Vodacom Cup Semi-finals Review
The undefeated Pampas XV will compete in their first Vodacom Cup final next weekend after they defeated The Sharks XV 41-26 at Profert Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Friday.
The Argentineans will host the defending champions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, after the Pretoria team secured a 47-34 victory over the GWK Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon. Flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff kicked six penalties, three conversions and a drop goal to end the match with a personal points’ haul of 21, despite being outscored by five tries to four.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls’ tries were scored by former SA Under-20 captain CJ Stander, Springbok Sevens speedster Sampie Mastriet, centre Stefan Watermeyer and Juandre Kruger. Boshoff’s feats with the boot ensured that he ended the round in fourth position on the leading points’ scorer’s table with 78.
GWK Griquas winger Rocco Jansen scored the first of his team’s five tries before the break, while Earl Rose, Hendrik Roodt, Jandre Blom and Wilmaure Louw ran in five-pointers during the second half. Flyhalf Rudi Vogt kicked three conversions and a penalty for the hosts.
Meanwhile the Pampas XV came back from a 16-7 half time deficit to confidently defeat the Sharks XV 41-26 in Potchefstroom on Friday night. The Argentineans, who trailed their Durban opponents by nine points at the break, upped the tempo of the match and ran in five second half tries.
The Pampas XV were starved of possession during the first half, and fought their way in to the match when flanker Julio Cabello scored a try during the first half which was converted by flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez.
Winger Juan Imhoff, currently the joint leading try-scorer in the 2011 competition with 10 tries along with DHL Western Province’s JJ Engelbrecht (2), scored a brace of tries while Nicolas Bruzzone, Joaquin Tuculet and Agustin Gosio were the other Argentineans to score five-pointers at Profert Olen Park.
Sanchez kicked four conversions in the match and a penalty to end the weekend on 79 points scored this season – 16 points behind the leading points’ scorer Lionel Cronje (95). The Sharks XV scored two tries – one by Rosko Specman, and the other five-pointer by winger Mark Richards which occurred during the final minute of the match. Gouws Prinsloo converted both tries and also kicked four penalties.
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