Lions and Sharks in Currie Cup Finals

Currie Cup Finals between the Sharks and the Golden Lions are strange. It is almost as if playing at home is a curse!

So far the teams have met four times, twice in Johannesburg, twice in Durban. Each side has won twice, each time away from home.

This week’s Currie Cup Final is in Johannesburg.

Will history repeat itself?

THOSE FINALS IN YEARS GONE BY:

Natal vs Transvaal, 14-13 in Johannesburg on 12 September 1992
Crowd: 65,000
Half-time: Natal 8 Transvaal 3

Natal lost just one match in the season – 27-24 to Northern Transvaal when Naas Botha kicked five drops and four penalties.

Natal dominated the first half thanks to the forwards and the boot of Robert du Preez.

Pieter Müller tackled Pieter Hendriks out at the cornerflag.

Six minutes before the final whistle Theo van Rensburg missed a relatively easy penalty.

The scorers:

For Natal:
Try: Teichmann
Pens: Reece Edwards 3

For Transvaal:
Try: Fuls
Con: Van Rensburg
Pens: Van Rensburg 2

The teams:

Natal: Hugh Reece Edwards, Cabous van der Westhuizen, Dick Muir, Pieter Müller, Tony Watson, Henry Honiball, Robert du Preez, Gary Teichmann, Andrew Blakeway, Wahl Bartmann (captain), Steve Atherton, Shaun Platford, Lood Müller, Johan Allan, Gerard Harding.
Replacements: André Joubert, Kevin Putt, Neil Hartley, Ray Bright.

Transvaal: Theo van Rensburg, Pieter Hendriks, Jeremy Thomson, Heinrich Fuls, James Small, Hennie le Roux, Garth Wright., Jannie Breedt (captain), Ian Macdonald, François Pienaar, Lappies Labuschagne, Kobus Wiese, Balie Swart, Harry Roberts, Heinrich Rodgers.
Replacements: John Mitchell., Pieter Durandt, Deon Lötter, Chris Dirks.

Referee: Freek Burger
Touch judges: Albert Adams, Pierre Lombaard

1993

Transvaal vs Natal, 21-15 in Durban on 16 October 1993
Crowd: 40,000
Half-time: Natal 9 Transvaal 3

Natal dominated up front, at least till Balie Swart switched to tighthead to counter Guy Kebble. Natal had the better of possession and territory but, even though they had the wind in the second half, they faded – perhaps because of inferior fitness, perhaps because they persisted with 10-man rugby.

It was not a match of highlights and both Transvaal tries were made possible by Natal mistakes.

The scorers:

For Natal:
Pens: Stransky 5

For Transvaal:
Tries: Johnson, Schmidt
Con: Johnson
Pens: Johnson 3

The teams:

Natal: André Joubert, Cabous van der Westhuizen, Dick Muir, Pieter Müller, James Small, Joel Stransky, Kevin Putt, Gary Teichmann, Andrew Blakeway, Wahl Bartmann (captain), Steve Atherton, Mark Andrews, Lood Müller, Johan Allen, Guy Kebble.
Replacements: Henry Tromp, John Plumtree, Grant Bashford, Henry Honiball.

Transvaal: Gavin Johnson, Pieter Hendriks, Bernard Fourie, Japie Mulder, Chris Dirks, Hennie le Roux, Johan Roux, Rudolph Straeuli, Ian Macdonald, François Pienaar (captain), Hannes Strydom, Kobus Wiese, Balie Swart, Uli Schmidt, Heinrich Rodgers.
Replacements: Harry Roberts, Deon Lötter, Kobus van Deventer, Porta Hoffman.

Referee: Freek Burger
Touch judges: Stef Neethling, Pierre Lombaard

1996

Natal vs Transvaal, 33-15 in Johannesburg on 26 October 1996
Crowd: 65,000
Half-time: Natal 10 Transvaal 9

At one stage Transvaal led 15-13 but two tries by the Rolls Royce of fullbacks, André Joubert, in the last 20 minutes set the seal on this great Natal Sharks victory.

It was a great season for Natal as they won all 15 of their Currie Cup matches, scoring 112 tries and 792 points.

There were quarterfinals and then semifinals that year, and Transvaal beat Western Province and Northern Transvaal en route to the final, which was then something of an anticlimax for them.

The scorers:

For Natal:
Tries: Thomson, Joubert 2
Cons: Honiball 3
Pens: Honiball 4

For Transvaal:
Pens: Lawless 5

The teams:

Natal: André Joubert, James Small, Jeremy Thomson, Dick Muir, Joos Joubert, Henry Honiball, Kevin Putt, Gary Teichmann (captain), Wickus van Heerden, Wayne Fyvie, Steve Atherton, Mark Andrews, Adrian Garvey, Federico Mendez, Robbie Kempson.
Replacements: John Allan, John Plumtree.

Transvaal: Gavin Lawless, Jannie van der Walt, Japie Mulder, Joe Gillingham, Gavin Johnson, Hennie le Roux, Johan Roux, Rudolph Straeuli, Ian Macdonald, François Pienaar (captain), Hannes Strydom, Kobus Wiese, Kapstok van Greunen, James Dalton, Ian Hattingh.
Replacements: Chris Rossouw.

Referee: André Watson

1999

Lions vs Natal Sharks, 32-9 in Durban on 11 September 1999
Crowd: 52,000
Half-time: Lions 7 Natal Sharks 6

It was a sad time for Natal, this final.

They were saying farewell to Gary Teichmann, André Joubert and Henry Honiball, who was not playing because of injury, and Ian McIntosh, and they got a hiding in a match in which they were favourites to win.

It was a World Cup year and so the players in the Springbok squad were withdrawn from the semifinals and the final of the Currie Cup.

The scorers:

For Natal:
Pens: Van Rensburg 3

For Transvaal:
Tries: Venter, Delport 2, Williams, Boshoff
Cons: Engelbrecht 2
Pen: Engelbrecht

The teams:

Natal: André Joubert, Shaun Payne, Trevor Halstead, Joe Gillingham, Justin Swart, Clinton van Rensburg, Hentie Martens, Gary Teichmann (captain), Wayne Fyvie, Charl van Rensburg, Steve Atherton, John Slade, Brent Moyle, Mornay Visser, John Smit.
Replacements: Ettienne Fynn, Nico Wegner, Warren Britz, Craig Davidson.

Transvaal: Kobus Engelbrecht, Chester Williams, Jannie van der Walt, Wickus Venter, Thinus Delport, Hennie le Roux, Brett Johnstone, AJ Venter, Walter Minnaar, Jannes Labuschagne, Hannes Strydom (captain), Bruce Thorne, Willie Meyer, Leon Boshoff, Marius Mostert.
Replacements: Nick Moore, Eric van der Merwe, Mac Masina.

Referee: André Watson