The Airlink Pumas, Suzuki Griquas, Toyota Cheetahs and Leopards again made it a profitable weekend for home teams in the SA Cup when all of them gained important victories at home to pick up crucial league points, while only two sides remain unbeaten.
The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers were the only away winners when they deservingly won their fixture against the Phangela SWD Eagles by 35-5 in George on Sunday to make it two wins in a row.
On Saturday afternoon, the Leopards grabbed nine tries while Border replied with two in the North West team’s 57-15 triumph in Potchefstroom. The hosts managed to pull away from the Bulldogs after posting a 35-3 halftime lead.
The Toyota Cheetahs also managed to score nine times as they bounced back from their heavy loss the previous week against Airlink Pumas, to thump Eastern Province 59-26 in Bloemfontein.
And in the third match staged at the same time on Saturday, Suzuki Griquas managed to hang on to the top spot on the log when they earned their fourth successive win of the campaign courtesy of a 61-17 demolition of the NovaVit Griffons in Kimberley.
The weekend’s action started on Friday evening at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, where the Airlink Pumas outmuscled the Valke by 89-3 having already established a 35-3 lead at the break.
The Griffons’ defeat in the Northern Cape means that Griquas and the Pumas are now the only two unbeaten teams left in the competition. Both are on 20 points from four bonus point wins, but the men from Kimberley are in first place courtesy of a superior points’ difference.
The two front runners are followed by Toyota Cheetahs and NovaVit Griffons on 15 points, the Kavaliers (12), Eagles (10), Elephants (7), Leopards (5), Valke (2) and the Bulldogs (0).
Five more fixtures will be staged at venues across the country next weekend as the competition moves past the halfway mark. Following the conclusion of the single round of league matches, the two top teams on the log will contest the first Cup final.
Kavaliers make it two in a row at Outeniqua Park
The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers bagged their second win in as many weeks when they gained a deserving 35-5 win over hosts Phangela SWD Eagles at Outeniqua Park in George on Sunday afternoon.
The Wellington outfit were 16-5 up at the interval and went on to score five tries in total, while the Eagles replied with one try scored in the first half.
Kavaliers loose forward Keenan Opperman crossed the whitewash twice and flyhalf Garth April clinched two conversions and two penalty goals as he maintained his good form.
Scorers:
Phangela SWD Eagles 5 (5) – Try: Mpho Ntsane.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 35 (16) – Tries: Keenan Opperman (2), Cornell Engelbrecht, Riaan Louw, Sidney Tobias. Conversions: Garth April (2). Penalty goals: April (2).
Cheetahs bounce back to down EP in Bloemfontein
The Toyota Cheetahs bounced back from their heavy defeat last week by beating a plucky Eastern Province by 59-26 in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The hosts scored nine tries but also conceded four as EP refused to give up.
The Free Staters came out firing in the opening half and quickly raced into a 40-7 lead before the break. However, their Eastern Cape opposition gave a better display in the second half to match the home side’s 19 points.
Speedster Litha Nkula (left wing) and John Lourens (replacement outside back) contributed four of the Cheetah tries tries by each crossing the line twice, while pivot Andell Loubser slotted seven conversions.
The EP midfield combination of Sherwin Slater and Riaan Arends combined to score two of their outfit’s four tries, of which three were converted by No 10 Ruben de Vos.
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs 59 (40) – Tries: Litha Nkula (2), John Lourens (2), Victor Sekekete, Munier Hartzenberg, Banie Britz, Tapiwa Mafura, Sisonke Vumazonke. Conversions: Andell Loubser (7).
Eastern Province 26 (7) – Tries: Siya Nzuzo, Lungi Mbiko, Sherwin Slater, Riaan Arends. Conversions: Ruben de Vos (3).
Leopards clinch first win of the campaign in Potch
In the clash between the two last placed teams on the log, the Leopards broke their winless streak by defeating the Border Bulldogs 57-15 in Potchefstroom on Saturday following a handy 33-10 halftime advantage.
The North West side scored nine tries and conceded two for their first success and points of the campaign.
Lock Mncedisi Dlwengu and loose forward Buhle Qaba each went over twice for the Leopards, and flyhalf Marius Viviers added six conversions to his five-pointer for an individual contribution of 17 points.
Flyhalf Merlin du Plessis was responsible for all of Border’s points by scoring a try in each half and succeeding with one conversion and a penalty goal.
Scorers:
Leopards 57 (33) – Tries: Mncedisi Dlwengu (2), Buhle Qaba (2), Ruben Du Plessis, Shirwin Cupido, Marius Viviers, Gilroy Philander, Siniothando Tshontsyi. Conversions: Viviers (6).
Border Bulldogs 15 (10) – Tries: Merlin du Plessis (2). Conversion: Du Plessis. Penalty goal: Du Plessis.
Free-scoring Pumas feast on Valke in Nelspruit
The Airlink Pumas scored 13 tries on their way to a comprehensive 89-3 victory over the Valke in their Friday evening encounter at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
The Lowvelders had seven converted tries on the scoreboard in the opening half while Valke responded with a penalty goal, which was also their only points of the match.
Pumas left wing Phiko Sobahle bagged a hat-trick of tries and replacement hooker Jan-Henning Campher made a good impact as second-half reserve by scoring twice.
Flyhalf Clinton Swart continued his scoring feat with the kicking boot by succeeding with eight conversions, while his replacement, Brandon Thomson, slotted his four conversion kicks through the uprights.
Scorers:
Airlink Pumas 89 (35) – Tries: Phiko Sobahle (3), Jan-Henning Campher (2), Andre Fouche, Darnell Osuagwu, Etienne Janeke, Theuns Pretorius, Ross Braude, Ruwald van der Merwe, Wian van Niekerk, Lundi Msenge. Conversions: Clinton Swart (8), Brandon Thomson (4).
Valke 3 (3) – Penalty goal: Keagan Fortune.
Strong Griquas second half sink Griffons
Frontrunners Suzuki Griquas continued with their great scoring streak by outplaying the NovaVit Griffons 61-17 in Kimberley on Saturday, where the hosts had a 14-10 advantage at the break, before cutting loose in the second half for another impressive home win.
Eight different players got onto the try-scoring sheet for Griquas, who were also awarded a penalty try. While the purple jerseys did well to keep the hosts in check during a hard-fought first half battle, they found the going extremely tough after the break.
Seven of the eight tries were converted by kickers Lubabalo Dobela (4) and George Whitehead (3), pushing Whitehead’s tally of conversions to an incredible 20 in the last two games following his 17 successful attempts last weekend, for a total of 29.
Playmaker Danrich Visagie converted both the NovaVit Griffons’ tries scored by right wing Duren Hoffman and fullback Domenic Smit.
Scorers:
Suzuki Griquas 61 (14) – Tries: Thomas Bursey, Sako Makata, Tertius Kruger, Connor Mahoney, Cameron Hufke, Cebo Dlamini, Athenkosi Khethani, Xavier Swartbooi, Penalty Try. Conversions: Lubabalo Dobela (4), George Whitehead (3).
NovaVit Griffons 17 (10) – Tries: Duren Hoffman, Domenic Smit. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (2). Penalty goal: Visagie.
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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