The Currie Cup reaches the business end on Sunday with only four teams remain in the hunt for the trophy. Top-of-the-table Griquas will host the Lions in Kimberley, while the Cheetahs welcome the Pumas to Bloemfontein in what promises to be an intriguing semi-final after last weekend’s upset win by the Pumas.
Both home sides start as favourites, but semi-final rugby always throws up drama, and both away sides will fancy their chances of causing a shock and booking a spot in next weekend’s final.
It should be a cracking afternoon of Currie Cup rugby.
The Griquas are 2.00 to win the Currie Cup and you can click here for the betting
Griquas v Lions — Click here to bet
After suffering a loss in the opening round to the Stormers XXIII, the Griquas then went on a perfect run of form, winning their next six games in a row to finish top of the log. It has been a truly outstanding season from Kimberley’s finest, particularly on the road, where they have racked up some impressive results. Their last two matches saw them beat the Pumas 38-14 and Boland 48-17, both away from home.
The Lions, on the other hand, had a more up-and-down season. They pulled off a solid win in the final round, beating the Stormers XXIII 36-12 at home to secure their semi-final spot. The Lions won three of their seven pool games, with one ending in a draw and the other three ending in losses. They will need to lift their level considerably against a red-hot Griquas side this weekend.
Head-to-Head
The two sides met in round 4 in Kimberley, where the Griquas put on a dominant performance to win the match 31-19 at home. They had also won the previous encounter between the sides, however, the Lions had won the three before that. Overall, the H2H is fairly evenly split across recent history, but the Griquas hold the more recent edge, and both wins have come in Kimberley.
Betting and Verdict
The Griquas are favourites at 1.33 while the Lions are trading at 3.65 with the draw at 31.00. The handicap is Griquas -9.5.
The Griquas have dominated all season long and don’t look like slowing down any time soon. They scored 38 and 48 points in their last two games, and easily covered the -9.5 handicap when the two sides met earlier this year in Round four. Combined with home advantage in Kimberley and the momentum of a six-match winning streak, we can see them doing exactly the same again this weekend and booking their spot in the final.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Griquas [-9.5] at 1.87.
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Cheetahs v Pumas — Click here to bet
The Cheetahs looked solid throughout the entire pool stage, but two losses, one to the Griquas away and the other to the Pumas last weekend, meant they finished second on the table rather than at the top. They will be looking to put last week’s hammering behind them and get back to the form that saw them win five of their opening six matches.
The Pumas had a solid finish to the pool stages, winning four of their last five to secure a third-place finish and their spot in the semi-finals. Their only loss in that stretch was against the Griquas at home, 38-14, but they responded superbly to that setback with the huge win over the Cheetahs last weekend.
Head-to-Head
The two sides met last weekend in Nelspruit, where the Pumas won the match 52-26 in what was quite a surprise result. The Cheetahs had won all of the previous four encounters before that, so this fixture very much belongs to the Free State side historically. The last time the sides met in Bloemfontein, the Cheetahs won the match 42-25.
Betting and Verdict
The bookies have the Cheetahs at 1.38 while the Pumas are trading at 3.40, and the draw is priced at 31.00. The handicap is Cheetahs -7.5.
Although the Cheetahs are coming into this game after just getting hammered by the Pumas the week before, we think this one will be a completely different affair. They will have their strongest side available and the home fans in Bloemfontein backing them all the way. Last weekend was a shock result, and the Cheetahs will be desperate to put things right in front of their home crowd.
They also have a very strong H2H record against the Pumas outside of last weekend, winning four in a row before that upset. Looking at the last result between the sides in Bloem when the Cheetahs won 42-25, we think they should be able to cover the 7.5-point handicap comfortably and book their spot in next weekend’s final.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Cheetahs [-7.5] at 1.87
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