The Xerox Golden Lions will be aiming for a perfect end to their Absa Currie Cup season when they host defending champions DHL Western Province in the 2015 Premier Division Final at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Rasta Rasivhenge will be in charge of the match in what will be his first Absa Currie Cup Final, which kicks-off at 13h45.
Coached by former Springbok lock Johan Ackermann, the Golden Lions have so far this season swept aside every challenge in front of them. They were unbeaten in their league fixtures, and last week managed to hold off a stirring challenge from the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in the semifinal.
Lions supporters will be hoping that their team will be able to maintain their impressive form, and in doing so, turn the tables on Province, who beat them in a tense final last year in Cape Town.
The Johannesburg side have momentum and home-ground advantage in their favour. However, DHL WP will point to their undoubted cup-winning pedigree. On Saturday, the Capetonians will be making their fourth consecutive final appearance.
Furthermore, DHL WP also have history on their side as they are the most successful team in the popular competition. Province have won the coveted gold cup a record 33 times, and their most recent success was at home last year against the Lions.
The Lions, meanwhile, are ranked third on the list of competition winners. They won the trophy 10 times and their most recent success was in 2011, when they lifted the cup in Johannesburg.
The Absa Currie Cup Finals have always produced memorable team and individual performances, and there will be more to come on Saturday.
Judging by their performances throughout the season, and especially last weekend, the two key men in this final will be Lions flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff and DHL WP fullback Cheslin Kolbe.
Boshoff has a laser boot, and this season he has rediscovered his superb kicking form. He is also a good distributer and has an appetite for attacking the gain line. Apart from Boshoff, the Lions will be looking to their high-tempo game and also their industrious work rate at the breakdown area to punch through DHL WP’s defence.
Kolbe, an outstanding Springbok Sevens player, has the X-factor and the skills to create scoring opportunities from nothing. He aptly demonstrated this in DHL WP’s play-off win over the Blue Bulls in Pretoria last weekend when he initiated one try with a quick throw-in and then displayed superb reflexes to catch an awkward bouncing ball to score the winning try.
The DHL WP Under-21s will also be involved in a final on Saturday, emulating their senior team’s achievement of four consecutive final appearances. They take on the Free State Cheetahs U21 in the main curtain-raiser at 11h15.
In the first match of the day, the EP U19s will battle it out with their Blue Bulls counterparts for the Absa Under-19 A-Division crown. Former Springbok Sevens star Mzwandile Stick is in charge of the EP youngsters.
A BRIEF ROUND-UP OF IMPORTANT TEAM NEWS:
– DHL Western Province: Coach John Dobson has opted not to tamper with the match-22 that beat the Blue Bulls 23-18 in last weekend’s semifinal in Pretoria, with outside centre Johnny Kotze (knock to the knee) cleared to take part in the final. Kotze is one of several Province players who will start in his first-ever Absa Currie Cup Final. Juan de Jongh will again skipper the team on Saturday, with loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff playing in his final match for DHL WP before he departs for France at the end of the season.
– Xerox Golden Lions: Johan Ackermann (coach) has made three changes in his starting XV. Robbie Coetzee starts at hooker with Malcolm Marx moving to the bench. Kwagga Smith comes in at No.7 in place of Stephan de Witt, who moves to the replacements bench, while Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Stokkies Hanekom (bench) swap places for the outside centre berth.
INTERESTING ABSA CURRIE CUP FINAL RECORDS:
Most titles won:
33 DHL Western Province (shared 4 times) – last in 2014
23 Northern Transvaal/Blue Bulls (shared 4 times) – last in 2009
10 Transvaal/Golden Lions (once shared) – last in 2011
7 Natal/Sharks – last in 2013
4 Free State (once shared) – last in 2007
3 Griqualand West – last in 1970
2 Border (twice shared) – last in 1934
The last five Absa Currie Cup Final-winning teams:
2010 – The Sharks
2011 – Golden Lions
2012 – DHL Western Province
2013 – The Sharks
2014 – DHL Western Province
– The youngest winning coach in a Cup Final is Rassie Erasmus of the Free State Cheetahs – he was 32 years and 351 days old when his team lifted the cup in 2005.
– The youngest winning captain in a final is Springbok legend Naas Botha of Northern Transvaal – he was just 22 years and 217 days old in 1980 when he led his side to victory.
– Derick Hougaard of the Blue Bulls scored the most points in a final – 26 against the Lions in 2002 by way of a try, five penalties and two drop-goals.
The kick-off times and match officials for the Absa Currie Cup Final and junior competition matches on Saturday at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg are as follows:
Absa Under-19 Division A Final
Eastern Province U19 v Vodacom Blue Bulls U19
Kick-off: 09h30
TV: SS2
Referee: Sindile Ngcese
Absa Under-21 Division A Final
DHL Western Province U21 v Toyota Free State Cheetahs U21
Kick-off: 11h15
TV: SS2
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Final
Xerox Golden Lions v DHL Western Province
Kick-off: 13h45
TV: SS1
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
