There is no stopping the leaders on the SA Cup log, Suzuki Griquas and the Airlink Pumas, as they continued with their unbeaten run in the sixth round of the competition, while the NovaVit Griffons and Toyota Cheetahs recorded good victories to remain in touch with the frontrunners.
Griquas started the scoring spree when they put 50 points past Eastern Province in Uitenhage on Friday, while the Pumas scored an even bigger win courtesy of their 71-10 victory over the Leopards in Nelspruit on Saturday.
The Cheetahs returned to third place on the log courtesy of a solid 46-14 away win over the Phangela SWD Eagles in George on Saturday afternoon, while the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers consolidated their mid-table position with a 106-7 annihilation of Border in Wellington.
The last encounter of the weekend, on Sunday afternoon in Welkom, was another high-scoring affair as the Griffons beat the Valke by 53-40 to cement their third spot on the log.
The third-last round of matches will be played next weekend, when the big clash between Griquas and the Pumas in Kimberley will place on of the teams in a strong position to host the SA Cup final between the two top teams on the log on Saturday 25 May.
GRIQUAS REGISTER A CLEAN SHEET IN UITENHAGE
Griquas notched up another big SA Cup victory when they out-muscled Eastern Province 50-0 in Uitenhage on Friday.
The log leaders scored 38 points in the opening spell and went on to add 12 points more after the break.
Pieter Bergh's team scored a total of eight tries, and they were also disciplined enough to deny EP any points.
Marco de Witt (loose forward) and Bobby Jordaan (scrumhalf) managed to grab two tries apiece, while the dependable George Whitehead continued his fine form off the kicking-tee by adding another five conversions.
Scorers:
Eastern Province 0
Suzuki Griquas 50 (38) - Tries: Marco de Witt (2), Bobby Alexander (2), Albert Liebenberg, Niel Otto, Connor Mahoney, Dylan Maart. Conversions: George Whitehead (5).
PUMAS POWER TO HUGE WIN OVER LEOPARDS
The Pumas scored 11 tries and conceded only two as they overpowered the Leopards by 71-10 in their sixth-round SA Cup clash played at the Nelspruit Rugby Club on Saturday.
The team from Mpumalanga managed to match Griquas' unbeaten run of six games to consolidate their second spot on the log.
Only points’ difference separates the two leading teams, who both now have 30 points from their six victories.
Outside backs Stefan Coetzee and Tino Swanepoel both scored hat-tricks for the hosts, while pivot Clinton Swart succeeded with seven conversions. Flanker Chris Vermaak and replacement hooker Chyle van Zyl scored the Leopards’ tries.
Scorers:
Airlink Pumas 71 (33) – Tries: Stefan Coetzee (3), Tino Swanepoel (3), Ruwald van der Merwe (2), Ross Braude, Theuns Pretorius, Darnell Osuagwu. Conversions: Clinton Swart (7), Brandon Thomson.
Leopards 10 (5) – Tries: Chris Vermaak, Chyle van Zyl.
CHEETAHS BOUNCE BACK IN GEORGE
Cheetahs hooker Louis van der Westhuizen scored a hat-trick of tries for as they bounced back from last weekend’s defeat with a 46-14 victory over the SWD Eagles in George on Saturday.
Springbok wing Sbu Nkosi also added his name to the score sheet for the side from Bloemfontein, who are now eight points adrift of the log leaders on 22 points.
Lock Liko Ndiyalwa and right wing Mpho Ntsane scored tries for the Eagles, who remain in sixth place on the table.
Scorers:
Phangela SWD Eagles 14 (7) – Tries: Liko Ndiyalwa, Mpho Ntsane. Conversions: Sachin Toring, Jade Stoffels.
Toyota Cheetahs 46 (24) – Tries: Louis van der Westhuizen (3), Schalk Ferreira, Lewis Jones, Sbu Nkosi, James Verity-Amm, Vernon Paulo, Andell Loubser. Conversions: Abner van Reenen (2).
FREE-SCORING KAVALIERS OVERRUN BULLDOGS
Taine-Randall Booysen (loose forward), Erik Lambrecht (inside centre) and Xavier Mitchell (outside centre) all grabbed hat-tricks as the Kavaliers thumped the Border Bulldogs by 106-7 in Wellington on Saturday afternoon.
Hawies Fourie's Kavaliers already had 50 points on the board when the referee blew his halftime whistle.
Fullback Darian Hock (seven) and flyhalf Garth April (six) succeeded with 13 conversions between them.
Flyhalf Lwandile Mapuko scored the Bulldogs' only try, which he also converted.
Scorers:
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 106 (50) – Tries: Taine-Randall Booysen (3), Erik Lambrecht (3), Xavier Mitchell (3), Bentley Geldenhuys (2), Neil Rautenbach, Gift Dlamini, Andre Manuel, Jason Beukes, Durin Nasson. Conversions: Darian Hock (7), Garth April (6).
Border 7 (0) – Try: Lwandile Mapuko. Conversion: Mapuko
GRIFFONS BEAT VALKE IN WELKOM TRY-FEST
The Griffons scored eight tries to the Valke’s six in another high-scoring SA Cup clash in Welkom on Sunday afternoon, with the hosts taking the spoils by 53-40.
The Griffons lead by 27-19 at the break, with Dandre Delport (hooker) bagging his hat-trick before the break already.
Sergio Stalmeester (flyhalf) chipped in with the half of the Valke’s points tally when he scored two tries and landed five conversions.
The visitors from the East Rand earned a losing bonus-point for their efforts, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Northern Free Staters, who remain in third spot on the log.
Scorers:
NovaVit Griffons 53 (27) – Tries: Duren Hoffman (2), Dandre Delport (3), Domenic Smit, Mthokozisi Gumede, Soso Xakalashe. Conversions: Danrich Visagie, Drop goal: Smit.
Valke 40 (19) – Tries: Zander van der Merwe, Sergio Stalmeester (2), Andrew van Wyk, Ezrick Alexander (2). Conversions: Stalmeester (5).
