Publications
Partners
In Mangaung
- The Cheetahs have played an indelible and unforgettable part in Currie Cup playoff drama over the years.
- They had their hearts broken by Western Province in 1997 and needed to wait another seven years to appear in a final.
- When they did play in four consecutive finals between 2004 and 2007, they experienced every possible result and emotion.
The Cheetahs have been a part of Currie Cup folklore, especially in the professional era, where they've always been seen to be the spare wheel behind the Bulls, Sharks, Lions and Western Province.
However, they’ve made sure they've provided their own Currie Cup drama that's made them unforgettable ahead of Saturday's showpiece game against the Pumas at the Free State Stadium.
Here are some moments from their memorable playoff matches in the professional era.
1997 Final: Western Province 14-12 Cheetahs – Helgard Muller's sad final
The mighty Western Province needed to win the final so that they could get back in the Super 12 the following year, from where they were amalgamated into the Stormers with Boland and South-Western Districts.
They did the hard yards of getting into the final and they faced an inspired and desperate Cheetahs side, who at the time, hadn't won the Currie Cup in 21 years.
Justin Swart scored for WP, but the Cheetahs stayed in the game through four Jannie de Beer penalties.
However, it was the veteran Helgard Muller who had a game to forget. The quality outside centre was nearing the end of a stellar career and only had a Currie Cup title missing from the CV.
It wasn't to be his day as he first was burned on the outside by Swart when WP scored, then threw the forward pass to Jan-Harm van Wyk, from where if the pass was straighter, the wing would've scored and won the game.
READ | A Cheetah spotted by chance: Schoolboy athlete-turned-Currie Cup captain Sekekete
Muller retired at the end of the 1999 season.
2004 Final: Blue Bulls 42-33 Cheetahs – Rassie Erasmus's broken finger and Tshepo Koakoali's flight
The Cheetahs needed a season and a bit to bounce back from their 43-29 home semi-final loss to the Lions in 2002.
In what was Rassie Erasmus's last season as a player, they showed through the season they had more than enough fight to scare the Bulls.
They lost 31-30 at Loftus Verseld and drew 27-27 in the return game and made the finals by beating Western Province 17-11 at Newlands.
Erasmus broke his finger in this game, but in what would be his last professional game for the Cheetahs before moving into coaching, he rocked for the final.
He was excellent, but fullback Tshepo Koakoali also had a memorable game for two reasons. He was on the receiving end of a Richard Bands' handoff that led to a Bulls try, but also scored one to redeem himself.
The Cheetahs though fought back from 42-19 to lose the game by only nine points.
2005 Semi-Final: Western Province 11-16 Cheetahs – Barry Goodes' try saving tackle on Earl Rose
Erasmus had moved into the coaching box and presided over a Cheetahs season that was at best, inconsistent but also showcased their danger.
This was evident in how they did the double on the Sharks, but due to the scheduling, they didn't play their playoff bread, Western Province.
They went down to Cape Town and they won again with a point less scored, but they had heart palpitations against a very profligate WP side.
Cheetahs
15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 David Brits, 12 Reinhardt Fortuin, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Friedle Olivier, 7 Siba Qoma, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Nqobisizwe 'Mox' Mxoli
Substitutes: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Jeandre Rudolph, 20 George Cronje, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Evardi Boshoff, 23 Robert Ebersohn
Pumas
15 Devon Williams, 14 Andrew Kota, 13 Diego Appollis, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Etienne Taljaard, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Francois Kleinhands, 6 Andre Fouche, 5 Shane Kirkwood (captain), 4 Deon Slabbert, 3 Simon Raw, 2 PJ Jacobs, 1 Corne Fourie
Substitutes: 16 Darnell Osuagwu, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Dewald Maritz, 19 Malembe Mpofu, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Giovan Snyman, 22 Gene Willemse, 23 Wian van Niekerk
A crucial moment in the game was how inside centre Goodes caught the slippery Earl Rose (he was well known in the Free State for the 2002 Craven Week final when he shredded them) breaking down the right hand.
He moved swiftly and made a crunching tackle just before Rose was about to offload because if the pass went, WP were in for the levelling try with the conversion to come.
A picture of the tackle was immortalised in Sunday's copy of Die Burger and its ramifications would be felt the following week in Pretoria...
2005 Final: Blue Bulls 25-29 – The indecision that led to Meyer Bosman's moment of magic.
…as the Bulls, who had done the double over the Cheetahs, would've been far more happier to face a Western Province side that wasn't keen on the North/South Derby during Heyneke Meyer's time at Loftus.
The Cheetahs though were keen on a scrap and in a final the Bulls were never fully in control, unlike the three previous finals where they won with a level of comfort.
Goodes was a sinner in the game when his pass was intercepted by Akona Ndungane early in the second half to allow the Bulls to lead 19-9.
The Cheetahs had plenty of fight in them and while the Bulls moved into a 25-15 lead, the Cheetahs were not quite done yet.
Bevin Fortuin scored in the 70th minute and depending on which side of the fence you're on, it was a dream for the Cheetahs and disaster for the Bulls.
In the 73rd minute, Noel Oelschig put in a deep box kick that Johan Roets and Fourie du Preez misread.
Meyer Bosman capitalised on their misfortune and scored under the poles, from where the Cheetahs not only defended their four-point lead, but won their first title in 29 years.
2007 Final: Cheetahs 20-18 Lions – Tewis de Bruyn's late try clinches superb comeback.
The Cheetahs' class of 2007 would've long forgotten about the 1994 humbling against the Lions at the Mangaung Oval, but when they trailed 18-6, it bubbled up again.
The Cheetahs though weren't consecutive finalists and co-defending champions for nothing (they'd shared the 2006 final with the Bulls after a 28-28 draw, but beat them 11-6 in the semi-final) and fought back superbly.
The final had taken place on 27 October, a week after the Springboks' 15-6 win against England that snared them their second World Cup title, so the country was gripped by rugby fever.
READ | A Currie Cup catfight: Pumas, Cheetahs battle for relevance in European rugby's shadow
It reached a particular pitch when the Cheetahs scored through Heinrich Brussouw and when Tewis de Bruyn dotted down in the corner, they still needed Willem de Waal to slot the conversion.
It was a high-pressured touchline conversion, but the left-footed pivot coolly slotted the kick to send the Free State Stadium into raptures.
It wasn't known at the time, but the Cheetahs wouldn't make another Currie Cup final again until 2016 when they beat the Bulls at home.
Kickoff in the Currie Cup final between the Cheetahs and the Pumas is at 16:00
