On current form, the Fidelity ADT Lions should be considered firm favourites against defending champions, the Toyota Cheetahs, when the two sides meet in the first of two Carling Currie Cup Premier Division semi-finals on Saturday, with the Johannesburg clash starting at 14:30 (SA Time).
The winner of this clash will face the winner of the second semi-final between Vodacom Bulls or Hollywoodbets Sharks in the final. The two teams meet in the at Loftus Versveld at 17:00.
Last year, the Free Staters sprang a minor surprise by beating the Vodacom Bulls by 31-27 in a pulsating semi-final in Bloemfontein, while in the other semi-final, the Airlink Pumas edged the Hollywoodbets Sharks 26-20 to progress to the 2023 final, where the Toyota Cheetahs prevailed 25-17 over the team from Mpumalanga to lift the famous trophy for a seventh time.
This year, the defending champions followed the low road to the playoffs when their victory last weekend over the Airlink Pumas, in their final league match, saw them grab the last available knockout spot.
Playing in Saturday’s first semi-final in Doornfontein, the Fidelity ADT Lions will have both form and home-ground advantage on their side when they take on their Free State rivals as they aim to reach the final for the first time since 2019.
Apart from playing at the imposing Emirates Airline Park, the Joburg outfit established themselves as the best side during the league phase of the Premier Division. They amassed 437 points in their 10 games and only conceded 215, which placed them as the most prolific scoring side as well as the team with the best defence.
Furthermore, the Fidelity ADT Lions have been consistent with their form and scoring abilities during that time, while the Toyota Cheetahs have been blowing hot and cold at the same time, only clinching their semi-final berth with a nervy win in the last round of regular action.
While the log leaders lost only once in the league, their Free State opponents could only manage five wins, a draw and four losses during the same period.
However, knockout rugby is an entirely different beast, as shown by last year’s results, and the Johannesburg hosts will be wary of the dangers of underestimating the gritty defending champions.
Fidelity ADT Lions head coach Mziwakhe Nkosi has tweaked his Match 23 with the inclusion of Springboks Ruan Venter and Quan Horn. Saturday also sees the inclusion of Marius Louw at the centre alongside the in-form Rynhardt Jonker.
The side boasts an impressive replacement bench with the powerful Sibabalo Qoma- a previous Cheetahs man, and the ever-present former Blitzbok superstar JC Pretorius whose presence in the latter part of the competition has been impactful. Current Vodacom United Rugby Championship Player of the Tournament Sanele Nohamba is likely to feature during the later stages of the encounter.
The Currie Cup mentor was quick to warn that the Free Staters remain a quality outfit despite a few unfavourable results during the round-robin stages of the competition.
“Like any other team in the competition, they’ve probably hit a bit of a dip in form at a crucial stage, but that notwithstanding, they are a quality team, said Nkosi.
“If you look at players like Kasende (Daniel), Rudolph (Jeandre), Corne Fourie- who was with us last season; they are an experienced team, so we expect them to come and tear the skin off our backs.”
Captain Jaco Visagie says the squad is quite excited at the prospect of playing in a semi-final of such a prestigious tournament in front of their home fans.
“Extremely happy to be here, the squad is excited. For most of them it’s their first semi-final in the Currie Cup so that in itself is a big milestone for them. We are incredibly happy to have made it this far into the competition.”
Minor changes were made to the Toyota Cheetahs team that beat the Airlink Pumas a week ago. Gideon van der Merwe and Cohen Jasper will run onto the field in their 50th game for the Toyota Cheetahs. Ali Mgijima is out due to an injury. Munier Hartzenberg moves from wing to outside centre, and Cohen Jasper wears the number 14 jersey. Friedle Olivier is back on the bench.
Toyota Cheetahs' Director of Rugby Frans Steyn said “I believe that with the current group of guys if they decide they want to win and put their bodies on the line, there will always be a positive outcome. Even if we lose, people would still be proud of us. This past weekend, the team decided to give it their all, and I take my hat off to all the players.”
“What’s great about the performance is that it didn’t give anyone room to complain, like saying refereeing decisions didn’t work out. It was not a perfect performance but a massive step in the right direction.”
“Looking at the stats, a lot of players performed well. Many players stepped up and showed they wanted to win this game, not just for themselves but for the team, especially for those not playing. Now it’s about preparing for this weekend and overcoming the next hurdle.” Said Oupa Mohoje.
“There’s a good history between the two teams, so everyone looks forward to the game. We know how important it is and certainly don’t take it for granted. We understand what it means for the people of the Free State.”
Frans continued, “I’ve said before that what’s more important to me right now is how we play on the pitch rather than just winning or losing. They are the favourites with a big team and are used to big moments. Our plan is to give our best on the day. I’m enjoying the tension and am confident that the guys here are giving their all every day. It will be tough, but we’re going in with the mindset of doing our best rather than feeling pressured to win. We’re prepared to face a tough challenge from the Lions and must deliver.”
Teams:
Fidelity ADT Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Rynhardt Jonker, 12 Marous Louw, 11 Tapiwa Mafura, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Jarod Cairns, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Renzo du Plessis, 5 Darrien-Lane Landsberg, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Jaco Visagie (captain), 1 Morgan Naude. Replacements: 16 Morne Basson, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Conrad van Vuuren, 19 Raynard Roets, 20 JC Pretorius, 21 Siba Qoma, 22 Sanele Nohamba, 23 Kelly Mpeku.
Toyota Cheetahs: 15 Michael Annies, 14 Cohen Jasper, 13 Munier Hartzenberg, 12 Evardi Boshoff, 11 Daniel Kasende, 10 Ethan Wentzel, 9 Jandre Nel, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (c), 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Schalk Ferreira. Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Laurence Victor, 19 Friedle Olivier, 20 Aidon Davis, 21 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 22 George Lourens, 23 Litha Nkula.