Griquas outmuscle Cheetahs to reach Currie Cup final

Suzuki Griquas have booked their place in the 2025 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division final after a spirited 25-5 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs in Kimberley on Saturday evening. The men from the Northern Cape will now travel to Johannesburg next weekend to face the Fidelity ADT Lions in the championship decider.

It is a special achievement for the Kimberley side, who have now reached their second final in four years. The win was built on strong discipline and moments of individual brilliance, particularly from wing Dylan Maart, who scored two decisive tries that lifted the home crowd at Suzuki Stadium.

The Griquas began with a lightning-fast start, scoring twice in quick succession. First, Albert Liebenberg finished off a well-constructed move from a lineout. Moments later, Maart showed his speed and determination by chasing down a kick, collecting the bounce, and running two-thirds of the field to cross the line.

Although the Cheetahs responded through wing Prince Nkabinde, the Griquas held their nerve. They tightened their defence, improved their lineout work, and capitalised on opportunities in the second half. Veteran flyhalf George Whitehead added a penalty before setting up Maart for his second try, which came after a brilliant dive in the corner. Whitehead also landed two conversions and a long-range penalty to seal the result.

This win against the Toyota Cheetahs also secured them the OFM Challenge Cup that has become a rivalry between the two teams.

In the other semi-final at Ellis Park, the Lions proved far too strong for the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, running in 10 tries on their way to a 67-19 win. Wing Angelo Davids starred with four tries, three of which came in the opening half, while Chris Smith contributed 15 points with the boot. The Lions led 41-5 at halftime and never looked back, crushing the Kavaliers’ fairytale run.

The Lions, who fielded several Vodacom URC players, will now enjoy home advantage in the final for the second season in a row. Kick-off is scheduled for 15h00 on Saturday, with confirmation still pending.

Semi-final results:

Suzuki Griquas 25 (12), Toyota Cheetahs 5 (5)

Griquas – Tries: Albert Liebenberg, Dylan Maart (2). Conversions: George Whitehead (2). Penalty goals: Whitehead (2).

Cheetahs – Try: Prince Nkabinde.

Fidelity ADT Lions 67 (41), Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 19 (5)

Lions – Tries: Angelo Davids (4), Henco van Wyk (2), SJ Kotze, Quan Horn, Renzo du Plessis, Penalty try. Conversions: Chris Smith (6). Penalty goal: Smith.

Boland – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Jayden Bantom, Chriswill September. Conversions: James Tedder (2).