The Toyota Cheetahs surged back into Carling SA Cup semi-final contention with a dramatic 38-31 victory over local rivals, the NovaVit Griffons, in a fiercely contested Free State derby played at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.
Image: Danie van der Lith
The Toyota Cheetahs surged back into Carling SA Cup semi-final contention with a dramatic 38-31 victory over provincial rivals, the NovaVit Griffons, in a fiercely contested Free State derby played at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.
The crucial result saw the Cheetahs leapfrog several teams on the log to occupy fourth position after Round 5 of the competition, marking their third win of the campaign. It was a high-stakes clash from the outset, with both teams knowing the importance of a win in the race for the semi-finals.
The hosts held a 19-10 lead at halftime and capitalised on a dominant first-half performance where the Griffons were punished for ill-discipline, picking up two yellow cards and conceding numerous penalties. However, the visiting side from Welkom bounced back in the second half, fighting tooth and nail to level the scores at 31-all thanks to a well-earned penalty try.
But it was the Cheetahs who had the final say, with replacement hooker Vernon Paulo barging over for the match-winning try in the closing stages to clinch a morale-boosting victory in front of their home fans.
Elsewhere, defending champions Suzuki Griquas kept their perfect record intact by overcoming the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 42-36 in a pulsating encounter at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on Friday. The hosts had to come from behind after trailing 17-14 at halftime but ultimately outscored the visitors by six tries to five to stay unbeaten at the top of the table.
Just as dominant were the Airlink Pumas, who produced a devastating display of attacking rugby to annihilate the Border Bulldogs 110-7 in Nelspruit. The Pumas ran in a jaw-dropping 16 tries, with fullback Tino Swanepoel crossing the whitewash four times. Flyhalf Danrich Visagie had a field day with the boot, slotting 15 conversions and scoring a try of his own for a personal haul of 35 points.
With these results, both the Pumas and Griquas remain locked at the top of the log on 25 points apiece, boasting five bonus-point wins from five starts.
In George, the Valke battled to a hard-fought 24-18 victory over the Phangela SWD Eagles at Outeniqua Park on Friday afternoon. The East Randers flew out of the blocks, scoring three first-half tries through Sergio Stalmeester, Mbembe Payi, and Godfrey Muzanargwo to take a 24-10 lead into the break.
The Eagles rallied in the second half with a try from Hlomla Zondani and two penalties from Roshwin Abrahams, but the Valke held firm in the dying minutes to record their third win and keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Both teams now sit on 15 points, just outside the top four.
Eastern Province notched up their second win of the campaign by seeing off the Leopards 26-17 in Gqeberha on Saturday. Playing at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the home side showed grit and attacking flair, scoring four tries despite playing a portion of the match with 14 men after CJ Velleman was yellow-carded.
The Leopards threatened early in the second half when Bryan Breda dotted down, but Jayden Bantom and Wayne Ngubane responded with crucial scores for EP, who moved to seventh on the log with 12 points.
After five rounds of exciting action, the Griquas and Pumas lead the pack with 25 points each. The Griffons remain third on 18 points, despite their derby loss, while the Cheetahs have climbed into fourth place on 17 points.
Just outside the top four are the Valke and Kavaliers (both on 15 points), with Eastern Province sitting seventh (12 points). The bottom three spots are occupied by the Eagles (seven points), the Leopards (four), and the struggling Border Bulldogs (two).
The action continues this coming weekend with another enticing round of fixtures:
With just three rounds remaining before the semi-finals, every match now carries knockout intensity as teams jostle for the top four spots. The Cheetahs’ late surge and the Griquas' and Pumas’ consistent dominance have thrown the SA Cup wide open – and fans can expect even more fireworks in the weeks to come.
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