Cheetahs top Currie Cup table

● Free State Cheetahs topped the Currie Cup points table after a dramatic final day of league action yesterday.

Once the dust settled Free State Cheetahs earned the right to host the Sharks in next week’s semifinals, while the Golden Lions will entertain Griquas, the team they beat-yesterday, at Ellis Park next weekend.

Free State Cheetahs staged a miraculous fightback after being 26-5 down shortly before the break. They fought back to 26-12 at halftime and ultimately outscored their opponents by six tries to three.

Golden Lions runners-up

The Golden Lions secured second spot with a hard earned 27-26 win over Griquas in Kimberley.

The Lions relinquished a 19-0 lead as Griquas made a spirited comeback.

Griquas crucially scored before the break to reduce the deficit to 12 points before two converted tries in the second half handed the hosts the lead by the 64th minute.

A well orchestrated try by Lions left wing Stean Pienaar in the left-hand corner got the visitors back into the lead but Griquas flank Gideon van der Merwe crashed over in the 70th minute.

The conversion was missed and Lions flyhalf Shaun Reynolds banged his team back in front in the 75th minute with a penalty.

Though Reynolds landed the winning kick it was the Lions’ scrum that helped them get the job done against belligerent hosts.

In the late match the Sharks had to register a point or two in their clash against the Blue Bulls to leapfrog Western Province on the points table.

They did better than that and earned five in their 48-40 victory at Loftus Versfeld.