Lions and Sharks play comeback rugby to set up enticing Currie Cup final

The Lions and the Sharks showed superb fight to play some impressive comeback rugby in their Currie Cup semifinals against the Cheetahs and Bulls respectively to setup an enticing Currie Cup final at Ellis Park next weekend.

The Lions edged the Cheetahs 43-34 in a tremendous back and forth encounter in Johannesburg, while the Sharks terrifically held their nerve to secure a 40-all draw with the Bulls at Loftus after extra time, with them winning via virtue of having scored more tries than the hosts in the game.

For the Lions they were heavy favourites in their semi after finishing top of the log in the pool stage and having beaten the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein earlier in the competition, but they found themselves in trouble at 14-0 down after just 10 minutes of the match.

They fought their way back to level pegging at halftime, before taking an early second half lead, with the Cheetahs then fighting back to lead 29-26 heading towards the final quarter of the match.

Strong finish

But a strong finish by the hosts, sparked by URC Player of the Season Sanele Nohamba, helped the Lions clinch a strong win in the end.

“We said in the week that they are a good team. They had about eight guys in their team who were defending champs. So we knew they weren’t going to come here, roll over and play dead,” said Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi after the match.

“It wasn’t a spectacle. But we worked really hard to dig ourselves out of a hole. The ball didn’t bounce our way at first and we found ourselves 14-0 down. So for us to get ourselves even at halftime was really good.

“We started the second half well, but our inability to exit cost us. I think about three or four of their tries I could put down to our inability to exit. So if we had exited better we could have created a but of clear water between us. But credit to them, they had a really good strategy.”

Second semi

In the second semi the Sharks had to battle back from a 20-7 deficit in the first half, to trail by four at the break, before going behind 30-19 in the second half where another fightback saw them leading 33-30 going into the final 10 minutes.

Despite the Sharks picking up two yellow cards and a red in the final 15 minutes the Bulls couldn’t capitalise and only drew level with a late penalty, before both teams scored a converted try in extra time to leave them level after 100 minutes of rugby, with the visitors six tries to the hosts four seeing them edge the result.

“What a game hey, 100 minutes of rugby. Building up to the match we knew it was going to be a tough game and that it would take everything that we had, and a little bit more tonight, 20 minutes extra,” said Sharks man-of-the match James Venter who scored a superb solo try in the first half.

“I am really proud of the boys, I think the guys stuck it out. There was a lot of growth from this squad and I am super proud of everyone.

“That’s (fighting back) something that we pride ourselves on. We have connected well as a group and we have that fight element (to our game). We know what it takes to win these playoff games and I am glad we pulled it through.”