THERE IS NO GREATER COMPETITION-CURRIE CUP FINALS 2006


For me there is seriously no bigger sporting event in the world than the Currie Cup Finals, I don’t say that to be different or sound ridiculous, but I say it with sincerity and conviction.

For me this afternoon is more important than the Rugby World Cup Finals, The soccer World Cup Finals, The Ryder Cup, Wimbledon you name it.

For the 3rd year in a row my beloved Free State Cheetahs are in the finals, for so many years the unlucky child of South African rugby, Free State shocked the rugby establishment and the many many Western Province fans when they beat them on a wet, muddy Newlands turf in 2004. Free State hung on for a narrow victory, and during the last few minutes, I think fell on the floor a few times, thinking that the impossible was going to be deemed impossible again. However the Cheetahs hung on and we went to the finals.

However my tears of joy would become tears of a reality check when the late great Ettienne Botha scored a brace of tries as the Bulls bashed the Cheetahs in the 2004 finals.

I was disappointed yes, but the boys from Bloemfontein had won many admirers and exceeded everyone’s expectations by making the finals.

Fast forward to 2005, and again Free State upset Western Province at Newlands, as the pretty boys of South African rugby were yet again reduced to chokers.

It was again going to be us against the Bulls in that impenetrable fortress of Loftus Versveld, the place where for the last two years the Bulls had won the Currie Cup, and the exact place where Free State’s dreams came crashing down.

This time the Cheetahs were coached by Rassie Erasmus, the captain of the year before, he had gone straight from playing to coaching, and lead by veteran hooker Naka Drotske in his last ever professional game. However, they would come up against a team coached by the robust Heyneke Meyer, and a team captained by man mountain rock, Anton Leonard also his last ever professional game.

I was lucky enough to attend my 3rd final in a row, and 5th Currie Cup Final. I remember waking up at 4 in the morning driving from East London to Port Elizabeth, flying to Johannesburg and driving straight to Pretoria into the blue cauldron.

Although on the surface, we Free State supporters appeared confident, deep down inside we had this gut-wrenching fear that it would be a repeat of last years final. It would be yet another year of being oh so close but yet so far. It had been 29 years since Free State had last lifted the trophy.

The teams were very close in the first half with the Bulls having a narrow lead, however an intercept try and all round power play by the Bulls saw them surge to a 22-9, with 10 minutes to go the score was 25-15. The Free State had started looking better with the introduction of players like Kabamba Floors. Then Springbok star Brian Habana high-tackled a hapless Free State attacker and was deservedly sin-binned.
Free State started playing vintage rugby, spreading the ball wild and Bevin Fortuin, a guy who grew up in 1 bed-roomed house with 7 cousins and his grandmother, spead away with his afro-hair blowing in the wind to score in the corner. The score was 25-22. I jumped on my chair and almost fainted, I broke my chair, and had to chair my friends chair, there was a chance….

Free State’s prop rotation policy was paying off and all of a sudden, scrum half Noel Oelshig kicked a rangy up and under and Johan Roets clashed with Fourie Du Preez and 20 year old Meyer Bosman collected it and scored, I went mad, and by accident broke my friends chair! The conversion was slotted and there were 5 minutes left, these were the longest 5 minutes of my life.

The blowing of that end whistle was probably the most surreal experience of my life, the impossible had happened.

The State, the Free State had won the currie cup, I think I broke another 2 chairs by accident, I dived into the people sitting below me.

I remember seeing that behemoth Os Du Randt shedding tears, I remember the celebrations. I remember seeing the players at the post match celebrations totally numb and in a state of disbelief at what had just happened.


Os Du Randt, who had won the World Cup with the Boks in 1995 described this as the greatest moment of his life. For me, this was probably also the greatest day of my life.

We are in the finals for the third year in a row and the difference is that this time the finals is in Bloemfontein. Bloemfontein is orange, farmers bakkies, trucks, cars, delivery vehicles, luxury cars and even taxis all have flags hanging from them. Everyone is apparently wearing orange, shops are orange, it is an orange fever.

I can only wish I would be there, again we are the under-dogs, again we are coming up against the mighty Blue Bulls in the finals, but maybe we again we will achieve the impossible.

We have no real stars, but we have a team lead by the David Ben Gurion of rugby, Rassie Erasmus. I look forward to seeing Rassie and his disco lights directing the players from the roof of the stadium, I look forward to seeing Ollie Le Roux’s continued transformation from an unfit, serial joker to a leader and an agent provocateur.

This blog might be all over the place but I cant contain my excitement, I cant focus on anything but this afternoon.

The one thing I envisage, is Willem De Waal kicking a brilliant up and under collected by him, recycled by Kabamba Floors taken up by Ryno Van De Merwe who will pass to De Waal take the ball down the line to Bevin Fortuin and into the hands of Phillip “ Windgat “ Burger who will score the winner.

Can it happen, only a few hours to go…

VRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYSSSTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT