This will be Natal or the Sharks 13th Currie Cup final since 1889. To be more accurate, since 1890, when the Natal Rugby Union was founded.
They have a 41.67% success rate having won 5 of 12 finals.
Natal made their first Currie Cup final appearance in the 1956 season playing against Northern Transvaal and went down by just a single point. Northern Transvaal winning the match nine points to eight.
Their next final came in somewhat unusual circumstances in 1984.
In 1979 the 12 Currie Cup teams were divided into two sections. Section A was made up of strong teams, Section B of weaker teams but the best of the weaker teams played semifinals against the best of the Section A teams, with a remarkable result in 1984. In that year the Free State had already received their allocation of tickets for the final and had to rush them to Durban on the Monday after Wynand Claassen’s B-Section Natal side had beaten them.
So 1984 the unthinkable happened when Natal as winners of the B-section reached the final by winning their semi-final match against Free State. They played in the final against Western Province who won their semi-final against Eastern Transvaal with something like 50 points. Natal had players like Wynand Claassen and Gawie Visagie in their team and the media talked the Natal team up but nobody really thought they could win the final. They went into the game with real attitude and made a good game of it leading in the early part of the match. In the end Western Province won quite comfortably (19-9) ruining what could have been a fairly tale ending for the Banana boys.
Gawie Visagie here playing for the Springboks during the 1981 Springbok tour to New Zealand. Visagie played for Natal in the 1984 Currie Cup final and slotted a dropgaol in the first 10 minutes of the game -if my memory serves me correct- to give Natal an early lead.
In the 1990’s the Natal rugby union started spending some money on players and with coach Ian McIntosh they adopted a new style mimicking, I thought at the time, the All Black stamkar-rugby namely driving up in channels 1 and 2 with the big forwards repeatedly for 80 minutes game after game.
Natal didn’t have a particularly good season in 1990 but they did end-up against Northern Transvaal, in a now legendary final in Pretoria. Natal won the contest, claiming their first ever Currie Cup, with the final score being 18 points to 12. The turning point came right at the end of the match with Tony Watson’s famous ‘9 point try’. With the score at 12-9, Right Winger Tony Watson slipped a Theo van Rensburg tackle and ran something like 60 meters to touch down for a try to make it 13-12 in Natal’s favour, but he was fouled upon scoring. Stransky converted to give Natal a 3-point lead, and his successful subsequent penalty gave Natal the six point lead which they held until the final whistle. The victorious side was captained by scrumhalf Craig Jamieson, who led the team on a ticker-tape parade through central Durban later in the week. The victory was especially poignant for being both Natal’s first, and for occurring in the Union’s Centenary year.
Tony Watson who slipped a Theo van Rensburg tackle in the final minutes of the 1990 final to score the winning try.
This 100 year victory prompted Naas Botha to make a memorable scornful of sour remark to the extend that it will probably take Natal another 100 years before they win the Currie Cup again. Naas was wrong in his predictions with about 98 years because two years later in 1992 they won the Currie Cup for the second time playing against Transvaal in the final.
Natal then went forth and won the cup two more times in the 1990’s namely in 1995 playing against Western Province and in 1996 playing again against Transvaal. Their last won was in 2008 playing against the Blue Bulls (Northern Transvaal).
So in total Natal/sharks have won the cup in 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2008. They finished as runners up in 1956 (losing against NTVL); 1984 (losing against WP); 1993 (losing against TVL); 1999 (losing against TVL); 2000 (losing against WP); 2001 (losing against WP) and 2003 (losing against the Blue Bulls).
Natal and Western Province have played three times against each other in the Currie Cup final namely in 1984, 1995 and 2001. Western Province won in 1984 and 2001.
My gut feeling is that they have played their final last week against the Blue Bulls and that Province is going to take this one. To be honest, even though I am traditionally -from way back since I started watching rugby- a WP fan I do have a soft spot for the “Banana boys” and wouldn’t mind if the “last outpost” came out victorious this year.
McLook now you must do a WP thread, it will be much longer. Good luck to the 2 teams. I dont really mind who is winning as long as it is not WP. 😀
This place will be unbearable if the WP supporters find their voice again. Hahahaa
Thanks McLook, that photo of Gawie Visagie is the first I’ve seen of him since 1977. Gawie was a great mate of mine in Kimberley and I always knew he would attain bokke status.
That’s what I love about RT, it provides me with the connection to my playing days.
@ superBul:
Howzit superbul? What’s happening in the game park this weekend? Rain and more rain in Sydney today. New South Wales was declared out of drought yesterday – after almost 10 years of the big dry.
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Here we need rain soon, the veld is dry and the game is getting thin. I promised some new photos last week, i will do it now.
I was at the Air force base yesterday , they held a nice airshow. Was hot but we were lucky there was n bit of wind to help us out.
We have not had any rain yet this season.
@ superBul:
I’ll send some over mate – we are getting rain by the bucketful, hasn’t stopped for over 24 hours.
Farmers’ crops are excellent, no more drought for us in the foreseeable future. The El Nino brothers are on our side for the next few years, apparently.
I’m going to bring my family over to visit you at the game park one day; we were booked on an SA holiday 2 years ago, but had to cancel the trip a week before departure when my wife was diagnosed with cancer. She is all good now, so maybe next year . . .
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Photos are almost uploaded, maybe in 5 minutes they will be up.
I have a two great self catering places you must get too, this area is hard dry bush but the most beautiful trees. Leadwood, Jackleberry, Red Ivory, Appleleaf …too many to name here. Then of course Mopani and Red Bushwillow by the milions.
The one self catering camp is on the Kruger national park boundary and only about 500 meters from the Olifants River, and the other my favorite is on the Klaserie River.
@ superBul:
Phew! You’ve whetted my apetite for the game park, once again. Sounds excellent. I have promised my wife and grandson that we will make the trip in 2011. I’ll speak to you about making arrangements when we are closer to confirming dates. Thank you superbul.
@ superBul:
Where can I access the photos? I’ll be showing my whole family, we are so keen to see them.
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Sorry i went to the shops, if you click on my nickname it should take you to my photo albums on the web. you must have a Google account , something like gmail as far as i know.
We have a new blogger who registered, Rugbyprof.
He pointed out in a Mail to me that the contents of this Article is wrong and horribly incorrect and accused this blog of clearly being run by Blue Bulls fans, even though McLook, a Non-Bull, wrote this Article…. hehehe
I’ve invited him to blog here and detail the incorrect facts… kindly welcome the man with open arms, friends.
McLook, verify your facts, brother!
Not sure what he thinks are wrong but that is the facts.
11@ McLook:
We’ll see if and how Rugbyprof responds.
Natal/Sharks are playing in their 13th CC final.
They have a 41,67% success rate in finals.
They also lost finals vs Tvl/Lions in 1999 in Durban 9-31, and vs WP in 2000 in Durban 15-25.
Their record at home is poor having only won 2 out of 6 finals played in Durban.
Natal/Sharks Runners Up
1956 Blue Bulls 9 Natal 8 King’s Park, Durban
1984 Western Province 19 Natal 9 Newlands, Cape Town
1993 Transvaal 21 Natal 15 King’s Park, Durban
1999 Golden Lions 32 Natal 9 King’s Park, Durban
2000 Western Province 25 Natal 15 Absa Stadium, Durban
2001 Western Province 29 Natal 24 Newlands, Cape Town
2003 Blue Bulls 40 Sharks 19 Loftus, Pretoria
The wins is off course
1990 Natal 18 Blue Bulls 12 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1992 Natal 14 Transvaal 13 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
1995 Natal 25 Western Province 17 King’s Park, Durban
1996 Natal 33 Transvaal 15 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
2008 Sharks 14 Blue Bulls 9 Absa Stadium, Durban
Sorry, typo! It was 9-32 in 1999 final.
A true WP fan is humble when his team wins, and always congratulates the opposing team’s fans. Because next weekend, things could not be so rosy…
I have found that it is only friends and family who support BB and Sharks that will ALWAYS take the time to rub my nose in a WP defeat. NEVER a Cheetah or a Lions supporter! Thus I’ve never had any love for Sharks and BB.
I am a true WP fan and will always stand by my team. The real enemy is NTvl and we will always measure ourselves only vs them. I have a lot of repect for how things are done in Pretoria, not so for Cape Town-wannabe Durban. Also there’s a lot of talent and tradition up north, unlike KZN.
There is nothing like a WP vs BB final! Nothing is also better than a VERY RARE win at Loftus. Even though I was quite pleased with a Sharks win last weekend but also disappointed that I missed out on a final at Newlands between the great rivals.
@ Rugbyprof:
Welcome here prof, there is few WP supporters left that shows the guts to talk their team up before there is any silverware in their cupboard. So welcome here , we need your banter and yes i agree a real North vs South Final would be great.
Am i right to say it was last back in 1998 that we had a final between WP and the Bulls?
Thank you for accepting me on this pleasant site. Much better than Keo cause of the poephols there, bloggers and journos. I love the little extra blogs that never appears anywhere else but here, like the sad passings of Dr Ernst and Liaan Kirkham. May they rest in peace. How is Casper Steyn by the way?
Yes, 1998 was the last time. Wow, what a final that was. WP getting hammered 6-24 at one stage and almost winning it at the end, but Andre Watson ruled forward pass… I was sick to the stomach that day. But you win some you lose some, as we won by a forward pass the previous year.
Interesting facts :
WP have only lost 1 final in 11 played at Newlands and that was in the 1st ever one in 1939 vs Tvl!
WP have have beaten the BB at Loftus in a final (1983) but have never lost vs them in CT. To BB credit, they have drawn twice at Newlands!
Best final for me was 82 when we destroyed the BB 24-7 and worst was 88 when MdPlessis cost us with 8 min to go. Would rather lose by 9-39 than in the last minutes!
BB still have proudest record in finals.19 won out of 31 played…
@ Rugbyprof:
You know if one starts discussing the Finals history of our 2 teams you can go on for hours 😆 they are by far the leaders of the pack.
I see that WP was in a final playoff 21 times, this one will be number 22 WP won 11 of the previous 21, so you guys better win or else you will be 11/11, win/lose ratio.
Rugbyprof wrote:
Nog nie weer iets van hom gehoor nie , sal bietjie soek vir nuus.
18@ Rugbyprof:
Welcome to Rugby-Talk, the Friendly Blog.
There is great rivalry in SA Rugby, no doubt the biggest rivalry is between the traditional arch rivals, Bulle and WP…. but having said that, since 1990 the Sharks have been worthy adversaries.
Stereotyping supporters from a specific Province is a dicy thing… we have very pleasant Sharks suporters here, also some great WP manninne, of course the Bulle are the salt of the earth and we have very few but very vocal Cheetahs supporters. We have a smidgeon of Lions supporters left after they took some hammering in the Super 14….. but we are a rugby family here, which makes this site rather unique.
We choose here to differ, but differ with respect.
ek sien daar is n man wat 900 rand vra op gum tree vir currie cup final en dit vir n standing ticket!nee wat ek koop liewers n kas bier en 2kg steak en kyk dit op tv.
Ja nee, jy kan baie biere koop met R900! Ek moet na ‘n party toe gaan na die final Sat, so dit gaan of die beste party ooit wees, of die slegste! Alhoewel ek na al die jare se teleurstelling met WP imune geraak het daarteen!
Dit gaan ‘n cracker wees, en gaan nie eers ‘n voorspelling waag nie. Ek hou van McLook se stelling dat die Sharks hul eindstryd gespeel het vs BB, laat my dink aan 97 toe OVS geklop is na ‘n puik semi in Durbs.
Rugbyprof wrote:
Thanks for that somehow I’ve misssed the 99 and 2000 finals. I’ve made the necessay adjustments.
ek hoop maar wp wen die final.ek kan onthou toe wp die vrystaat geklop het in 97,helgard se chip kick was n classic.die wp met hulle bokke het die sharks soos clowns laat lyk op nuweland,de villiers se handoff of goldenboy lambie was n treffer.dalk is dit wp se jaar die,maar verder se ek maar liewers niks.
Old Griquas,
Looks like Gawie in these October 1979 shots from the SA Barbarians UK tour:
http://images.scran.ac.uk/RB/images/thumb/0905/09055242.jpg
http://images.scran.ac.uk/RB/images/thumb/0905/09055238.jpg
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