The Kimberley side remains the team to beat in the world’s oldest domestic competition, and while they already have one foot in the semi-finals, their ambition goes far beyond that. The Griquas are targeting a home semi-final and ideally want to finish at the top of the log, which would give them a shot at hosting their first home final since 2022.

Zane Bester. Photo: Morgan Piek

The Bulls, Sharks, and Western Province are all out of contention in the Currie Cup, but they could still influence the outcome, as five teams remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The Griquas thumped the Cheetahs 40-10 in Bloemfontein on Friday, putting themselves virtually assured of a semi-final. That said, the job isn’t quite done yet. They still need to face the Lions in Johannesburg this weekend, and securing the points will be crucial if they want to host their semi-final at home.

Griquas coach Pieter Bergh told OFM Sport that the key is for the team to control their own fate and give themselves the best possible advantage by hosting a home semi-final.

“You can get into a position where you might need a point, or points difference, at the end,” said Bergh. “We've talked as a team, we don’t just want to play in a semi-final, we want to host it. That’s our drive, that’s our goal.

“Hopefully, if other results go our way, we won’t need to win, but if not, we might need a victory. There’s a lot to happen, two games to go next weekend. So when we run onto the field, we’ll probably have a good idea of what’s required, which might not even be a good thing.

“Tonight it was nice to play first and put pressure on the other teams. But the focus all season has been on ourselves — get the win and don’t rely on anyone else doing us a favour.”

One small blot on the Griquas’ performance against the Cheetahs on Friday was the three yellow cards. Leon Lyons, Caleb Abrahams, and Albert Liebenberg all received yellow cards within four minutes late in the game. While it didn’t impact the Peacock Blues as heavily as in the opening-round game against the Pumas, it gave a sense of déjà vu.

Griquas captain and powerful tighthead prop Cebo Dlamini told OFM Sport that it’s important to build on the positives and confidence from their Bloemfontein performance.

George Whitehead. Photo: Morgan Piek

“We’re pleased with the performance, but as you said, there are areas where we can improve,” said Dlamini. “It’s crunch time now, and we’ll definitely look at those areas, but we’ll also take confidence and keep building as a unit.

“We’ll keep working hard as a pack. We’re in a good space, but we need to keep our feet on the ground. Every week is a new battle, a different picture. We just need to stay focused and keep working hard as a unit.”

Saturday’s crucial clash against the Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg kicks off at 17:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh