Currie Cup · Semi-final
Griquas
Lions
Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
Championship Standings
Final 2026 league table, before the semi-finals: Griquas 31 points, Cheetahs 27, Pumas 22 and Lions 20. The Lions and Sharks each drew once; points differences are shown only for the four teams whose seven results were checked.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Griquas | 7 | 6 | 1 | +128 | 31 |
| 2 |  Cheetahs | 7 | 5 | 2 | +19 | 27 |
| 3 |  Pumas | 7 | 4 | 3 | +6 | 22 |
| 4 | Lions | 7 | 3 | 3 | +47 | 20 |
| 5 |  Sharks | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | 18 |
| 6 |  Boland Cavaliers | 7 | 3 | 4 | — | 16 |
| 7 | Stormers XXIII | 7 | 3 | 4 | — | 16 |
| 8 |  Bulls | 7 | 0 | 7 | — | 6 |
Griquas
W5Griquas have won all five games in this recent Currie Cup sample, scoring 196 and conceding 92. The sequence includes wins over all three other semi-finalists, so the form advantage survives an opponent-strength check. Across the full seven-round league campaign they finished 6–1, including four wins from four at home.
Lions
W2, D1, L2The Lions are 2–1–2 in the latest five Currie Cup matches: two wins, one draw and two losses, with 148 scored and 122 conceded. The 36–12 win over Stormers XXIII is a useful response, but their three league away trips produced two defeats and a draw. The franchise fixture against New Zealand is excluded from this Currie Cup sample.
Head-to-Head Record
3 – 0 – 3
Griquas wins · Draws · Lions wins (last 6 Currie Cup meetings, all venues)
Griquas (3)The last six Currie Cup meetings split 3–3, covering May 2023 to August 2026. Griquas won the latest two, 27–25 in the 2025 final and 31–19 at home this August, but the Lions also won 37–7 in September 2025. The older results keep the historical score neutral rather than turning two wins into a rule.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-08 | Currie Cup | Griquas 31–19 Lions |
| 2025-09-20 | Currie Cup | Lions 25–27 Griquas |
| 2025-09-06 | Currie Cup | Lions 37–7 Griquas |
| 2024-08-04 | Currie Cup | Griquas 28–36 Lions |
| 2024-07-19 | Currie Cup | Lions 25–13 Griquas |
| 2023-05-05 | Currie Cup | Griquas 25–21 Lions |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Griquas 21.8 – Lions 27.2 across these 6 meetings.
Extended Form
GriquasW8, L2
5 September 2025–4 September 2026; Currie Cup only, 10 matches, 330 scored and 210 conceded.
Griquas are 8–2 across ten Currie Cup matches in this twelve-month window. The sequence includes the 7–37 defeat to the Lions, followed by playoff wins over the Cheetahs and Lions in 2025, then the current 6–1 league campaign. SA Cup games are excluded so that the comparison uses the same competition for both teams.
LionsW5, D1, L4
5 September 2025–4 September 2026; Currie Cup only, 10 matches, 356 scored and 233 conceded.
The Lions are 5–1–4 across ten Currie Cup matches: five wins, one draw and four defeats. Their 37–7 and 67–19 wins before the 2025 final show why a knockout upset cannot be dismissed. This season’s 3–1–3 league record is materially less convincing, particularly away from home.
Griquas XV
Selection unverified as of 5 September 2026. Checked the Griquas official site and latest-news page, its match-day programme link, and current Rugby365 and OFM coverage; no accessible dated semi-final XV was verified. The programme request timed out, so this is a verification gap rather than a claim that the team has not been announced.
Lions XV
Selection unverified as of 5 September 2026. Checked the Lions official site, Rugby365’s Currie Cup and preview pages, and dated OFM semi-final coverage; an accessible announcement confirming all 23 players was not found. Previously listed starters and individual return claims are withheld until a match-day source can verify them.
Key Matchups
Individual matchups remain ungraded because neither match-day selection could be verified. At team level, Griquas have the more consistent league attack and conceded 143 points to the Lions’ 180. The Lions need to turn their recent 36–12 win into sustained pressure away from home rather than chase an early deficit. The decisive personnel question is whether either selection changes the expected control at halfback or the strength of the forward bench.
Match Forecast
Griquas by eight. Venue and recent Currie Cup form drive a +6 scorecard, giving a 76.0% house probability and an 8.1-point margin before rounding. They have beaten each of the other semi-finalists in their latest five games and finished the league phase with a 271–143 points aggregate.
The missing match-day selections limit the call: squad, set piece and backline dimensions are ungraded, so this is a team-form forecast rather than a verified personnel comparison. The Lions won 37–7 in this rivalry a year ago, and their latest 36–12 win gives them a credible platform for an upset. The 3–13-point editorial band is not a measured confidence interval and selection news could materially change this assessment.
Griquas by eight on league evidence, with both lineups still unverified.
Griquas’ full 2026 Currie Cup league record; six wins followed the opening defeat.
Griquas won every home league game, scoring 166 points and conceding 87.
The Lions’ three 2026 Currie Cup away games produced two defeats and a draw.
Griquas conceded 143 league points and the Lions 180. Cheetahs conceded 226 and Pumas 195, so the Lions do not have the weakest defence among the semi-finalists.
Neither XV is treated as confirmed; no named-player matchup advantage is awarded.