to lose. This is Currie Cup Final Preparation in its purest form, the Lions sharpening their edge for a long-awaited title push, and the Griquas carrying the momentum of a hardened knockout run into a season-defining Saturday.
The narrative is simple on paper, the Lions are strong favourites and they will host the showpiece at Emirates Airlines Park after flattening Boland 67-19 in the semi. The reality is more textured, Griquas have grown into one of the most compelling stories of the competition, reaching a second final in four years after outmuscling the Cheetahs 25-5 in Kimberley.
How the finalists got here
The Lions found their groove early against Boland, piling on six first-half tries and racing to a 41-5 lead at the break. Their attack flowed off front-foot ball, the pack punching holes and the backline finishing with ruthless accuracy, as wing Angelo Davids helped himself to four tries on the afternoon.
Coach Mziwakhe Nkosi admitted the second half was not as polished, with too many penalties and knock-ons as the game turned scrappy. Yet even as Boland kept coming, the Lions continued to land scoring blows and closed out a 10-try performance that underlined why they top the pecking order.
“We tried to make it count from a tempo point of view. We got it right in the first half,” said Nkosi. “It was probably not our most accurate second half, as the game got scrappier we got scrappier. But we take the win.”
In Kimberley, Griquas delivered the kind of semi that travels well into a final. They were disciplined, physical and opportunistic in a deserved 25-5 win over the Cheetahs. They scored three tries to one, defended with steel in the trenches, and their backs were electric with ball in hand, with wing Dylan Maart producing a sensational finish in the corner as he bagged a brace.
Griquas started fast with two quick strikes, then steadied themselves through the middle exchanges, leading 12-5 at halftime. Flyhalf George Whitehead was composed off the tee, nudging a key penalty after the interval to stretch the gap before Maart’s highlight moment broke the contest open. Another late Whitehead penalty iced a famous day in the Northern Cape.
Why the Lions are considered favourites
Across the last fortnight the competition has reinforced a stark split between United Rugby Championship aligned squads and the rest. The Lions have looked like a URC side for weeks, with synergy that comes from continuity and selection clarity, and that cohesion has given them a distinct edge at this level. They will stage a second successive domestic final in Johannesburg, and they are chasing their first trophy since 2015, a drought that adds real urgency to this week’s work.
The memory of last year’s heartbreak still hangs in the rafters. The Lions led the final at the death, chose to play on rather than kick the ball out, conceded a penalty for holding on, and watched former flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse smash a monster kick from 59 metres to hand the Sharks the title. Nkosi says the lesson has been absorbed, without losing the team’s identity.
“Similar to last year, we are going to live and die by our identity,” said Nkosi. “Rugby is rugby, you can’t move away from the stuff that’s important, set-piece, quality defence, good discipline, accurate kicking game. Then we’d be amiss not to play to our strengths.”
The Lions’ strengths are clear. They scrummed well against Boland, blunted mauls, and when the carriers like Ruan Venter smashed the gain line, it unlocked flyhalf Chris Smith to steer a backline that is humming. With front-foot ball the wide men find space, and the pace out wide has been ruthless when opportunities appear.
Chris Smith on momentum and mindset
One of the standout performers since arriving from the Bulls, Chris Smith has brought calm authority to the Lions’ attack and an ice-cool temperament to the pressure moments. He frames the week with a blend of confidence and respect for the occasion.
“We have had a good run of results over the last three or four games, so there is a lot of confidence in the team. You don’t need much motivation when you are playing in a Currie Cup final, and playing at Ellis Park makes it even more special,” said Smith.
“We have been taking every game seriously. We knew that Boland would be a tough match, they had beaten us earlier in the competition so we had to be on top of our game against them.
“It was a good performance from us, we were clinical with our chances and are happy with the outcome. We have built up some good momentum and will take that into the final.”
There is also an intriguing subplot around fullback Quan Horn. His sparkling form and man of the match display have drawn attention at national level, and it is possible he could be called into the Springbok squad this week. If that happens, the Lions may need to adjust quickly at fifteen, a selection wrinkle that adds spice to their backline plans.
What Griquas bring to the fight
You do not reach two finals in four seasons without a clear identity. Griquas have mixed front-foot ambition with iron discipline in defence, and when the big moments arrive they tend to win them. The Cheetahs threw plenty at them in Kimberley, but the hosts were composed, they managed the scoreboard, and they found the cutting edge when the game opened up.
Back three dynamism has been a weapon, with Dylan Maart turning half chances into points and the wider unit threatening whenever space appears. Whitehead’s decision making has knitted it together, his goal kicking a steady hand that punishes indiscipline and keeps the scoreboard ticking at critical beats in the contest.
There is also a development glow around this group. The semi showcased talent that would not look out of place in the URC, with Maart’s brace a highlight and Cheetahs wing Prince Nkimande the lone scorer for the visitors. Within the Griquas pack, captain Clebo Dlamini continues to impress at tighthead, the kind of cornerstone that can anchor a set-piece battle in a final and give the backs a platform to play.
Heritage matters in Kimberley, and this team knows its place in a storied arc. Griquas are chasing a fourth Currie Cup crown, the first secured before the Anglo-Boer War in 1899 and the most recent lifted in 1970, also in Kimberley. That context fuels belief, even as underdogs on Highveld soil.
Inside the Lions playbook
Nkosi’s debrief after the semi laid out the blueprint. He liked the tempo, the scrum, and the maul defence. He wants fewer penalties and knock-ons, sharper decision making late, and a set-piece base that allows his halfbacks to control the field. When the game tightened, the Lions’ tight five and carriers gave Smith the canvas he needed, and out wide Angelo Davids and company did the rest.
Given the altitude factor, the Lions aim to stress opponents with pace and continuity, yet they will be wary of overplaying. Last year’s lesson lingers. The message this week sounds pragmatic, stay accurate, win territory, impose set-piece pressure, and when the chance is on, back the skill and speed that has defined their surge into another home final.
Key battles that could swing the final
- Scrum and gain line, Griquas need a stable platform against a Lions pack that dominated Boland’s set-piece and used carriers like Ruan Venter to win the middle of the field,
- Kicking game and discipline, George Whitehead’s boot can turn pressure into points while Chris Smith’s control and the Lions’ exit accuracy must stay sharp under final stress,
- Back three punch, with Dylan Maart in try-scoring form and the Lions’ wide threats humming, the aerial contest and broken-field defence will be decisive.
What is at stake
For the Lions, there is a tangible double reward on the table. A title would end a wait stretching back to 2015 and it would inject confidence into a URC campaign that begins shortly, with a tour sequence against Cardiff in Wales, then Zebre and Benetton in Italy. Losing another home final would sting, so the emotional undercurrent for this group is unmistakable.
For Griquas, this is another chance to plant a flag for a proud union that continually punches above its weight. They fell short in the 2022 final against the Pumas, and they return now with a hardened edge, a defensive system that trusts its scramble, and a belief that the big-city favourites can be rattled if the game is kept tight and the scoreboard kept honest through George Whitehead.
Coaches and leaders shaping the week
Nkosi’s tone is instructive, focus on the basics, trust the identity, and cut the error count. The Lions have invested in continuity with URC regulars over the last block of matches, a strategic choice aimed at ending the drought. It does create a balancing act for later in the season, but right now the calculation is clear, silverware first, and momentum to follow.
On the Griquas side, the leadership group has embraced the underdog card while setting a high internal standard. Their semi was a study in composure, they took early chances, absorbed pressure, and finished with authority through Dylan Maart and Whitehead. That rhythm gives them a path in Johannesburg, especially if they can control tempo and squeeze penalties in kickable zones.
Final word and outlook
Everything points to a high-tempo contest where territory, set-piece and composure matter most. The Lions have earned the favourite tag with form, depth and fluency, and their second successive home final offers the comfort of routine. Yet Griquas have a habit of making games real, defending with bite, and striking from wide channels at the right time, a profile that can trouble any opponent if the arm wrestle stretches into the final quarter.
The safe call is that the Lions have more ways to win, and they have lived this exact week before. But finals have their own gravity. If the visitors can keep it close, if George Whitehead cashes in penalties and if their defence keeps its shape under waves of phase play, then pressure can do strange things. Either way, Ellis Park is set for a classic and the trophy that eluded Johannesburg last spring is once again within reach.
Semifinal recap at a glance
- Lions 67, Boland 19, a ten-try statement at Ellis Park with the hosts dominant at set-piece and relentless from turnover ball,
- Griquas 25, Cheetahs 5, a hard-edged Kimberley performance with three tries to one and a brace for Dylan Maart.
Saturday will settle the debate. The Lions have set the pace, the Griquas have earned their shot, and the Currie Cup’s oldest rhythms meet modern speed in a final that promises both substance and spectacle.
