Fourie living his Currie Cup dream

Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie says teaching Free State to victory within the Currie Cup ultimate fulfilled his childhood dream.

The Cheetahs saved their composure to clinch a pulsating Currie Cup ultimate in opposition to the defending champion Pumas at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

REPORT: Cheetahs crowned Currie Cup champs

It was the Cheetahs’ seventh Currie Cup title total and their first win since 2019, once they beat the Lions within the ultimate at dwelling.

The triumph additionally got here 47 years after Free State lifted the trophy for the primary time, one thing which an emotional Fourie recalled within the post-match press convention.

“It’s particular and it’s one thing that I’ve dreamt about since I used to be a child,” Fourie stated. “The primary sport of rugby I watched on TV as a child was the 1976 ultimate between Free State and Western Province.

“Since then, I turned a Free State supporter, so to be on this place to win the trophy because the coach of a workforce I’ve been supporting as a child is particular.”

These are the moments that final a lifetime @CheetahsRugby 🏆👏#CurrieCup #WhereLegendsRise pic.twitter.com/bcFafKdcTh

— The Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) June 24, 2023

Veteran playmaker Ruan Pienaar rolled again the years, kicking 10 factors to present the Cheetahs sufficient of a buffer to see out a aggressive second half, throughout which the hosts needed to dig deep in opposition to a spirited Pumas.

“We had been fortunate to have good leaders on the sector and so they made good selections, they had been calm and that was essential for us,” Fourie stated. “Final 12 months, we made some errors within the semi-final within the final 10-12 minutes and we ended up shedding the sport.

“This 12 months, we saved our nerves and we executed what we needed to do very properly within the final 10 minutes.”