Suzuki Griquas and Airlink Pumas will contest the 2026 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division final next Saturday in Kimberley after they won their respective semi-finals against the Fidelity ADT Lions and Toyota Cheetahs respectively...
In the first of two Sunday afternoon playoff games, the Griquas delivered a ruthless seven-try masterclass to overpower the Lions 52-12 in their clash in Kimberley. That was followed by a titanic battle in Bloemfontein, where the Pumas edged the Cheetahs 27-24 thanks to a powerful second-half performance.
The results of the two semi-finals mean that Griquas will host the final at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley at 15h00 on Saturday against the Pumas, in a rematch of the 2022 final when the side from Mpumalanga won the Currie Cup for their first and only time to date.
Playing in ice-cold winter conditions, Suzuki Griquas wasted no time stamping their authority over the visitors from Gauteng. Flanker Lourens Oosthuizen opened the floodgates in the fifth minute after a slick team attack carved open the Fidelity ADT Lions’ defence. Six minutes later, lock Marco de Witt finished off a rapid counter-attacking surge to stretch the hosts’ advantage to 14-0.
The Lions briefly halted the onslaught when hooker Armand Combrinck crashed over from a well-structured rolling maul just before the 20-minute mark.
However, Griquas quickly resumed control when inside centre Mnombo Zwelendaba powered over from close range, before outstanding playmaker George Whitehead provided a deft grubber kick for fullback Stefan Coetzee to gather and score.
Hooker Tiaan Lange then drove over from a maul on the stroke of half-time to cap off a devastating five-try opening 40 minutes as his team eased into a 35-5 lead at the break.
Oosthuizen extinguished any hopes of a Lions comeback just six minutes after the restart, grabbing his second try to cross the 40-point mark. The visitors’ mounting frustrations spilled over two minutes later when they were reduced to 14 men following a yellow card for poor discipline. Despite the deficit, Lions’ strong Junior Bok midfielder Ethan Adams showed determination to power over for a consolation try.
However, fittingly, Griquas had the final say when substitute scrumhalf Jack Hart sniped around a set-piece fringe for another try, followed by a late Whitehead penalty goal to seal an emphatic 52-12 victory.
In the second semi-final staged in Bloemfontein, the Airlink Pumas followed up their big league win of last week over the Toyota Cheetahs with a hard-fought 27-24 victory.
Whereas the Pumas managed to easily outplay the Cheetahs last week in the final round of league games in Mbombela, this time around they had to dig really deep for the win.
The Cheetahs dominated the first half and led 10-3 thanks to a try scored by flanker Ramon Uys, while flyhalf Jaco van der Walt added the conversion and a penalty goal.
Pumas birthday boy Clinton Swart slotted a penalty goal for their only points in the opening half, but a Darren Adonis try in the corner just after halftime, converted by Swart, levelled the scores at 10-10 as the visitors gave an indication of their determination and fighting spirit.
Pumas flanker Andre Goedhals then went over for their second try, again converted by Swart, as the men from Mpumalanga wrestled the lead away from the home side (17-10).
But the Bloem outfit hit back with a powerful converted maul try through hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg as the teams were once more level at 17-17.
Ten minutes later the Pumas showed their grit when replacement hooker Gustav du Rand scored their third try off a great maul, with Swart once more clinical off the tee to stretch the score 24-17 in their favour.
However, true to the nature of the game, that lead barely lasted a few minutes when Carel-Jan Coetzee broke through in midfield to score under the posts. Van der Walt converted to once more drew the sides level, at 24-24 and just under 10 minutes remaining.
Soon after that the Cheetahs’ defence strayed offside, handing Swart an easy second penalty goal as the Pumas regained their lead, at 27-24.
Minutes later the Cheetahs turned down a kickable penalty goal, and elected to go for an attacking lineout and maul. However, the Pumas showed their defensive steel when they not only stopped the maul but also overturned the ball to clinch a remarkable win and a place in next weekend’s grand finale in Kimberley.
**Scorers:**
**Griquas 52 (35), Fidelity ADT Lions 12 (5)**
**Griquas – Tries:** Lourens Oosthuizen (2), Marco de Witt, Mnombo Zwelendaba, Stefan Coetzee, Tiaan Lange, Jack Hart. Conversions: George Whitehead (5), Liam Koen (2). Penalty goal: Whitehead.
**Lions – Tries:** Armand Combrinck, Ethan Adams. Conversion: Exauce Kevani.
**Toyota Cheetahs 24 (10), Airlink Pumas 27 (3)**
**Cheetahs – Tries:** Ramon Uys, Marko Janse van Rensburg, Carel-Jan Coetzee. Conversions: Jaco van der Walt (3). Penalty goal: Van der Walt
Pumas – Tries: Darren Adonis, Andre Goedhals, Gustav du Rand. Conversions: Clinton Swart (3). Penalty goals: Swart (2).
Source: Original report at SA Rugby.
