Kimberley - The 2009 Absa Currie Cup semi-final fixtures have finally been confirmed with the defending champions, the Sharks, hosting the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in Durban this Saturday at 14h30.

In the second semi-final match on Saturday, the Vodacom Blue Bulls travel to Cape Town to take on Vodacom Western Province at Newlands at 17h00.

The Sharks ensured that they ended the competition in first position following their 45-30 victory over the GWK Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.

The defeat for the GWK Griquas, who only secured one bonus point for scoring four tries, relegated them to end the season in fifth position on the log, level on 40 points with the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs. The Bloemfontein team though, advanced to the semi-finals due to their superior points’ differential.

GWK Griquas had plenty of opportunities to score tries in their match against the Sharks, but the hosts were guilty of numerous handling errors at crucial stages of the match which ultimately counted against them as they attempted to secure two bonus points and a semi-final berth.

However, the Sharks, loaded with plenty of Springboks, were full value in their performance and ran in some great tries at GWK Park.

Substitute hooker Craig Burden ran in a brace of tries while Stefan Terblanche, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Bismarck du Plessis and Ryan Kankowski were the other try-scores for the defending Absa Currie Cup champions.

The Sharks scrumhalf Pienaar, who was entrusted with the goal-kicking duties in Kimberley, converted five tries.

In Johannesburg, Vodacom Western Province suffered their fourth defeat of the season after going down 27-25 to the Xerox Lions at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.

WP needed to achieve maximum points from their final league fixture of the season to end the season in pole position. However the Cape side only managed to score three tries and were defeated by a Xerox Lions team that was determined to end their disappointing season off on a high.

Province scored two tries in the first half thanks to centre Juan de Jongh and fullback Joe Pietersen and in the second half; flanker Francois Louw crashed his way over the try line. Pietersen also kicked two penalties and two conversions.

Flyhalf Herkie Kruger kicked three conversions and a penalty for the Lions, while scrumhalf Chris Jonck also added one penalty.

The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs sneaked their way into fourth position on the log following their 55-10 victory over the Boland Cavaliers in their Absa Currie Cup match played in Wellington on Saturday.

JW Jonker, Heinrich Brussow and Jongi Nokwe all added a brace of tries for the Bloemfontein side while scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn, flanker Frans Viljoen and winger Fabian Juries ran in the other tries for the visitors at the Boland Stadium. Flyhalf Louis Strydom kicked five penalties.

The Cavaliers’ only points came via the efforts of Danré Gerber. The utility back scored a try and kicked a conversion and a penalty.

Meanwhile the Vodacom Blue Bulls were far too strong for the Platinum Leopards on Friday night and easily defeated the hosts 61-24 in their last league fixture of the competition.

The Pretoria team, who ended the season in third place, ran in nine tries in the match despite boasting a 21-17 half time lead.

Winger Gerhard van den Heever ran in a brace of tries while Deon Stegmann, Zane Kirchner, Morné Steyn, Bakkies Botha, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard and Jaco Pretorius scored the other tries for the Loftus side.

Springbok pivot Steyn converted eight tries and Burton Francis, who will continue his rugby career at the Golden Lions next year, kicked two conversions. 

Jovan Bowles, Shuaib Samaai and Theo van Wyk broke the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ defence to score tries for the hosts. Cecil Dumond kicked a penalty and two conversions while Clayton Durand converted one try in this clash.

The defeat for the Platinum Leopards ensured that they ended the Absa Currie Cup season in seventh position on the log. The team from Potchefstroom now face the SWD Eagles in a series of promotion/relegation fixtures to determine who will compete in next season’s Premier Division.

The Boland Cavaliers, who only achieved one victory this season, in their opening fixture against the Leopards in Wellington earlier this year, take on the high-riding Pumas in the other promotion/relegation battle.

Fixtures:

16 October - Pumas v Eagles - Pumas - Stadium, Witbank

17 October - Sharks v Free State Cheetahs - 14:30 - Durban

17 October - Western Province v Blue Bulls - 17:00 - Cape Town