Johannesburg - The 2022 Currie Cup semi-finalists have been determined after a weekend of drama in the last round of the competition, with the Cheetahs, Bulls, Griquas and Pumas confirming their spots.
The Cheetahs secured the top spot after smashing the Bulls 35-5 on Saturday evening in Bloemfontein; Griquas edged the Pumas 45-44 in their Friday evening thriller in Nelspruit, and earlier on Friday WP dashed the Sharks’ playoff hopes with a 28-21 win in Stellenbosch.
With the league phase of the Currie Cup now completed, the Cheetahs finished in first place with 48 points, followed by the Bulls on 47. Griquas follow in third (36 points) while the Pumas (29 points) complete this weekend’s semi-finalists.
As a result of their defeat in Stellenbosch, the Sharks missed out on a top-four spot and finished fifth on 27 points, followed by WP (19) and the Lions (15).
This weekend’s semi-final fixtures see the Cheetahs host the Pumas in Bloemfontein, while the Bulls face Griquas on the same day in the other semi-final in Pretoria.
After having lost two matches in a row, the Cheetahs rediscovered their mojo at just the right time to overrun the Bulls and seal the top spot on the Currie Cup standings and their splendid bonus-point win allowed them to pass the defending champions from Pretoria to the top spot on the log, finishing with one point more than the men from Pretoria.
Having successfully prevented Gert Smal’s team from gaining any log points from this exciting clash, the team coached by Hawies Fourie also earned the right to host the final should they win next weekend's semi-final in Bloemfontein against the Pumas.
IOL Sport