The Lions have secured their first home final in the Currie Cup in nine years after a hard-fought win against the defending champions, the Toyota Cheetahs in Johannesburg.

The Lions knocked the 2023 champions out on Saturday with a nail-biting 43-34 win at Ellis Park in a semi-final in which both teams scored six tries.

The Lions did exceptionally well to clinch the match which was worthy of a final after fighting back from 14-0 down as early as the 11th minute.

Morné Brandon. Photo: Morgan Piek

The Cheetahs got off to a flying start on the Highveld with the young and exciting flyhalf Ethan Wentzel scoring a brace of tries which he converted as well to hand the visitors the early ascendancy.

The Lions struck back with the 8th-man Jarod Cairns and tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye dotting down for converted tries to level the score, but this didn’t last long as the Cheetahs’ fullback Cohen Jasper managed to score a try. The Springbok Ruan Venter then crossed the whitewash for the Lions to see the semi-final deadlocked at 19-19 at the half-time break.

Shortly after the interval, the Lions grabbed the lead for the first time with Marius Louw scoring, but the Cheetahs immediately struck back with the captain Victor Sekekete scoring. A Vernon Paulo try from a maul saw the Cheetahs regaining the lead, but the home side shifted gears when Sanele Nohamba replaced Kade Wolhuter at flyhalf.

First, Nohamba landed a penalty before flying over for the try to regain the lead. The replacement hooker, Morné Brandon, went tumbling over the line for the score the try which put the game out of the Cheetahs’ reach. With three minutes remaining on the clock the replacement flyhalf George Lourens scored for the Cheetahs, but it was way too little, too late.

Scorers:

Lions: Tries – Jarod Cairns, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter, Marius Louw, Sanele Nohamba, Morne Brandon Conv. – Kade Wolhuter 3, Nohamba 2 Pen. – Sanele Nohamba

Cheetahs: Tries – Ethan Wentzel 2, Cohen Jasper, Victor Sekekete, Vernon Paulo, George Lourens Conv. – Wentzel 2

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh/cg