Semi-finals down the years

Crunch time's first round

Tension does not abate this weekend as a great Currie Cup season goes into the semi-finals. Semi-finals have not always been with us – not by a long chalk. In fact they are not even 40 years old.

Not that there is a lot of forecasting confidence in history in the case of semi-finals. This will be the first time the Blue Bulls and Western Province have met in a semi, though there may be some consolation for Sharks' supporters in that their side has played the Cheetahs five times in semis and won on four occasions.

In fact it has not always been virtue to be in the semi-final, as at times the top team on the log went straight into the Final.

Here are the appearnces of the four teams in the 2006 semi-finals:
Blue Bulls: 12 semi-finals, won 11
Cheetahs: 11 semi-finals – won 5
Sharks: 12 semi-finals – won 5
Western Province: 15 semi-finals – won 10

The Currie Cup system was frequently the plaything of administrators and changed from year to year, as it keeps on doing.

The first Currie Cup Final was in 1939, the first semi-final in 1969 and what a dramatic match it was.

In the list of semi-finals below, you will find years when there was just one semi-final. In those years the Currie Cup teams were divided into three sections which meant that two of the section winners had to play off for a place in the final.

In 1973 there were four sections and so two semi-finals.

In 1979 the 12 Currie Cup teams were divided into two sections. Section A was made up of strong teams, Section B of weaker teams – but the best of the weaker teams played a semi-final against the best of the Section A teams, with a remarkable result in 1984. In that year the Free State had already received their allocation of tickets for the Final and had to rush them to Durban on the Monday after Wynand Claassen's B Section Natal side had beaten them.

In 1986 there were two sections, A and B, but only a single semi-final – between the second-placed side in the A section and the top team of the B Section.

Then the semis were scrapped and 1 played 2 in the final.

In 1996 the number of provinces was reduced to 14 and they all competed in two sections. This led to quarter-finals and then semi-finals.

In 1998 there was a league system in which the top four teams qualified for the semi-finals in which 1 played 4 and 2 played 3.

In 2003, the Rugby World Cup year, there were no semi-finals.

In 2005 there were two sections and two semi-finals. The top two teams in each section played each other in the semi-finals.

In 2006 we are in two sections but Division 1, had no chance at all of competing for the Currie Cup – which suggests some kind of misnomer – but instead the semi-finals came from the Premier Division – 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. Position on the log determined home venues as it would for the final as well.

That means this year that…
if Cheetahs beat Sharks, the final will be in Bloemfontein.
If Cheetahs lose and Blue Bulls win, the final will be in Pretoria
If Cheetahs and Blue Bulls lose, the final will be at Newlands.
Only Durban is sure of not having a Currie Cup final in 2006.

The semi-finals are often forgotten affairs and we shall deal with them in the build-up to this year's semis, starting with that one at Newlands in 1969, one of the most memorable matches at the great ground since World War II.

That day Boland, captained by Dawie de Villiers were leading 11-3, after climbing into Western Province in the loose. Pietman Basson, Corné Krige's father-in-law, and Pierre Ackerman had scored tries, Ackerman's off an intercept followed by a thrilling 70-metre run.

The man who made the difference was the great, unique HO de Villiers, fullback for Western Province. He started running and it changed the game. He converted a try by Preston Robertson and then came into the line on the left of a scrum just inside Boland's half. He made an overlap for speedster Andy van der Watt who scored in the left corner. From touch, HO converted and the final whistle went. People charged onto the ground, as they were allowed to do in those friendly days, and swamped HO the Hero.

Semi-final matches and results

1969:
Western Province vs Boland 13-11

1970:
Northern Transvaal vs Natal, 24-8

1971:
Transvaal vs Natal, 16-9
 
1973:
Northern Transvaal vs Rhodesia, 20-7
Orange Free State vs Western Province, 19-15

1974:
Transvaal vs Eastern Province, 30-6

1979:
Northern Transvaal vs Eastern Province, 16-6
Western Province vs Griqualand West, 20-15

1980:
Northern Transvaal vs South Eastern Transvaal, 49-6
Western Province vs Eastern Province, 21-13

1981:

Northern Transvaal vs Northern Free State, 36-12
Orange Free State vs Eastern Transvaal, 28-15

1982:
Western Province vs Natal, 47-18
Northern Transvaal vs Northern Free State, 24-21

1983:
Northern Transvaal vs Northern Free State, 32-15
Western Province vs Natal, 7-3

1984:
Natal vs Orange Free State, 26-15
Western Province vs Eastern Transvaal, 53-0

1987:
Transvaal vs South West Africa, 12-9
 
1988:
Western Province vs Northern Free State, 26-9

1989:
Western Province vs Western Transvaal, 71-9
 
1996:
Natal vs Orange Free State, 35-20
Transvaal vs Northern Transvaal, 31-21

1997:
Western Province vs Gauteng Lions, 38-18
Cheetahs vs Natal, 40-22

1998:
Western Province vs Griqualand West, 24-11
Blue Bulls vs Natal, 31-17

1999:
Natal vs Free State, 45-17
Lions vs South Western Districts Eagles, 81-21

2000:
Natal vs Cheetahs, 29-15
Western Province vs Lions, 43-22

2001:
Natal  vs Lions, 16-9
Western Province vs Cheetahs, 40-18

2002:
Blue Bulls vs Natal, 22-19
Lions vs Cheetahs, 43-29

2004:
Blue Bulls vs Lions, 40-33
Cheetahs vs Western Province 17-11

2005:
Blue Bulls vs Lions, 31-23
Cheetahs vs Western Province, 16-11