THE FINAL WHISTLE
MARK KEOHANE: Currie Cup does not runneth over with extreme Bok talent
It wasn’t quite Super Rugby and it wasn’t quite the vintage Currie Cup of yesteryear, but it was nevertheless easy on the eye and a credit to those who put it on the line in the 2017 Currie Cup semifinals. Bulls coach and former All Blacks coach John Mitchell described his team’s 37-27 defeat in Durban to the Sharks as being close to a Test match. That may be stretching it because Munster’s 14-7 defeat of Racing 92 in the Champions Cup was closer to Test rugby than anything produced in SA’s domestic semifinals. The Munster versus Racing showdown was deadlocked at zero-zero on the hour and the intensity in that hour was very Test-like. SA’s domestic play-offs were enjoyable encounters but neither was of the class of so many matches in Europe’s premier competition. The Currie Cup final in Durban this Saturday will be a step up from the semifinals but it still won’t match what I’ve seen domestically in the northern hemisphere.To be successful in the tour opener against Ireland in Dubli...
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