A win for the Lions by 20 points. That was my prediction for the Currie Cup final and seldom have I been so happy about getting something so utterly wrong. For in the same preview I had argued that only an upset Griquas win would add a new layer to the storied history of the old trophy, and fortunately that is exactly what happened.
The last-gasp win set in motion scenes of jubilation from the Griquas players and their supporters and gave the final a narrative — it was the first Griquas win since their famous triumph in the 1970 final. That saved it from the alternative storyline, which was how the sparse crowd was an indicator of how much the popularity of the competition has waned.
Had the Lions won, it would have meant something only to the Lions players and coaches and whoever it was that decided once again to tear up the memo that these days, for the unions that are aligned to United Rugby Championship (URC) franchises, the Currie Cup is mainly a tool to develop players.
The Sharks got that memo, though they didn’t need it because their coach, John Plumtree, had already figured playing a final in what should have been the last off weekend before the start of last year’s URC had cost him in the competition that really matters. The presence of the Currie Cup in the Kings Park trophy cabinet meant little when the injuries hit and the heat was on a few months later.
Western Province got the memo and followed it and the Bulls got it belatedly, though not before their Currie Cup coach made himself look silly. After a big win over the Sharks XV, called that to emphasise it as a development team, he accused the Sharks of not respecting the competition, only for new URC coach Johan Ackermann to follow the Sharks and WP lead the next week by withdrawing URC players.
The Bulls slumped thereafter whereas the Sharks XV improved steadily, thus enabling new players to find their feet, so arguably ended up getting more out of the competition.
Given that the Lions were the only URC-aligned team serious about chasing the trophy, and therefore used more URC players over the season, you have to ask what they got out of it. Even if they’d won you’d have asked, “So what?” It was a URC team against a smaller union Currie Cup team.
They were playing the final at home and the other URC teams had made it plain they weren’t in it to win it, so what were they really going to gain other than ensure, as they did last year, that later on in the URC season they will end up paying a price for spending what should have been the critical final two weeks of the preseason playing finals rugby?
Being battle hardened might help them get a good start when they go on tour next week, but as sure as nuts the wear and tear will catch up with them later. As it did last year.
The Currie Cup trophy should be put in a museum and the development competition should be named after the sponsor, as it was when it was the Vodacom Cup, but it exists in its present guise mainly for the smaller unions. So it was apt that a smaller union should win it.
Assuming the competition is again played in what should be the SA off-season, which is a major flaw, hopefully the Lions will get the memo next year and all four URC teams will save their gunpowder for the proper season, which these days is from end-September to June.
Meanwhile, well done to Griquas — they did play the best rugby in the league phase and were also deserving winners of the final. They do have something to celebrate.
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