The great irony of the 2024 Currie Cup is that the team who were reluctant participants in the knockout stages ended up winning it.
That said, when the Currie Cup was paraded in the changeroom at Ellis Park after the Durban team’s 16-14 win, social media videos showed coach John Plumtree celebrating the win as lustily as he did as a Sharks player when they shocked Northern Transvaal in 1990.
The weekend’s Currie Cup final was as dramatic as any over the 133-year history of the competition.
In a scarcely believable finale to the game, the Lions messed up by not kicking the ball out when time was up, and then had to suffer the anguish of seeing their former flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse kick a 59m winner that had Currie Cup king (and SuperSport analyst) Naas Botha applauding.
59m👏WINNING👏KICK.#CarlingCurrieCup #CarlingCurrieCupFinal #LIOvSHA pic.twitter.com/N4gxNUxo7o
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) September 22, 2024
It was the Sharks’ first Currie Cup title since 2018, and Plumtree’s third domestic title. In his first tenure at the Sharks, they won it in 2008 and 2010.
“I’m so proud of the boys,” said Plumtree. “It’s great for our confidence and the never-give-up attitude we’re instilling in the team.”
The Sharks won the Challenge Cup in London a few months ago, and to bag a second trophy is remarkable given that a year ago they were bottom of the United Rugby Championship log and fans were petitioning for the removal of Plumtree as coach.
The New Zealander, who last week unashamedly said he would have preferred to have had the last two weeks to prepare for Saturday’s URC game against Connacht in Galway (8.35pm kick-off, SA time ), said winning the Currie Cup was special.
“The URC is the main goal, the Champions Cup, and getting all the Springboks players back together is what we want,” Plumtree said.
“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 seven rounds and their 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. They were excited ... There are a lot of people back in Durban who will be very happy tonight, so reflecting on that is important.
GOOD MORNING CHAMPIONS 🏆#CarlingCurrieCup #CarlingCurrieCupFinal #LIOvSHA pic.twitter.com/QGNbhh57ys
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) September 22, 2024
“A trophy like this is beautiful, and I did not think I would ever hold it again.”
The player who stole the show was former Lion Hendrikse, the younger brother of fellow Shark and Springbok scrumhalf Jaden.
Interestingly, Jordan had not played too well for 79 minutes of the game.
He was hesitant at the back, and most of his counter-attacks were ill-fated as he got caught way behind the gain line.
But when he was asked to win the game with a monster shot at goal, he stepped up and and smashed it.
Hendrikse said: “All those early mornings practising pressure kicks paid off. I just focused on staying calm and backing myself.”
Like every goal-kicker, he has had his misses, but he says he shut out negative thoughts.
“It’s about staying in the moment and believing in yourself.”
Plumtree said he had a premonition that the final could come down to a Hendrikse long-range effort.
“At the captain’s run, I teased him, asking if he could nail them in a pressure moment. He showed me he could.”