The hosts held a 19-7 advantage and kicked on the second half for a deserved win.

The Pumas became the second team – after Griquas in the inaugural competition last year – to finish the campaign unbeaten after they dealt the men from the Northern Cape their first defeat in the competition in the league phase a few weeks ago, and on Saturday they repeated that feat in convincing style to capture the SA Cup title on home soil.

The match got off to a bad start for Suzuki Griquas when their front ranker Cebo Dlamini was red carded for a head-on collision in the seventh minute, which meant they had to play the next 20 minutes with 14 men.

In a sign of what was to come, the Airlink Pumas scored their first try barely a minute later, when hooker Eddie Swart went over at the back of a strong maul, which was converted by Danrich Visagie.

Predictably, the men from Mpumalanga then proceeded to dominate both possession and territory, leaving the defending champions to fend off wave after wave of attack from the rampant home side.

The Pumas used their forward dominance to set up two good tries for midfielder Sango Xamlashe to take the score to 19-0 with a quarter of the opening half remaining. For his first effort, the outside centre stepped his way inside two defenders to score near the posts, and he was on the receiving end of a looping skip pass to go over near the corner for his second five-pointer.

Griquas tried their best to stay in the contest and they were rewarded with a rather fortunate try when speedster Gurshwin Wehr intercepted a pass to run in a long distance try to make the halftime score 19-7.

The dependable Visagie slotted a penalty goal before he converted No 8 Willie Engelbrecht’s intercept try to stretch the home team’s advantage to 29-7 shortly after the restart for the second half.

Another successful penalty goal by Visagie took the score to 32-7 before Mnombo Zwelendaba scored Griquas’ second try to bring the deficit down to 32-14.

But the Airlink Pumas had the last laugh when replacement front ranker Dewald Maritz forced his way over the try line for their second try of the second half to all but secure them the SA Cup title.

Scorers:

Airlink Pumas 39 (19) – Tries: Sango Xamlashe (2), Eddie Swart, Willie Engelbrecht, Dewald Maritz. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (4). Penalty goals: Visagie (2).

Suzuki Griquas 14 (7) – Tries: Gurswhin Wehr, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (2).

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

The post Airlink Pumas dethrone Suzuki Griquas to capture SA Cup appeared first on SportsClub.

Griquas and Cheetahs were locked at 24-24 in the Diamond City after an incident-packed first half. The teams were level three times, twice in the second half, and the men from Kimberley booked their final spot thanks to a late penalty goal by ace kicker and captain George Whitehead.

Loose forward Gideon van der Merwe went over for the Free Staters to give them a 7-3 lead, which was quickly increased to 12-3 when hooker and captain Louis van der Westhuizen dotted down for an unconverted try.

Jaco Uys then scored Griquas’ first try when he was mauled over from a lineout, reducing the score to 12-10, and he was followed over the line by Gurshwin Wehr when the Blitzbok speedster slid through the defence (17-12). Uys was the recipient of another maul try eight minutes before the halfway stage, taking the score to 24-12. However, two tries from Ali Mgijima and Michael Annies allowed them to level matters at the break (24-24).

The two teams continued their tit-for-tat on the scoreboard after the resumption, with Mgijima (Cheetahs) and Cameron Hufke (Griquas) each going over for a converted try to level the scores once more at 31-31. Maart then danced his way through the defence to give the home side the lead once more at 38-31. However, that lead was unsurprisingly short-lived as Annies stepped his way to the try line to pull the sides level once more at 38-38.

Whitehead then hit the target with a long-range penalty to hand his side the advantage at 41-38 with just over ten minutes remaining. With the clock running down, the Cheetahs piled on the pressure and made the Griquas defend for dear life. The holders displayed amazing courage in defending their line, eventually managing to hold up a Cheetah forward over the try line, forcing the turnover and ending an extraordinary game in the most dramatic way.

Playing at home on Friday evening in Nelspruit, the Pumas were at one stage reduced to 12 men following three yellow cards, and they had to do it the hard way with a late penalty by fly-half Danrich Visagie. The nail-biting, two-point win means the Pumas are still on course to finish the season unbeaten, should they manage to win next weekend’s home final in Nelspruit.

The Pumas and Kavaliers observed a minute’s silence in remembrance of Boland’s former Springbok wing Cornal Hendricks, who died of a heart attack on Wednesday at his home in Wellington. After kick-off, the determined Kavaliers enjoyed the most territory in the first half, but they trailed 20-10 at the halfway stage as the home team made the most of their scoring opportunities.

Visagie and James Tedder, Boland fly-half, traded penalty goals early in the first half. Darnell Osuagwu then scored the first of the Pumas’ three tries when he went over. Boland responded through a Sydney Tobias converted try, which was their only one of the first period.

Another successful penalty goal by Visagie, who also converted Ross Braude’s try a few minutes later, put the Lowvelders in the driving seat at the break. The Pumas extended their lead to 15 points after halftime when Lundi Msenge also went over.

They Pumas then had three men sent to the sin bin, in the 55th, 57th, and 58th minutes, as they were suddenly reduced to just 12 men. Boland made their numerical advantage count when they forced a penalty try to pull back within two points of the home side. Three minutes later, the Kavaliers were 29-25 in front via Xavier Mitchell’s unconverted try.

However, the pressure was too big for the Bolanders as they conceded the first of two late penalties, which Visagie slotted to make the score 29-28. With just eight minutes to go in this tense affair, Visagie landed the winning penalty goal kick to send the Pumas to their second successive SA Cup final.

Match information

Suzuki Griquas 41 (24), Toyota Cheetahs 38 (24)
Suzuki Griquas – Tries: Cameron Hufke, Janco Uys (2), Gurshwin Wehr (2). Conversions: George Whitehead (5). Penalty goal: Whitehead (2).
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Michael Annies (2), Ali Mgijima, Prince Nkabinde, Gideon van der Merwe, Louis van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Tiaan Swanepoel (3), Cohen Jasper.

Airlink Pumas 31 (20), Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 29 (10)
Airlink Pumas – Tries: Ross Braude, Darnell Osuagwu, Lundi Msenge. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (2). Penalty goals: Danrich Visagie (4).
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Xavier Mitchell, Thurlow Marsh, Penalty try. Conversions: James Tedder (2). Penalty goal: Tedder.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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All five of the weekend’s games in the final round of the regulation season will kick off at 15h00 on Saturday.

Heading into the weekend’s final round fixtures, the Airlink Pumas are in pole position with 40 points, three more than the Suzuki Griquas, with the Toyota Cheetahs third on 32 points.

These three sides have secured their places in the semi-finals, where they will be joined by one of the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers (27 points), NovaVit Griffons (26 points), or the Valke (25 points).

Eastern Province (21 points), the Phangela SWD Eagles (seven points), the Leopards (five points), and Border (two points) complete the log standings and are not in contention for the semi-finals, but they can still make life difficult for the other sides.

The teams that managed to end in the top four positions after this weekend’s ninth round qualify for the forthcoming Carling Currie Cup Premier Division, while the rest will battle each other in the First Division.

The defending champion Suzuki Griquas host the Toyota Cheetahs in Kimberley, while the important clash between the NovaVit Griffons and Airlink Pumas will be staged in Welkom.

In Potchefstroom, the Leopards and Phangela SWD Eagles will be hoping to finish the competition on a high, while Eastern Province can make life difficult for the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in a crunch battle in Gqeberha. The fifth match is in Kempton Park, where the Valke should have too much firepower for the Border Bulldogs.

It will be a case of playing to consolidate their top-three positions for Griquas and the Cheetahs, with both teams probably using this encounter to give some much-needed squad rotation with the all-important semi-finals looming.

Griquas’ only blemish on their league form is a loss to the Pumas two weeks ago, while the Cheetahs have managed to steady the ship and stacked up six wins after a slow start.

The men from Bloemfontein can still finish second on the log, but to do that, they must beat their neighbours by a big margin while also denying them a try-scoring bonus-point.

The Griffons must win to stay in contention, which will be a challenging task against the unbeaten log leaders from Mpumalanga, although they have home ground advantage in Welkom.

Last season, the Pumas comfortably defeated the Griffons in Nelspruit, and with the momentum on the side of the visitors, the Northern Free Staters face an uphill battle.

Boland have everything to play for as they are currently in the driving seat to clinch that fourth spot. However, Allister Coetzee’s Eastern Province side have won four of their eight games, including last week’s home meeting with the Griffons, and will take momentum and belief into the clash.

The Kavaliers’ two-point home loss to the Pumas meant they collected two crucial points, which means a bonus-point victory at the NMU Stadium will secure them a spot in the semi-finals.

With the Valke playing the last-placed and winless Border at home on the East Rand, all the pressure will be on Boland and the Griffons not to lose in their last league games.

Match information:

Suzuki Griquas vs Toyota Cheetahs
Date: Saturday, 10 May
Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Morne Ferreira
TV: SS Channel 950

NovaVit Griffons vs Airlink Pumas
Date: Saturday, 10 May
Venue: Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys
TV: SS Channel 245

Leopards vs Phangela SWD Eagles
Date: Saturday, 10 May
Venue: Olen Park, Potchefstroom
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Hernus Coetzee

Eastern Province vs Sanlam Boland Kavaliers
Date: Saturday, 10 May
Venue: Nelson Mandela University Stadium, Gqeberha
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Jonathan Lottering

Valke vs Border Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, 10 May
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Paul Mente

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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Meanwhile, log leaders Airlink Pumas maintained their status as the only unbeaten side in the competition when they edged the Kavaliers 34-32 in an exciting match Saturday in Wellington.

The two bonus points Boland managed to collect despite their narrow home loss keep them in fourth place on the log, just one point ahead of the Griffons, after Eastern Province did the Kavaliers a huge favour by beating the Northern Free Staters by 20-14 in Gqeberha on Saturday.

The Valke also ensured they stayed in the hunt for qualification following their crucial 45-31 win over the Leopards in Potchefstroom.

After suffering their first loss in the competition last week against the Pumas in Nelspruit, holders Suzuki Griquas bounced back to winning ways courtesy of a 52-5 victory over the Phangela SWD Eagles in George, while the Toyota Cheetahs overwhelmed Border 106-7 in Bloemfontein.

Going into next weekend’s final round of league fixtures, the Pumas are in pole position on 40 points, three more than Griquas, with the Cheetahs third on 32 points.

These three sides have booked their places in the semi-finals, where they will be joined by one of Boland (27 points), the Griffons (26) or the Valke (25) points. EP (21 points), SWD (seven points), the Leopards (five) and Border (two) complete the log standings.

In next week’s last league matches, Suzuki Griquas host the Toyota Cheetahs from 14h00 in Kimberley, and that encounter is followed by the important clash in Welkom between the Griffons and Pumas, starting at 15h00.

Also starting at 15h00 are the fixtures between Leopards and SWD in Potchefstroom, EP versus Boland in Gqeberha, and the Valke against Border in Kempton Park.

This weekend, Eastern Province scored their fourth win of the campaign when they defeated Griffons 20-14 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, but unfortunately for the men from the Eastern Cape, other results mean they can’t make it into the top four anymore, despite this upset victory.

EP were not at their best in the opening half as they trailed by 14-3 following two converted tries, by Andrew Kota and Willem van der Hever. However, they came out much better organised in the second stanza to score two converted tries and a penalty goal, while the home team’s defence was also on song as they managed to keep the Griffons scoreless.

Wings Rodney Damons and Davian Swanepoel went over the line for the EP, while Christian Humphries succeeded with the important conversions to steer the Eastern Cape side to victory.

The Valke emerged victorious against the Leopards with a hard-fought 45-31 win in Potchefstroom on Saturday afternoon. They had to work hard for the win though as the hosts were only two points behind at halftime with the score at 19-17.

The East Randers scored seven tries to four in the end for a well-deserved win which keep their outside chance alive to qualify for the playoffs and a place in the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division.

Midfielder Musa Tshabalala scored a brace of tries while reliable place kicker Sergio Stalmeester succeeded with five of the seven conversions. The Leopards’ Shaun Baxter slotted all four his conversion attempts and he was also on target with a penalty goal.

The Toyota Cheetahs ran in 16 tries while conceding only one in their 106-7 romp over the Border Bulldogs in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The Free Staters were already out of sight by the halfway stage with a 47-0 advantage.

Four players – Marko Janse van Rensburg, Prince Nkabinde, James Verity-Amm and Jandre Nel – left the field with braces behind their names. Tiaan Swanepoel and Verity-Amm succeeded with six conversions each as the Cheetahs solidified third spot on the league table.

The Airlink Pumas clinched a thrilling 34-32 win away win over the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Wellington on Saturday afternoon to stay in first place on the SA Cup log. The two teams were involved in a massive arm wrestle for the entire match and were locked at 15-15 at the sound of the halftime whistle.

Crucially for the team from Mpumalanga, they scored five tries compared to four of the Kavaliers, which proved to be the decider in the end. Hawies Fourie’s team did manage to collect two vital bonus-points in the process, which keep them fourth on the log.

HP Schoor scored twice for the Kavaliers while pivot James Tedder kept them in the hunt with a try, three conversions and two penalty goals for a personal tally of 15 points. Jay Cee Nel, with his two tries, and playmaker Clinton Swart, with three conversions and a penalty goal, were the architects of the Pumas’ close-fought win, which kept them first on the log.

On Friday evening, defending champions Suzuki Griquas overpowered the Phangela SWD Eagles 52-5 in in George, scoring eight tries in the process whilst the Eagles could only reply with a solo first half try.

The men from Kimberley lost to the Pumas in Nelspruit last week for the time since the start of the competition early last year, but Friday in George they were in a rampant mood as they returned to winning ways.

Griquas ran in eight tries in total, interestingly each one scored by a different player, with the forwards equalling the backs’ tally of four tries. Flyhalf Tylor Sefoor succeeded with six conversion kicks as the Kimberley outfit further solidified their place amongst the top two-placed teams.

Scorers:

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 32 (15), Airlink Pumas 34 (15)
Boland – Tries: HP van Schoor (2), James Tedder, Domenic Smit. Conversions: Tedder (3). Penalty goals: Tedder (2).
Pumas – Tries: Jay Cee Nel (2), Ross Braude, Darren Adonis, Ruwald van der Merwe. Conversions: Clinton Swart (3). Penalty goal: Swart.

Toyota Cheetahs 106 (47), Border 7 (0)
Cheetahs – Tries: Marko Janse van Rensburg (2), Prince Nkabinde (2), James Verity-Amm (2), Jandre Nel (2), Andisa Ntsila, Jeandre Rudolph, Marco Janse Van Vuren, Tiaan Swanepoel, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Schalk Ferreira, Michael Annies, Jandre Nel (2), Penalty Try. Conversions: James Verity-Amm (6), Tiaan Swanepoel (6).
Border – Try: Hlomla Payi. Conversion: Jaden Shaw.

Leopards 31 (17), Valke 45 (19)
Leopards – Tries: Jason Alexander, Brandon Keevy, Naiden Jaarts, Ghudian van Reenen. Conversions: Shaun-Christian Baxter (4). Penalty goal: Baxter.
Valke – Tries: Abulele Ndabambi, Zeilinga Strydom, Andrew Volschenk, Zingisa April, Musa Tshabalala (2), Adrian Joubert. Conversions: Sergio Stalmeester (5).

Eastern Province 20 (3), NovaVit Griffons 14 (14)
EP – Tries: Rodney Damons, Davian Swanepoel. Conversions: Christian Humphries (2). Penalty goals: Humphries (2).
NovaVit Griffons – Tries: Andrew Kota, Willem van den Hever. Conversions: Kota (2).

Phangela SWD Eagles 5 (5), Suzuki Griquas 52 (31)
SWD – Try: Mpho Ntsane.
Griquas – Tries: Albert Liebenberg, Thomas Bursey, Athenkosi Khethani, Lourens Oosthuizen, Janco Uys, Bobby Alexander, Connor Mahoney, Gurshwin Wehr. Conversions: Tylor Sefoor.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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All five games this weekend will have an influence on the final standings, with the action kicking off at 18h00 on Friday evening in George, where the Phangela SWD Eagles host the defending champion Suzuki Griquas.

The other four matches are all scheduled to start at 15h00 on Saturday: Sanlam Boland Kavaliers welcome log leaders, the Airlink Pumas, to Wellington; the Valke travel to Potchefstroom to take on the Leopards; the Toyota Cheetahs host the Border Bulldogs in Bloemfontein; and Eastern Province take on the NovaVit Griffons in Gqeberha.

The Airlink Pumas are sitting pretty at the top of the standings on a perfect 35 points from their seven games, with three points more than Suzuki Griquas. These two teams are assured of their places in the semi-finals.

The chasing pack of five teams all still have their work cut out for them in the last two rounds. The Toyota Cheetahs are third on 27 points, followed by the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers (25) in fourth, while the NovaVit Griffons are fifth on the same amount of log points.

The Valke, in sixth on 20 points, can’t afford to slip up, while EP, seventh on 17 points, will have to hope on favours from other teams if they are going to sneak into the top four.

SWD (eighth on seven points), the Leopards (ninth on four) and Border (10th on two) bring up the rear.

In George, Griquas will aim to keep the pressure on the Pumas after going down against the men from Mpumalanga last weekend, with SWD playing for pride as they can’t make the playoffs anymore.

Last year, the men from the Northern Cape won a high-scoring affair in Kimberley and they will be looking to replicate that in the heart of the Garden Route on Friday.

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers will fight tooth and nails to keep their fourth spot on the log against the high-flying Airlink Pumas at Boland Stadium on Saturday. In 2024, the Pumas won the corresponding clash by 49-0, but the Bolanders’ form this year is much better and they will not be going down fighting.

The team from Mpumalanga are withing touching distance of top-spot on the log though and they will have all the motivation they need in the Boland on Saturday.

The Leopards can be a tricky customer at home in Potchefstroom, something the Valke will be mindful of when they travel west, but the East Randers – currently in sixth spot on the log – will also know nothing but a proper victory will be good enough if they are going to stay in the race to the top four.

The Toyota Cheetahs will be careful to be overconfident when they host the Border Bulldogs in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon, but the form book points to a big win for the Free Staters, who look set to hold onto their third place on the standings.

And in Gqeberha, Eastern Province will also be playing for survival when they host the NovaVit Griffons at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.

The Griffons are fifth on the log and will want to keep the pressure on the two teams just above them on the standings, while EP’s mathematical chance of still reaching the semi-finals will be blown away if they fail to beat the Northern Free Staters.

Match Information:

Phangela SWD Eagles vs Suzuki Griquas
Date: Friday, 2 May
Venue: Outeniqua Park, George
Kick-off: 18h00
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers vs Airlink Pumas
Date: Saturday, 3 May
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Griffin Colby
TV: SuperSport channel 247

Leopards vs Valke
Date: Saturday, 3 May
Venue: Olen Park, Potchefstroom
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen

Toyota Cheetahs vs Border Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, 3 May
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Lulutho Matomela

Eastern Province vs NovaVit Griffons
Date: Saturday, 3 May
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Dylen November

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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These questions – and a few others – will be answered in an intriguing seventh round of the competition this weekend, when the action returns after a bye over the Easter Weekend, with the race for the four qualifying places for the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division going down to the fire.

The round kicks off on Friday afternoon in East London, where the Border Bulldogs host Eastern Province from 16h00 at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in a big Eastern Cape Derby, and is followed by the big clash in Nelspruit between the Airlink Pumas and defending champions Suzuki Griquas at the Mbombela Stadium, starting at 19h00.

Three games are scheduled for Saturday, with the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers and Leopards involved in the early kick-off at 14h00 in Wellington, followed by the two remaining games, both of which start at 15h00 in the Free State.

The Toyota Cheetahs entertain the Valke at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, while the NovaVit Griffons welcome the Phangela SWD Eagles to the Down Touch Investments Stadium in Welkom.

The Pumas and Griquas have swept all opponents aside so far this season and both are unbeaten with a perfect 30 log points after six rounds, with the team from Kimberley first courtesy of a better points’ differential – by only two points – followed by the Mpumalanga outfit.

Suzuki Griquas are also defending an unbeaten run built since the inception of the tournament last year. They beat their Nelspruit rivals by 31-26 in the league phase last year and then went on to lift the inaugural SA Cup title with a 46-24 victory over the Airlink Pumas in a pulsating final in Kimberley.

These two rivals are most likely to finish in the top two positions, which will secure passage to the semi-finals as well as qualification to the prestigious Carling Currie Cup Premier Division.

Only points’ difference separates the two at the top of the standings and the winner of Friday evening’s crunch encounter in Nelspruit will have a firm grip on the number one ranking and the inside line for home ground advantage in the final.

In Friday’s earlier match in East London, the Bulldogs will be hoping to gain their first victory when they tackle provincial neighbours EP, who have won two games to date and came close in some of their other league encounters, while Border have struggled to assert themselves although they have played good rugby in patches.

EP won last year’s corresponding fixture comfortably at the Wolfson Stadium, however, one can expect a huge arm wrestle in this Eastern Cape Derby as the Bulldogs go in search of their first win of the season.

The Kavaliers will fancy their chances in Saturday’s early fixture against the Leopards in Wellington as they look to step up their quest for a top four finish and Currie Cup qualification.

With the race to the top four heating up, the Bolanders – currently in fourth spot on the log – cannot afford a slip-up against the outfit from Potchefstroom as they still have their destiny in their own hands.

The Valke – also on 20 points like the Kavaliers and the Griffons – are just two points below the Toyota Cheetahs, who they face on Saturday in Bloemfontein in another important clash in the race for Premier Division qualification.

Both sides secured good wins two weeks ago before the Easter break – with the Bloemfontein outfit easily outplaying the Eagles while the Valke had to grind for a hard-fought victory over the Griffons.

Last year, the Free Staters clinched a comprehensive victory when the two sides met on the East Rand, but current form suggests this will be a much closer affair.

Two weeks ago, the NovaVit Griffons came unstuck against the Valke in Kempton Park and they face another tricky encounter on Saturday against the Eagles in Welkom. The Northern Free Staters have the better form in their favour – they’ve lost only two compared to the Eagles’ five games – and they should be able to make home advantage count in this meeting.

In Andrew Kota, the side from Welkom have the joint second-highest points scorer to date with 67 points to his name from six games and the Eagles will have to keep him in check if they want to spring a surprise.

Match Information:

Border Bulldogs vs Eastern Province
Date: Friday, 25 April
Venue: Sisa Dukashe Stadium, East London
Kick-off: 16h00
Referee: Dylen November

Airlink Pumas vs Suzuki Griquas
Date: Friday, 25 April
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Kick-off: 19h00
Referee: Christopher Allison
TV: SuperSport channel 246

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers vs Leopards
Date: Saturday, 26 April
Venue: Boland Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 14h00
Referee: Sean Muller
TV: SuperSport channel 950

NovaVit Griffons vs Phangela SWD Eagles
Date: Saturday, 26 April
Venue: Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Jonathan Lottering
TV: SuperSport channel 246

Toyota Cheetahs vs Valke
Date: Saturday, 26 April
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

The post Top two on a collision course in huge SA Cup clash appeared first on SportsClub.

Pieter Bergh’s side led from the onset, racing into a 29-0 lead in the first 25 minutes and never lost the lead to clinch a memorable final played in front of a big crowd at their home ground in the Diamond City.

The Peacock Blues – playing in white on Saturday – delivered a masterclass in the first half to effectively take the game away from the gritty team from Mpumalanga.

Suzuki Griquas led 29-14 at half-time as the Airlink Pumas started with their fightback, and the home side had to withstand an intensive period of pressure from the visitors as Jimmy Stonehouse’s team served notice of their intension to stay in the game.

However, the hosts’ defence held firm to repel several forward onslaughts from the Airlink Pumas and they thwarted two dangerous scoring opportunities by managing to hold up the visiting ball carrier and prevent them from scoring.

Once Suzuki Griquas managed to soak up that pressure, they somehow found another gear to score two quick-fire tries in the last six minutes to seal the deal. The home team’s experienced flyhalf George Whitehead was again their standout player by scoring a try, four conversions and two penalty goals for a personal contribution of 19 points.

The men from the Northern Cape made a positive start by scoring a converted try through left wing Sako Makata in the sixth minute, which was converted by Whitehead.

Whitehead then hit the target again barely one minute later when he slotted penalty goal following a high tackle, which saw right wing Stefan Coetzee sent to the sin bin. This was followed by a penalty try when the Airlink Pumas pulled down a driving maul with the tryline beckoning.

With two opponents in the sin bin, Suzuki Griquas tried to run the Airlink Pumas off their feet and it was not surprise when lively fullback Cameron Hufke was sent over in the corner following a two-man overlap, to make it 22-0.

Suzuki Griquas continued to tighten the screws and six minutes later Whitehead exploited space behind the Airlink Pumas’ defensive line when he collected his own grubber kick to run in under the sticks, with the conversion stretching the hosts’ lead to 29-0 inside 25 minutes.

But the Airlink Pumas staged their fightback which saw them awarded a penalty try and yellow card for the hosts’ outside back Stephan Smit.

That, and a great counter-attacking try by replacement flyhalf Gene Willemse, narrowed the deficit to 15 points at halftime.

Discipline continued to plague both sides, and just before Willemse’s try, Makata became the fourth player see yellow in the first half when he was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.

After the break the two teams improved their discipline which resulted in an arm wrestle for possession, territory and points.

Suzuki Griquas forced another scrum penalty early in the second stanza and allowed Whitehead to easily slot his second penalty goal of the afternoon to increase the lead to 32-14.

However, the Airlink Pumas refused to go away and their forwards started to get more into the game which also saw them enjoying more possession. It was therefore no surprise when replacement hooker Darnell Osuagwu continued with his try-scoring streak by dotting down for the visitors after a sustained period of pressure.

The momentum was now with the team from Mpumalanga and shortly thereafter it was Airlink Pumas wing Lundi Msenge, who finished off a move to cut the lead to 32-24 with 10 minutes of play left on the clock.

But two quick tries, by replacements Gustav du Rand (hooker) and Bobby Alexander (scrumhalf), sealed the fate of the visitors and led to wild celebrations by the home team and their supporters.

Scorers:

Suzuki Griquas 46 (29) – Tries: Sako Makata, Cameron Hufke, George Whitehead, Gustav du Rand, Bobby Alexander, Penalty try. Conversions: Whitehead (4). Penalty goals: Whitehead (2).

Airlink Pumas 24 (14) – Tries: Gene Willemse, Darnell Osaugwu, Lundi Msenge, Penalty try. Conversion: Willemse.

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The final will kick off at 12h30 at Suzuki Stadium, home ground of Griquas, who marched unbeaten to Saturday’s climax, which will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Pieter Bergh’s Peacock Blues swept aside all opposition to win their nine round-robin matches and clinch top spot on the final league table.

In fact, the Northern Cape side were the only side who managed to inflict a defeat upon Jimmy Stonehouse’s equally impressive Airlink Pumas outfit, a 31-26 victory in Kimberley in round seven of the regular season.

However, looking at the last five meetings between the two teams, the Airlink Pumas lead by three wins to two with an average score of 30-25, which includes a 26-19 victory in the Currie Cup Premier Division final in 2022, where the team from Mpumalanga showed they have what it takes to win a decider in Kimberley.

This weekend’s battle will feature an interesting duel between the two flyhalves, George Whitehead of Suzuki Griquas and the Airlink Pumas’ Clinton Swart. The two playmakers have been in superb scoring form and have claimed the top-two spots on the scoring chart.

Whitehead sits first with 131 points for an average of 14.5 points per game during the league phase, while Swart has amassed 109 points at an average of 12.1 points per game. Whitehead has so far succeeded with an incredible 51 conversions, but Swart has been just as accurate off the kicking tee with 43 conversions.

Both sides have an equal big appetite for attacking rugby which have resulted in 10 tries for Pumas hooker Darnell Osuagwu so far, making him the current leading try scorer, while Griquas fullback Cameron Hufke has scored nine tries, which places him joint second on the list with NovaVit Griffons fullback Domenic Smit.

And while Griquas have been unstoppable to date this year, they know they cannot underestimate the dangerous Mpumalanga outfit.

If scores are level at the end of the match, 20 minutes of extra time (two halves of 10 minutes each) will be added and if the scores are still tied after extra time, the team that finished higher on the log after the group stage (Suzuki Griquas) will be declared the winner.

SA Cup Final – Suzuki Griquas vs Airlink Pumas
Date: Saturday, 25 May
Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
Referee: Christopher Allison
SA Time: 12h30
TV: SuperSport

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The Griquas confirmed their home final status by beating the Toyota Cheetahs 39-17 in Bloemfontein in one of two games played on Friday.

In the other Friday match, the Pumas made sure of their place in the final when they defeated NovaVit Griffons 43-14 at the Mbombela Stadium.

Unbeaten Griquas finished top of the log with 45 points and with that they earned the right to host the final against second-placed Pumas, who finished second on 41 points.

In the two fixtures played on Saturday’s the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers won their final outing 48-40 against Eastern Province, while Leopards scored a superb 45-31 away win over the Phangela SWD Eagles in George.

In the last fixture of the weekend, Valke defeated Border 38-14 in East London.

The weekend results saw the Griffons holding on to their third spot on the log with 35 points, three more than the fourth-placed Cheetahs. The Kavaliers finished fifth on 27 points, and they are followed by the Valke (18 points), Leopards (16), SWD Eagles, EP (both on 14), and winless Border.

SA Rugby will confirm the SA Cup Final kick-off time on Monday.

Griquas clinch home final with victory over Cheetahs

The Suzuki Griquas defeated Toyota Cheetahs 39-17 at Shimla Park in Bloemfontein in one of the two Friday matches with the result handing them the hosting right for next weekend’s SA Cup Final in Kimberley.

The Peacock Blues had a slender 15-10 lead at the break, but they managed to pull away from the Free Staters in the second half to make sure they finish the round-robin phase unbeaten.

Pieter Bergh’s side scored 5 tries, four conversions and a drop goal while the side from Bloemfontein replied with two converted tries and a penalty.

Fullback Cameron Hufke dotted down twice for the Griquas while stalwart flyhalf George Whitehead succeeded with three conversions, a penalty goal and a drop goal.

Former Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar scored two conversions and a penalty goal in his very last competitive match for the Cheetahs, having announced his retirement from the game after this fixture following a stellar career with amongst others, the Cheetahs and the Springboks.

Right wing Daniel Kasende and utility back replacement Rewan Kruger each scored a try for the hosts.

Scorers:

Toyota Cheetahs (10) 17 – Tries: Daniel Kasende, Rewan Kruger. Conversions: Ruan Pienaar. Penalty goal: Pienaar.

Suzuki Griquas (15) 39 – Tries: Cameron Hufke (2), Janco Uys,Sako Makata, Stephan Smit. Conversions: George Whitehead (3), Lubabalo Dobela. Penalty goal: Whitehead. Drop goal: Whitehead.

Pumas down Griffons to secure final spot

The Airlink Pumas secured their place in next weeks’ SA Cup final against Suzuki Griquas courtesy of their 43-14 win over the NovaVit Griffons Friday at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

The Lowvelders scored five tries, a penalty try, four conversions and a penalty goal, while the Northern Free Staters replied with two converted tries.

Hooker Darnell Osuagwu dotted down twice for the Pumas while fly half Clinton Swart slotted three conversions and a penalty goal.

Ludio Williams (No 8) and Randy Fillies (left wing) were the Griffons’ try scorers, with fly half Danrich Visagie succeeding with both conversions.

Scorers:

Airlink Pumas (17) 43 – Tries: Darnell Osuagwu (2), Ruwald van der Merwe, Kwanda Dimaza, Stefan Coetzee, Penalty Try. Conversions: Clinton Swart (3). Penalty goal: Swart.

Novavit Griffons (7) 14 – Tries: Ludio Williams, Randy Fillies. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (2).

Kavaliers on top in try-fest against gallant EP

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers scored seven tries as they clinched an exciting 48-40 win over a gallant Eastern Province side Saturday afternoon at Rhino Park in Piketberg.

The Kavaliers led 24-13 at halftime and while they went on to also dominate the scoring after halftime, they had also had their hands full on defence as EP came storming back to finish the game with five tries.

Left wing Gavern Skippers and outside centre Xavier Mitchell each scored twice for the Kavaliers, who were also awarded a crucial penalty try, while pivot Darian Hock sent three conversion kicks through the upright.

Jay-dee Jooste, left wing, ran in for two of Elephants’ tries, while the kicking boot of fullback Jayden Bantom ensured the visitors stayed in touch with the home side. Bantom converted two of the tries and he was also on target with three penalty goals.

Scorers:

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers (24) 48 – Tries: Gavern Skippers, Xavier Mitchell, Gerrit Bester, Marlyn Williams, Carl Francois Truter, Penalty Try. Conversions: Darian Hock (3).

Eastern Province (13) 40 – Tries: Jay-dee Jooste (2), Sherwin Slater, Aya Oliphant, Temba Boltina. Conversions: Jayden Bantom (2). Penalty goals: Bantom (3).

Leopards hunt down Eagles at Outeniqua Park

The Leopards finished the campaign on a high by beating the Phangela SWD Eagles 45-31 in their Saturday afternoon fixture played at Outeniqua Park in George.

The men from Potchefstroom enjoyed a 26-10 halftime lead and they comfortably secured a good away win by scoring 7 tries to 5 in the end. No 8 Henro-Pierre Swart grabbed two of the five tries, while playmaker Charles Williams made a personal contribution of 15 points through a try and five conversions.

Right wing Rosco Seyster had a good game for the Eagles as he added two conversions to his try.

Scorers:

Phangela SWD Eagles (10) 31 – Dian Basson, Sachin Toring, Mpho Ntsane, Rosco Syster, Clyde Lewis. Conversions: Deon Carstens, Syster.

Leopards (26) 45 – Tries: Henro-Pierre Swart (2), Chris Vermaak, Gilroy Philander, Tjaart Benade, Naiden Jaarts, Charles Williams. Conversions: Williams (5).

Valke swoop to victory over Border in East London

In Sunday’s last fixture of the round the Valke scored six tries to two in their away clash with Border Bulldogs at Police Park in East London, having led 19-14 at halftime.

Scrumhalf Luciano Elias went over twice for the Valke while flyhalf Sergio Stalmeester also scored a five pointer in addition to his four conversions.

Border scrumhalf Merlin du Plessis converted his teams’ two tries scored through Chuma Biyana (No 8) and Ryan Maree (outside centre).

Scorers:

Border (14) 14 – Tries: Chuma Biyana, Ryan Maree. Conversions: Merlin du Plessis (2).

Valke (19) 38 – Tries: Luciano Elias (2), Eddie Evans, Zander van der Merwe, Sergio Stalmeester, Valentino Wellman. Conversions: Stalmeester (4).

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In an impressive display, all of the top four teams secured victories, spearheaded by Suzuki Griquas, followed closely by the Airlink Pumas, NovaVit Griffons, and Toyota Cheetahs. Unfortunately for the fifth-placed Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, defeat in Mpumalanga ended their hopes of reaching the final.

The weekend’s action commenced with the Toyota Cheetahs dominating the Border Bulldogs in East London, securing a bonus point victory with a resounding 57-14 triumph.

Although the Bloemfonteiners’ hopes for a final appearance linger, they stand fourth, trailing the second-placed Pumas by four points, and with a bit of luck, they can still sneak into the top-two.

The Bulldogs struggled yet again as their dry run to put some points on the board continued and they are still last on the log.

The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers faced a crushing 49-0 defeat against the Airlink Pumas at Mbombela Stadium, shattering their playoff aspirations. Despite the defeat which has ruled them out of contention for the final, the Kavaliers remain entrenched in fifth place.

The Airlink Pumas still have a strong grip on second place and they will be aiming to extend their winning streak and secure a final spot, trailing the leaders by a mere four points.

In a thrilling 17-try clash at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley, the Phangela SWD Eagles showcased a commendable performance against the log leading Suzuki Griquas. Despite falling short in a 53-75 loss, SWD’s high-scoring effort propelled them to sixth place based on points’ difference, tied with Valke and Eastern Province on 13 log points.

However, Suzuki Griquas are still leading the pack comfortably, and this victory over SWD – where Cameron Hufke and Zane Bester both managed to score hat-tricks – meant that a draw in the final round will be enough to secure them the hosting rights for the final, which is scheduled for Saturday, 25 May.

A hat-trick from Valentino Wellman took his team, the Valke, from the bottom two thanks to a massive victory over the Leopards, beating them by 50-19 in Kempton Park on Saturday. This victory catapulted the East Randers from ninth to seventh on the log, but the Leopards dropped one position and find themselves in 9th spot with 11 points.

In Sunday’s lone match, the NovaVit Griffons claimed a crucial 45-19 victory over Eastern Province as they maintained their third position, which gives them an outside chance to reach the finals should one of the front-runners trip up tine final round. The side from Gqeberha dropped to eighth place on the leaderboard.

The final round of action this coming weekend will see the top four sides in action against each other, which effectively makes it a “semi-final”, with final log positions far from guaranteed.

Scorers:

Border Bulldogs 14 Toyota Cheetahs 57
Border – Tries: Simuthembile Ntleki, Sakhekile Dingile. Conversions: Merlin Du Plesis (2).
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Louis van der Westhuizen, Pierre-Raymond Uys, Mzwanele Zito, Litha Nkula, Jooste Nel, Andell Loubser, Marnus van der Merwe, Ruan Pienaar, Tapiwa Mafura. Conversions: Ethan Wentzel (3), Loubser (2), Pienaar.

Airlink Pumas 49 Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 0
Airlink Pumas – Tries: Ruwald van der Merwe, Kwanda Dimaza, Clinton Swart, Lundi Msenge, De-an Ackermann, Stefan Coetzee (2). Conversions: Swart (6), Gene Willemse.

Suzuki Griquas 75 Phangela SWD Eagles 53
Suzuki Griquas – Tries: Janco Uys, Carl Els, Sako Makata, Zane Bester (3), Connor Mahoney, Cameron Hufke (3), Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (10).
Phangela SWD Eagles – Tries: Uzile Tele, Stone Cloete, Deon Carstens, Rosco Syster (2), Wayne Khan. Conversions: Sachin Toring, Joshua Vermeulen, Marlo Weich. Penalty goal: Vermeulen.

Valke 50 Leopards 19
Valke – Tries: Pierre Rabie, Zingisa April, Ezrick Alexander (2), Valentino Wellman (3), Anrich Richter. Conversions: Sergio Stalmeester (2), Richter (3).
Leopards – Tries: Charles Williams, Naiden Jaarts (2). Conversions: Williams (2).

NovaVit Griffons 45 Eastern Province 19
NovaVit Griffons – Tries: HP van Schoor, Rian Olivier, Richman Gora, Gurshwin Wehr, Randy Fillies, Duren Hoffman (2). Conversions: Danrich Visagie (5).
EP – Tries: Jayden Bantom, Mbembe Payi (2). Conversions: Ruben de Vos (2).

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