Cheetahs coach Fourie realises life-long dream of Currie Cup success: I dreamt about it since I was a kid

At the Free State Stadium in Mangaung

Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie said his team's 25-17 Currie Cup final win against the Pumas was a realisation of a long-held dream he had to win the tournament.

Fourie was part of the Cheetahs' coaching staff when they beat the Lions 20-18 in the 2007 final, and has done the coaching rounds before coming back to complete his trophy run.

Fourie admitted to being a slight bad luck charm in that the Cheetahs haven't always been during the greatest shape in his time with the union.

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However, it was outweighed by the success of the trophy the Cheetahs had to work hard for.

The win was the Cheetahs' seventh title, but their first one since 2019.

"It is special and it’s something that I've dreamt about since I was a kid," Fourie said.

"The first game of rugby I watched on TV as a kid was the 1976 final between Free State and Western Province.

"Since then, I became a Free State supporter, so to be in this position to win the trophy as the coach of a team I've been supporting as a kid is special."

What mattered most for Fourie was that his team ensured they remained calm in the closing stages of the game despite the Cheetahs having an eight-point gap that was too much for the Pumas to reel in.

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Last year, the Pumas came to Mangaung and shocked the Cheetahs into submission with a late 38-35 win, from where they went on to win the final against the Griquas the following week.

The Cheetahs also had experienced players on the bench like Robert Ebersohn, who played a massive role in closing off the game.

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