With the enterprise finish quick approaching and simply two rounds of cross-section Currie Cup fixtures remaining earlier than the semi-finals, the battle for top-four locations on the log has turned pink scorching.
The Bulls opened the spherical with a 47-24 romp over Griquas for his or her seventh win in eight video games on Friday. The subsequent day in Cape City, the Sharks confirmed off their rising pedigree by outplaying Western Province 31-23 and within the later fixture, the Lions received the “massive cat derby” 38-21 over the Cheetahs.
Extra importantly for the chasing Pumas, the Highvelders denied the Free Staters any bonus factors. That opened the door for the Mpumalanga outfit to shut the hole on fourth place with their 45-26 away victory over the Griffons on Sunday.
The Durbanites leapt into third spot on 26 factors, behind the 2 Gauteng groups (Bulls on 36 and Lions on 33), whereas the Cheetahs and Pumas are degree on 24 factors, with simply factors distinction separating the 2. WP and the Griquas are on 14 factors, and the Griffons on three, with these three unlikely to qualify for the playoffs.
Within the spherical’s opening fixture Friday night in Pretoria, the Bulls packed an excessive amount of firepower for Griquas as they navigated a tough fixture with ease.
After the guests shook the Loftus crowd to race right into a 14-0 lead, the hosts fought again to enter the break 26-19 up and ultimately scored seven tries to 4 to solidify prime spot on the log.
Bulls No 8 Mpilo Gumede was excellent on the night, and he was rewarded with two tries, whereas former Junior Bok hooker Juan Else made an excellent impression off the bench as he too was rewarded with a brace of tries. Speedster Dylan Maart continued his good type out broad for the Kimberley outfit by dotting down twice.
Saturday afternoon noticed the Sharks enhance their semi-final hopes, whereas all of them however ended WP’s slender possibilities of a top-four spot as they defeated the Capetonians 31-23 for a stable away win in Cape City.
The KZN facet registered 4 transformed tries and a drop aim, whereas WP responded with two transformed tries and three penalty targets. JP Pietersen’s males have been already 21-10 in entrance on the interval, however the dwelling facet staged a powerful comeback within the second half to chop the deficit to 28-23 at one stage. Nonetheless, Sharks pivot Lionel Cronje used all his expertise to calmly land a drop aim to place the rating past the attain of Province.
A short time later in Bloemfontein, the Lions made a quick begin and have been 26-7 forward on the midway stage in opposition to the Cheetahs, who managed their solely rating of the half after the siren. The Highvelders went on to attain six tries and 4 conversions, whereas the Cheetahs replied with three transformed tries.
Their quick begin meant that the defending champions and hosts have been at all times chasing the sport. Flyhalf Kade Wolhuter pulled the strings for the guests, displaying his intelligent tactical kicking abilities. Other than scoring one attempt to kicking 4 conversions, he additionally had a hand in a number of different scores.
The final fixture of the spherical was staged on Sunday in Welkom, the place the Pumas downed the Griffons 45-26 to earn an important bonus-point victory.
The primary half was an actual arm wrestle, however Jimmy Stonehouse’s males used their larger expertise within the second stanza to tug away. The Lowvelders registered seven tries – every scored by a unique participant – of which 5 have been transformed by Clinton Swart, whereas the hosts answered with 4 tries and three conversions.
Livewire Pumas free ahead Ntsika Fisanti had an impressive sport, and he was an actual menace on the breakdown, and together with his linking play to provoke a number of assaults. The end result means the lads from Welkom are nonetheless winless after eight begins.
Within the penultimate spherical of motion this weekend, with Griquas and the Cheetahs kicking off spherical 9 in Kimberley on Friday afternoon at 15h00. That encounter is adopted by the large Jukskei Derby, beginning at 17h15 in Pretoria, between the Bulls and rhe Lions.
The Sharks and Griffons conflict in Saturday’s solely sport, from 13h30 in Durban, with WP internet hosting the Pumas on Sunday at 15h00 within the remaining fixture of the spherical.
Scorers:
Bulls 47 (26), Griquas 24 (19)
Bulls – Tries: Mpilo Gumede (2), Juann Else (2), Henry Immelman, Chris Smit, Jaco van der Walt. Conversions: Van der Walt (4), Boeta Chamberlain (2).
Griquas – Tries: Dylan Maart (2), Marco de Witt, Thabo Ndimande. Conversions: Zinedine Robinson (2).
Western Province 23 (10), Sharks 31 (21)
Western Province – Tries: Kyle Smith, Vernon Matongo. Converions: Jurie Matthee (2). Penalty targets: Matthee (3).
Sharks – Tries: Tino Mavesere, Jurenzo Julius, Nick Hatton, Eduan Keyter. Conversions: Lionel Cronje (4). Drop aim: Cronje.
Cheetahs 21 (7), Constancy ADT Lions 38 (26)
Cheetahs – Tries: Corne Fourie, Daniel Kasende, Vernon Paulo. Conversions: Ethan Wentzel (2), Reinhardt Fortuin.
Lions – Tries: Renzo du Plessis (2), RF Schoeman, Jaco Visagie, Rabz Maxwane, Kade Wolhuter. Converions: (4).
Griffons 26 (12), Pumas 45 (14)
Griffons – Tries: Willem van den Heever, Thato Mavundla, Kyle Cyster, Simon Westraadt. Conversions: Andrew Kota (2), Duan Pretorius.
Pumas – Tries: Dewald Maritz, Eddie Swart, Danrich Visagie, Tino Swanepoel, David Brits, Ross Braude, Llewellyn Classen. Conversions: Clinton Swart (5).
