Pumas end Griquas’ Currie Cup power run
The Steval Pumas brought Tafel Lager Griquas’ Currie Cup power run of the last fortnight to a halt as they secured a narrow 27-21 victory in Kimberley on Sunday afternoon.
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs, meanwhile, pipped the Vodacom Blue Bulls 41-40 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday and DHL Western Province outplayed the Xerox Golden Lions 39-3 at DHL Newlands on Friday in an exciting weekend of Currie Cup action, proudly sponsored by Nashua and DirectAxis.
A strong first-half showing by the Steval Pumas steered them to a 27-21 victory against Tafel Lager Griquas in a hard-fought encounter, with their ability to capitalize on their point-scoring chances handing them the edge. The hosts had an opportunity to have a shot at scoring a try after being awarded a late penalty, but with a defeat on the cards, either way, they opted for a kick at goal to secure the bonus point for losing by less than seven points.
The Mpumalanga side scored their three converted tries in the first 29 minutes and added a penalty goal before the break to take a 24-10 lead. However, their only second-half points proved to be a second penalty goal. Tafel Lager Griquas, in turn, were only able to score two tries, and three penalty goals, which left them short on the scoreboard.
A hat-trick by Toyota Free State Cheetahs winger Makazole Mapimpi steered the defending champions to a nail-biting 41-40 victory against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria, with a try at the death sealing the victory. The hosts took a narrow 21-17 lead at the break despite receiving two yellow cards in the first half, but their third one proved to be costly as it allowed the visitors to score the winning try. The defeat for the Vodacom Blue Bulls marked their third in a row, while the Toyota Free State Cheetahs reclaimed the top spot on the log thanks to the victory.
DHL Western Province’s ability to convert their chances into points allowed them to run away on the scoreboard against the Xerox Golden Lions in Cape Town. The visitors dominated possession and territory throughout the match, but they battled to convert it into points, and when they got close to the tryline they made costly mistakes. Former Junior Springbok lock Cobus Wiese scored a try on debut for the Capetonians, while Huw Jones and Seabelo Senatla each contributed a brace to their six tries, while the Gauteng outfit was only able to score a penalty goal.
Currie Cup round 6 results and scorers:
Tafel Lager Griquas 21 (10) Steval Pumas 27 (24)
Tafel Lager Griquas – Tries: AJ Coertzen, Renier Botha. Conversion: Andre Swarts. Penalty Goals: Andre Swarts, George Whitehead (2).
Steval Pumas – Tries: Khwezi Mona, Chris Cloete, Jerome Pretorius. Conversions: Justin Van Staden (3). Penalty Goals: Justin Van Staden (2).
Vodacom Blue Bulls 40 (21) Toyota Free State Cheetahs 41 (17)
Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Tony Jantjies, Dries Swanepoel, Jamba Ulengo (2), Warrick Gelant. Conversions: Tony Jantjies (2), Joshua Stander. Penalty Goals: Tony Jantjies (3).
Toyota Free State Cheetahs – Tries Makazole Mapimpi (3), Jasper Wiese, Francois Venter, Sergeal Petersen. Conversions: Ryno Eksteen (4). Penalty Goal: Ryno Eksteen.
DHL Western Province 39 (22) Xerox Golden Lions 3 (3)
DHL Western Province – Tries Cobus Wiese, Jano Vermaak, Huw Jones (2), Seabelo Senatla (2). Conversions: Damian Willemse (2), SP Marais. Penalty Goal: Damian Willemse.
Xerox Golden Lions – Penalty Goal: Jaco Van der Walt.
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