The defending Carling Currie Cup Premier Division champions, the Toyota Cheetahs, as well as the two sides from Gauteng, the Fidelity ADT Lions and Vodacom Bulls, all managed to record their second successive victories of the season, while the semi-finalists for the First Division have been confirmed.
The Free Staters increased their points tally to a “perfect 10” from two games with a 37-17 win over DHL Western Province in Bloemfontein on Saturday but the Lions were the biggest winners of the round as they romped to a 75-21 triumph over the Airlink Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, Suzuki Griquas edged the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV by 34-31 in an exciting game in Kimberley, and Sunday's match between the NovaVit Griffons and Bulls ended in a comfortable 52-10 victory for the men from Pretoria.
The round kicked off in Kimberley, where Griquas fought back from a 24-7 half-time deficit to edge the Sharks by 34-31 in a clash that delivered 10 tries – five by each team. Lubabalo Dobela was the hometown hero with a late penalty that handed the hosts their maiden win of the season.
In the Friday evening fixture, the Pumas were on the receiving end of some excellent attacking rugby by the Lions. The visitors led by 35-7 at the break and they pushed on in the second half, eventually sealing the deal by 75-21 for their second away victory of the season.
The Gautengers ran in 10 tries, while the men from the Lowveld could only reply with three five-pointers. Lions flyhalf Sam Francis made a personal contribution of 30 points via a try, eight conversions and three penalties, with Tapiwa Mafura scoring a hat-trick of tries.
On Saturday, the Cheetahs proved too strong in the second half for a gallant WP side in Bloemfontein, winning this encounter 37-17 after they were locked 10-10 at the interval.
The defending champions scored five tries, two of them going to livewire replacement hooker Vernon Paulo, while it was the Capetonians’ second successive defeat as they struggled to match the power of the Free Staters in the second half.
On Sunday, the Bulls took revenge for their defeat in Welkom last year by scoring eight tries in the dry Northern Free State conditions to comfortably beat the Griffons by 52-10.
Celimpilo Gumede, who was part of the Springbok training squad a few weeks ago, scored two of the Bulls’ tries, while Jaco van der Walt and Chris Smith added three conversions each.
Scores
Suzuki Griquas 34 (7), Hollywoodbets Sharks XV 31 (24)
Suzuki Griquas – Tries: Hanru Sirgel, Cameron Hufke, Cebo Dlamini, Sango Xamlashe, Gustav du Rand. Conversions: Lubabalo Dobela (3). Penalty: Dobela.
Hollywoodbets Sharks XV – Tries: Daniel Jooste, Muller du Plessis, Nick Hatton, Aphelele Fassi, Eduan Keyter. Conversions: Lionel Cronje (3).
Airlink Pumas 21 (7), Fidelity ADT Lions 75 (35)
Airlink Pumas – Tries: Clinton Swart, Ross Braude, Dewald Maritz. Conversions: Swart (2), Danrich Visagie.
Fidelity ADT Lions – Tries: Tapiwa Mafura (3), Sam Francis, Rabz Maxwane (2), Nico Steyn, Sibabalo Qoma, Gianni Lombard, Morne van den Berg. Conversions: Francis (8). Penalties: Francis (3).
Toyota Cheetahs 37 (10), DHL Western Province 37 (17)
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Vernon Paulo (2), Daniel Kasende, Munier Hartzenberg, Jeandre Rudolph. Conversions: Ethan Wentzel (3). Penalties: Wentzel (2).
DHL Western Province – Tries: Jean-Luc du Plessis, CJ Velleman. Conversions: Jurie Matthee (2). Penalty: Matthee.
NovaVit Griffons 10 (5), Vodacom Bulls 52 (31)
NovaVit Griffons – Tries: Qamani Kota, Matthew Gray.
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Celimpilo Gumede (2), Aphiwe Dyantyi, Devon Williams, Bernard van der Linde, Chris Smit, Sintu Manjezi, Cornal Hendricks. Conversions: Jaco van der Walt (3), Chris Smith (3).
meanwhile, the last league games of the Carling Currie Cup First Division were played on Saturday, with Eastern Province causing an upset to beat the Valke in Kempton Park, booking themselves a home semi-final in Gqeberha in the process.
EP will host the Valke at Wolfson Stadium at 3pm on Saturday, the same time the Phangela SWD Eagles will run out at Boland Stadium in Wellington to take on the defending First Division champions and unbeaten Sanlam Boland Kavalier.
The Kavaliers finished top of the log with 25 points after their beating Border 59-14 in East London in their final league match, while Eastern Province clinched second spot on the log with an impressive 43-33 away win over Valke in Kempton Park.
In the other match of the final league round, the Eagles played superbly in the second half to secure a solid 45-33 away triumph over the Leopards in Potchefstroom, pushing the team from North West down into fifth spot on the log.
Both sides were locked at 19-19 at the break but the Eagles clinched the game and a spot in the play-offs with a strong performance in the second half.
The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers led by 33-0 at half-time and went on to beat the Bulldogs by 59-14 in their top versus bottom clash in East London on Saturday.
The Kavaliers outscored the hosts by nine tries to two at Police Park to record their fifth straight win, retaining their unbeaten status and consolidating their top spot on the league table in the process. The result left Border winless this season.
Eastern Province scored a deserved 43-33 win over the Valke in Kempton Park to move up to second spot on the log and book a home semi-final. The Eastern Cape side had a slender 17-13 lead at half-time but they secured the win with a good second-half display.
Scores
Valke 33 (14), Eastern Province 43 (17)
Valke – Tries: Mihlali Stamper, Godfrey Muzanargwo, Zander van der Merwe, Valentino Wellman, Ezrick Alexander. Conversions: Keagan Fortune (4).
Eastern Province – Rodney Damons (2), Temba Boltina, Lungi Mbiko, Gerrit Huisamen, Jayden Bantom. Conversions: Bantom (3), Shirwin Cupido, Mbembe Payi. Penalty: Bantom.
Border 14 (0), Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 59 (33)
Border – Tries: Lukhangele Tshayi, Thembela Folo. Conversions: Ryan Maree (2).
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers – Tries: Gift Dlamini (2), Bentley Geldenhuys (2), Xavier Mitchell, Jurick Lewis, Erik Lambrecht, Duren Hoffman, Domenic Smit. Conversions: Darian Hock (6), Ashlon Davids.
Leopards 33 (19), Phangela SWD Eagles 45 (19)
Leopards – Tries: Kowie Roos, Edward White, Khwezi Junior Mafu, Siniothando Tshontsyi, Brandon Keevy. Conversions: Charles Williams (4).
Phangela SWD Eagles – Tries: Sachin Toring (2), Clive Kruger (2), Damon Royle, Thoubaan Gabriels, JP Duvenage. Conversions: Toring, Marlo Weich (4).
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