Super Rugby finalist meets a chef, Willie faces 'Evan Roos': 5 key Currie Cup final duels

Gnarled veteran against the rapidly-improving upstart.

A breakdown hare facing an imposing enforcer on the openside.

A new Stormer versus Kimberley's "Evan Roos".

Saturday's Currie Cup final between Griquas and the Pumas in Kimberley has no shortage of intriguing duels that will illuminate what is widely considered a Cinderella showpiece.

Sport24 highlights those match-ups.

Griquas

15 George Whitehead, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 Sango Xamlashe (captain), 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Zander du Plessis, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Siba Qoma, 7 Hanru Sirgel, 6 Werner Gouws, 5 Derik Pretorius, 4 Cameron Lindsay, 3 Janu Botha, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Kudzwai Dube

Substitutes: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Andries Schutte, 19 Johan Retief, 20 Michael Amiras, 21 Johan Mulder, 22 Fiela Boshoff , 23 Chris Hollis

Pumas

15 Devon Williams, 14 Tapiwa Mafura, 13 Sebastian de Klerk, 12 Eddie Fouche, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Andre Fouche, 7 Willie Engelbrecht (captain), 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Shane Kirkwood, 4 Deon Slabbert, 3 Ig Prinsloo, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Corne Fourie

Substitutes: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Dewald Maritz, 18 Simon Raw, 19 Kwanda Dimaza, 20 Francois Kleinhans, 21 Giovan Snyman, 22 Ali Mgijima, 23 Alwayno Visagie

JANU BOTHA v CORNE FOURIE

As recently as two years ago, Janu Botha has given up on rugby and decided to become a professional chef.

The pandemic prompted him to make a return as his Griquas mentor Pieter Bergh, then his Ixias coach, inspired a comeback.

Stocky but powerful, the 25-year-old Botha reminds one of former Lions and Springbok tighthead Julian Redelinghuys, an exponent who can easily be labelled too small for the No 3 jersey.

But he's been excellent, benefitting from Bergh's famed