SA Cup semi-finals: Cheetahs aim to upset Pumas, Griquas favourites against Boland
· Citizen
The Cheetahs are aiming to overturn their recent struggles and set themselves up for a first SA Cup title shot when they take on the defending champions, the Pumas, in their semifinal match-up at the Mbombela Stadium on Friday night (kick-off 6pm).
Since the Cheetahs beat the Pumas in the final to win the Currie Cup in 2023 they have been overshadowed by both the Mbombela side and Griquas who have won silverware ahead of them on a number of occasions.
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The Griquas and Pumas have battled out both SA Cup finals to date, with the side from Kimberley winning the 2024 edition, followed by Jimmy Stonehouse’s men hitting back last year, and both are on course to meet in the finale again after finishing first and second on the log.
But the Cheetahs may have something to say about that, with them looking to upset the apple cart and give themselves a shot at the title.
The Pumas have enjoyed a pretty strong pool stage, winning seven of their matches and losing just once, against the Griquas, while their game against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein was cancelled due to lightning.
The Cheetahs had a mixed pool phase, slipping up against the Boland Cavaliers and the Valke, but they impressively dealt the Griquas their only loss so far, a 32-31 result over the past weekend, and they will take plenty of confidence from that into the knockouts.
“The guys have been positive. It’s just about getting them ready. It’s a short turnaround for us, especially with the traveling as well (a long bus trip of about 750kms from Bloemfontein to Mbombela), so we want the players to be fresh before Friday,” said Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn.
“To get to a stage where the players have the belief to just go out and enjoy themselves is a challenge.
“We need to be cautious against a team coached by Jimmy (Stonehouse). They have that belief.
“The challenge for us is to get into the same mindset (as we had against the Griquas) and get up for the game again. Hopefully we can reproduce that form and score another home run. If they dominate the gain line, we will be in trouble. We need to be up for it.”
The other semifinal sees Griquas host the Cavaliers in Kimberley on Saturday (kick-off 1pm).
The Currie Cup defending champions, Griquas, are obvious favourites, but the Boland Cavaliers are a dangerous team that upset Griquas in their Currie Cup pool match last year, so cannot be underestimated.