Currie Cup Finals since 1939

South Africa’s provinces have competed for a trophy since 1889. Since 1892 that trophy has been the Currie Cup. Playing Finals have been more recent and continuous since 1968. It is the big event of the domestic season.

There have been 47 Currie Cup finals since 1939, the year of the very first Final. The Blue Bulls, formerly Northern Transvaal, have won most of them and will have another crack in Durban on Saturday.

There have been Currie Cup Finals at ten different venues. Loftus Versfeld has played host to most – 16 in all, of which the Blue Bulls (Northern Transvaal) have won 13 and losing to Western Province in 1983, Natal in 1990 and Free State in 2005. Loftus Versfeld has been kind to them. Mind you it has not been as kind as Newlands has been to Western Province. Western Province have lost a Currie Cup final there only once and that was the first one, way back in 1939.

Natal have won the Currie Cup Final four times, but only one of those victories has been at home. Their home record is not as good. They have played in five Finals at home and won just once.

Natal’s only home victory was over Western Province, in 1995. That afternoon it poured with rain, which was supposed to have suited Western Province from the winter-rain area. In fact Natal simply outplayed them. The weather conditions almost made it an away match for Natal.

Playing at home is an advantage, but not a remarkable one. Of the 47 Currie Cup Finals so far, the home teams have won 26, four have been drawn and the visitors have won 17. That’s OK, for it seems that the visitors have a chance.

The Currie Cup finals have all happened in my lifetime and everyone has been special. Saturday’s in Durban will again be special. It will be one of those “Do you remember” matches

Currie Cup Final results

The first Currie Cup Final was played in 1939, at Newlands when Transvaal beat Western Province.

The following are the results of all the Currie Cup Finals played:

1939: Transvaal vs Western Province, 17-6 at Newlands
1946: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 11-9 in Pretoria
1947: Western Province vs Transvaal, 16-12 at Newlands
1950: Transvaal vs Western Province, 22-11 in Johannesburg
1952: Transvaal vs Boland, 11-9 in  Wellington
1954: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 11-8 at Newlands
1956: Northern Transvaal vs Natal, 9-8 in Durban
1968: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 16-3 in Pretoria
1969: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 28-3 in Pretoria
1970: Griqualand West vs Northern Transvaal, 11-9 in Kimberley
1971: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 14-14 in Johannesburg
1972: Transvaal vs Eastern Transvaal, 25-19 in Springs
1973: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 30-22 in Pretoria
1974: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 17-15 in Pretoria
1975: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 12-6 in Bloemfontein
1976: Orange Free State vs Western Province, 33-16 in Bloemfontein
1977: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 27-12 in Pretoria
1978: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 13-9 in Bloemfontein
1979: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 15-15 at Newlands
1980: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 39-9 in Pretoria
1981: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 23-6 in Pretoria
1982: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 24-9 at Newlands
1983: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 9-3 in Pretoria
1984: Western Province vs Natal, 19-9 at Newlands
1985: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 22-15 at Newlands
1986: Western Province vs Transvaal, 22-9 at Newlands
1987: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 24-18 in Johannesburg
1988: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 19-18 in Pretoria
1989: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 16-16 at Newlands
1990: Natal vs Northern Transvaal, 18-12 in Pretoria
1991: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 27-15 in Pretoria
1992: Natal vs Transvaal, 14-13 in Johannesburg
1993: Transvaal vs Natal, 21-15 in Durban
1994: Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 56-33 in Bloemfontein
1995: Natal vs Western Province, 25-17 in Durban
1996: Natal vs Transvaal, 33-15 in Johannesburg
1997: Western Province vs Free State, 14-12 at Newlands
1998: Blue Bulls vs Western Province, 24-20 in Pretoria
1999: Lions vs Natal, 32-9 in Durban
2000: Western Province vs Natal, 25-15 in Durban
2001: Western Province vs Natal, 29-24 at Newlands
2002: Blue Bulls vs Lions, 31-7 in Johannesburg
2003: Blue Bulls vs Natal, 40-19 in Pretoria
2004: Blue Bulls vs Cheetahs, 42-33 in Pretoria
2005: Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 29-25 in Pretoria
2006: Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 28-28 in Bloemfontein
2007: Cheetahs vs Lions, 20-18 in Bloemfontein

* There have been so many changes of names of venues we have given the name of the city where the match was played – except for unique Newlands.

Number of Finals: 47

Number of Times in a Final:

Blue Bulls: 29
Western Province: 22
Lions: 18
Natal: 11
Free State: 11
Boland: 1
Falcons: 1
Griqualand West: 1

Number of victories:

Blue Bulls: 22 (including four draws)
Western Province: 12 (including two draws)
Lions: 8 (including a draw)
Natal: 4
Free State: 4 (including a draw)
Griqualand West: 1

Records:

Highest Score: 56 (Transvaal 1994)
Lowest Score 3 (Transvaal 1968, Western Province 1969, Northern Transvaal 1983)
Lowest winning score: 9 (Northern Transvaal 1956, Western Province 1983)
Highest match score: 89 (1994)
Lowest match score: 12 (1983)
Biggest margin of victory: 30 (1980)
Highest individual score: 26 (Derick Hougaard, 2002)
Most team tries: 7 (Transvaal 1994)
Most appearances: 11 (Burger Geldenhuys, Naas Botha)
Most penalty goals by a player: Thierry Lacroix – 6 in 1995
Most conversions by a player: Gavin Johnson – 6 in 1994
Most dropped goals by a player: Naas Botha – 4 in 1987

Before 1939 and in 1959, 1964 and 1966 the Currie Cup was decided at a tournament or on a league system.

The total number of times each province has won the Currie Cup is as follows:

Western Province: 32 (four times shared)
Blue Bulls: 22 (four times shared)
Golden Lions: 9 (once shared)
Natal: 4
Griqualand West: 3
Free State: 4 (once shared)
Border: 2 (twice shared)

Currie Cup: Semi’s

The Sharks are expected to feast on the Lions in the first of the two
semifinals, in Durban on Saturday.

However, not all experts agree as to who will win the other semifinal when the Blue Bulls host the Free State Cheetahs in Pretoria.

Currie Cup play-off matches are not for the faint of heart and encounters between the Sharks and Lions have always been at the top end of the scale in terms of physical demands.

And in this game there is so much more at stake – not just because it is the semifinal, but because neither team have won a trophy for years.

The Sharks last tasted success in 1996 and last played in a Currie Cup Final in 2003. The Lions narrowly lost in last year’s Final to the Cheetahs, but they also go back to before the turn of the century for their last Currie Cup win – 1999.

Road to the playoffs:

Sharks:
v Western Province won 28-25
v Boland won 38-13
v Bulls lost 35-14
v Falcons won 28-10
v Cheetahs lost 31-9
v Lions won 16-11
v Griquas won 15-44
v Western Province won 10-32
v Boland won 7-41
v Bulls won 34-24
v Cheetahs won 22-10
v Falcons won 19-44
v Lions won 20-34
v Griquas won 66-12

Lions:
v Bulls lost 7-21
v Cheetahs lost 22-18
v Falcons won 35-23
v Boland won 57-17
v Griquas won 32-36
v Sharks lost 16-11
v Western Province won 27-13
v Bulls won 27-30
v Cheetahs lost 28-38
v Falcons won 14-83
v Griquas won 41-20
v Boland won 10-31
v Sharks lost 20-34
v Western Province lost 14-6

 

Don’t expect too much in terms of fancy footwork, or expansive and extravagant moves when the Blue Bulls and Free State Cheetahs go head-to-head in their semifinal in Pretoria on Saturday.

Encounters between these two sides – who have met in the play-offs every year since 2004 – have produced some of the most dramatic results. Also, some of the most brutal.

Just think back to the Final of 2005, when a bounce of the ball literally handed the Currie Cup to the Cheetahs.

And with neither side making a secret of the fact that they will again be out to physically dominate the opposition, to pummel them into submission, the bar will be raised considerably.

Road to the playoffs:

Blue Bulls:
v Lions won 7-21
v Western Province lost 26-17
v Sharks won 35-14
v Cheetahs won 31-23
v Boland won 10-26
v Falcons won 7-50
v Lions lost 27-30
v Griquas won 41-12
v Western Province won 37-6
v Sharks lost 34-24
v Boland won 69-19
v Cheetahs won 5-23
v Griquas won 22-58
v Falcons won 22-20

Free State Cheetahs:
v Griquas won 16-20
v Lions won 22-18
v Western Province lost 9-3
v Bulls lost 31-23
v Sharks won 31-9
v Falcons won 55-14
v Boland won 10-15
v Griquas won 22-3
v Lions won 28-38
v Western Province lost 17-35
v Sharks lost 22-10
v Bulls lost 5-23
v Falcons won 7-78
v Boland won 50-40

Rugby : Weekend Preview

TriNations

Australia have not won much in South Africa of late, but South Africa have not won much in the Tri-Nations this year.

The ‘third match’ in this Tri-Nations has been a tough one. The Springboks lost their third match, All Blacks lost their third and the Wallabies lost their third. This is not a third Tri-Nations match for the Springboks but it is their third successive match starting with one against the Pumas, a costly match for the winners as it ended tough man Bakkies Botha’s Tri-Nations. Third match suggests a Springbok defeat. The Springboks have had two matches while the Wallabies had two weeks off.

Home ground? It does not work miracles. The Springboks have not been good at home this year – not against the enfeebled Welsh, not against the dogged Italians, not against the enfeebled Pumas, and not against the All Blacks when they fell over their own feet, missing out on match-winning opportunities. All of that said, there is no reason on earth why the Springboks should not win. But home ground alone will not do it.

Prediction: It’s hard. Who knows what side is going to play and how. But looking at the situation as it has been one would suggest that Australia will win by more than 10.

 
With South Africa’s local provincial tournament taking a back behind the national team’s Tri-Nations endeavors for the last time, this weekend will host the second half of the round nine encounters.

Three of the “big five” provinces will making way for another heated top table battle.

The Sharks, currently in third position on 28 points, travel to Wellington to face the Cavaliers. Friday’s second encounter between the Blue Bulls and Western Province (WP) at Fort Loftus.

Prediction: A potentially bland game considering the wet conditions, but the Sharks should walk away win it fairly comfortable, by 10 or more points.
Prediction: Province will fight, but the Bulls are bounds ahead this season and will out-muscle their Cape opponents by 8 or more points.

Rugby: Weekend Roundup

Currie Cup
Cheetahs showed superior form in finishing off neighbours Griquas and cement their place in the top two on the Absa Currie Cup standings with convincing 22-3 win in Bloemfontein.

The Sharks moved to the top of the Absa Currie Cup standings with a 32-10 win over  Western Province.

Boland Cavaliers scored a nail-biting 31-29 win over the Falcons at Boland Stadium on Friday, after trailing 7-19 at halve time.

The Lions have hit some impressive mid-season form. An impressive 30-27 bonus-point win over the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday helped move them from fifth to third on the standings. Outscoring the Bulls by four tries to three – two of those coming from Man-of-the-match Willie Wepene.

The Springboks rattled up 9 tries against the Pumas. A sloppy start to the match that allowed the visitors to take a 9-0 lead early in the match.
The Boks were guilty of poor handling and ill-judged passes in contact.  The Springboks finally woke from their  in the 31st minute scoring a well finished off try. Fianly winning the match 63 – 9