When it mattered most, the grand old dame that is the Currie Cup swept up her skirts and danced across the Ellis Park turf to deliver one of the most thrilling finals since she took her first bow in 1891.
The Sharks prevailed 16-14 thanks to an 82-minute, 59-metre penalty by Jordan Hendrikse that broke the hearts of his former teammates and sent the Sharks into seventh heaven.
The Currie Cup has been much maligned because of its status as a second-tier competition to the United Rugby Championship. Still, somehow it prevails and continues to capture the imagination of the South African public.
The Lions appeared to have it won when they scored a few minutes from time to lead 14-13 and they simply had to close the game out to steal an unlikely victory. In the end, all the Lions needed was to secure the lineout and kick the ball into touch.
They were successful on the first count, but – inexplicably and to their eternal torment – they did not kick the ball out They mauled away, lost possession and the Sharks fashioned a breakout that would ultimately earn them a penalty and a long-range shot at goal.
Step up Hendrikse, to kick a penalty that demonstrated he has the big match temperament that Rassie Erasmus saw in blooding him in the greater Springbok squad. His brother, fellow Bok Jaden, will be immensely proud.
A major part of the Lions’ heartbreak is that for 70 minutes they had no right to win the Cup, but had doggedly stayed in the fight. Against the run of play, they had taken a 14-13 lead. That was why the substantial turnout of Lions fans were so ecstatic. And so heartbroken when their team seemed to have stolen the spoils but then offered them up to the visitors.
The Sharks’ started substantially stronger, but the one area where they were put under pressure was the set scrums.
Still, the Sharks kept up the pressure and penalties came their way. But they did not kick for goal in a confirmation that this was a warm-up game for them for the United Rugby Championship — in finals, teams almost always take the easy three points. The Sharks repeatedly went to the corner, but the Lions kept them out.
In hindsight, it was folly not to take the three-point opportunities that freely came the way of the Sharks.
There was a further lift for the Lions when Sharks wing Eduan Keyter clattered clumsily into a Lion in chasing a kick and was yellow-carded because he had been in no position to catch the ball.
The Sharks had also suffered the blow of losing lock Emile van Heerden, the son of ‘80s Springbok Fritz, to concussion protocols after he had come off second best in trying to stop burly flank Ruan Venter.
Sharks centres Andre Esterhuizen and Jurenzo Julius had busy games, the latter making a serious statement on the biggest stage he has played on, but the Sharks could not get their final passes together. The Lions would have been thrilled to go into half-time level at 0-0.
It was nine minutes into the second half when at last a team decided to take a shot at goal, and it was Siya Masuku who just missed from long range. Interestingly, the penalty had come from the first scrum the Sharks had won, and it was thanks to the introduction of former Lion Ruan Dreyer.
The dam wall eventually broke in the 12th minute of the half when rising superstar Ethan Hooker finished off a wonderful break from within the Sharks' half, with Esterhuizen having shown his experience and skill to unleash the wing at the perfect time.
Esterhuizen had more carries than anyone on the pitch and was hugely influential.
The final erupted into life when the Lions cheekily bounced back. Scrumhalf Nico Steyn took a quick tap near the Sharks’ line and it was 7-7.
Masuku kicked his team 10-7 ahead with 15 minutes to go, and five minutes later their momentum grew when former Sharks prop Juan Schoeman tackled former Lion Hendrikse too high and was yellow-carded. Hendrikse responded by booting over three points.
Totally against the run of play, Lions forward Siya Qoma barged over and the underdogs looked like they would have their day.
It was not to be…
Scorers
Sharks — Tries: Ethan Hooker. Conversions: Siya Masuku. Penalties: Masuku, Jordan Hendrikse (2).
Lions — Tries: Nico Steyn, Siba Qoma. Conversions: Sanele Nohamba (2).