CURRIE CUP WRAP: Dramatic finale shows the value of the domestic showpiece

There was always going to be heartbreak for someone, but the Fidelity ADT Lions will be hoping the scars don’t run too deep as their Currie Cup dreams were dashed on Saturday night in the space of 30 seconds, and the Hollywoodbets Sharks were handed the domestic trophy on a platter.

Conversely, the Sharks will take another dollop of confidence after winning their second trophy in a row, as Jordan Hendrikse’s last-gasp penalty gave them cause to celebrate and add the Currie Cup to the EPCR Challenge trophy they won earlier this year.

While both may not be the holy grail for club rugby in South Africa at the moment, given the resurgence in rugby in Durban, it is hard for Sharks fans not to be excited about the season ahead when they see trophies arriving to fill the cabinet.

What made the hurt so much deeper for the Lions is that they were the one team - other than the Bulls - that had targeted the Currie Cup as the basis for their resurgence. It was an open secret that they had employed many of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship squad to help them win the domestic trophy and kickstart their URC campaign in the same way the 2015 Currie Cup kickstarted a run of three Super Rugby finals.

It was the Lions that pushed - against the wishes of the other three franchises - for the Currie Cup final to be placed on a pedestal with the opening round of the URC to be postponed for SA franchises, and for a very short while after the hooter they believed they had won the trophy.

How the Sharks had turned over the ball in the final maul will be one of the great enduring South African rugby mysteries, and will be debated about by both sets of fans for years to come. But an even bigger question was why the Lions had mauled the ball after the hooter in the first place. By simply putting the ball out they would have been champions.

But they rolled the dice and came up short and watched as a former teammate, Jordan Hendrikse, slotted a 59-metre kick to give the Sharks the trophy.

It was utter despair for Lions coach Mzwakhe Nkosi, who has battled so much internally as Currie Cup coach and deserved a win for his efforts.

“I can’t explain it either. We were Currie Cup champions for 10 seconds, and just in the moment that leadership lacked presence,” Nkosi lamented afterwards.

“All we had to do was call a line-out where the nine was in front, throw the ball in the front, get the ball, and kick it out.

“We proceeded to maul it, they turned it over. I thought the call in the end was a bit harsh. Either way, we should’ve kicked the ball out and become Currie Cup champions.

“Instead Plum and them have started their season on a good note.”

And that is the crux and bizarre nature of the timing of this year’s Currie Cup. As much as Saturday was a highlight and celebration, it was one that is virtually in between seasons.

Both sides - whether celebrating or commiserating - have to now pick themselves up and head straight into international action this week. The Sharks head to Connacht to open their URC campaign in Galway - no easy task on the best of days - while the Lions host Ulster, who shocked defending champions Glasgow Warriors in round one on Saturday night.

For now, though, the Sharks are celebrating, and Plumtree was more than bemused, knowing that the Sharks had rolled the dice twice - in the semifinals and finals, and watched as the opposition handed them an opening, and came up champions.

“I’m really proud of the boys,” Plumtree said. “It’s great for our confidence and the never-give-up attitude we’re instilling in the team.

“The URC is the main goal, the Champions Cup and getting all the Springboks players back together, but for this group of players it’s important to win the Currie Cup, not just the players that played tonight but the players that played through the first six, seven rounds and the management team.

“I think it is unique, it makes it special that we have won tonight for a lot of people. The ex-players sent me messages, and they were excited, there are a lot of people back in Durban who will be very happy tonight so reflecting on that, it is important.

“A trophy like that is beautiful, I did not think I would ever hold it again.”

Plumtree admitted while the celebration would be intense, it would be the bigger task of coming off the high and heading to Galway that would be the next challenge for this group of players.

While the contrasting emotions were on display at an icy cold final on Saturday, it was good to know the Currie Cup still means so much for so many players.

Now the challenge for administrators is to find a slot that doesn’t feel so out of place between seasons, and to ensure it still has a proper position in the rugby landscape.

But the joy of holding the cup and the despair of losing it in seconds was there for all to see on Saturday. And it was a great reminder of what it all means to teams, and how the competition deserves its own spot on the calendar.