Lions tipped for final glory but Griquas eye upset

ACCORDING to the form book, the Lions need only show up for the Currie Cup final at Ellis Park on Saturday to collect the trophy, with their most recent outing potentially reinforcing the notion that the match will be a doddle for the home team.

- ROWAN CALLAGHAN

Yet, form has often gone out of the window in the pressure cooker environment of finals rugby. The last time the teams met was two weeks ago, when the Lions strolled to a comfortable 37-7 victory at their fortress in Round 7 of the one-round league.

It was part of a barnstorming run that took them top of the table and into a home semifinal, with Saturday's even more impressive 67-19 hammering of Boland confirming a home final.

Mziwakhe Nkosi’s side have gone on a remarkable run in the competition, their only blemish of the past five matches being a 47-31 defeat against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Their march to the final may not have been as comfortable, but the Ellis Park defeat was the only blemish of the Griquas’ past six matches. The run has included two wins over the selfsame Cheetahs, with Saturday's 25-5 victory at home in Kimberley securing their spot in Saturday’s showpiece.