Former Springboks star Odwa Ndungane has predicted two teams he strongly believes will contest this year’s Currie Cup final as the competition moves into the semi-finals this weekend.
Four teams, the Fidelity ADT Lions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, Hollywoodbets Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs, are still in the running for the top honours.
The first semi will be a battle between the Lions and defending champions the Cheetahs at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday at 14:30.
The other battle for a place in the climax will take place on the other side of the Jukskei River between the Blue Bulls and Sharks at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria at 17:00.
Ndungane, who turned out for the Sharks in the Currie Cup during his heydays, doesn’t see the Cheetahs coming out alive from the Lions’ den this weekend.
“The Lions go into the semi-final as fan favourites considering that a lot of their URC (United Rugby Championship) players have come back in their last two games,” Ndungane said.
“They’ve found some form and are playing well and deserving to finish the log on the number one spot.”
In their run-up to the knockouts, the Cheetahs displayed inconsistency in their results.
They lost three matches on the trot against the Sharks, Lions and Griquas before the Cheetahs convincingly beat the Pumas in the final clash of the round-robin.
“They are hosting a Cheetahs team that has been very inconsistent, especially in the later part of the competition,” Ndungane said.
“One thing that is going for them is that they are the defending champions but unfortunately, I don’t see them beating the Lions in Joburg.
“Even though they had a good performance against the Pumas, a convincing win to secure the last spot in the semi-finals.
“I just don’t see them putting another performance against the high-flying Lions that is full of confidence.
“The Lions want to try and do as well as possible in the Currie Cup to have some silverware for the 2024/25 season.
“I see the Lions winning this semi-final by possibly a good 15 or 20-point difference,” he said.
“But I think that will probably come in the last 20 minutes of the game. Normally, Lions-Cheetahs meetings are high-scoring games, and I think it will be an entertaining one.”
Ndungane reckons the clash in Pretoria will be a closely contested affair, but the away side will prevail.
“The Sharks also picked a lot of their URC players and most of the Bulls guys haven’t played a lot of games, so they will be a bit rusty,” Ndungane said.
“But still a Bulls team at home is always difficult to beat. The Sharks go there knowing that they have a tough test even though they beat the Bulls in a wet Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium. That will give them the confidence they need.
“That’s going to be a tight game. I’m hoping the Sharks win, in fact I know the Sharks are going to win by six points.”
Champion performance by JC Pretorius for Lions in their win over Griffons in the Carling Currie Cup, taking them to the Semi-Finals 🎉🏉
— Carling Black Label ᅠᅠᅠᅠ (@blacklabelsa) September 13, 2024
This weekends Semi-Finals feature Lions vs Cheetahs and Bulls clashing with Sharks 🚀
Using #CarlingCurrieCup, QT which teams will make it to… pic.twitter.com/zuN1IMYljS
