Big cats dominate First Division

The Pumas and Leopards continued their dominance in the national First Division this weekend to retain their places at the top of the log.

The Pumas produced another stunning display for a 35-5 victory against the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington to stretch their unbeaten run to six matches, while the Leopards outplayed the Border Bulldogs 26-10 in East London to prevent the Pumas from inflating their lead at the top of the table.

In the other matches the EP Kings thumped the Falcons 44-18 in Brakpan and the SWD Eagles held on for a 30-25 victory against the Griffons in George.

The Pumas were in impressive form in Wellington, with the team being rewarded with five tries for their dominant attack. As expected the opening exchanges were tight as the Boland Cavaliers put up a brave fight following four back-to-back victories.

But a yellow card for scrumhalf Zandre Jordaan reduced the team to 14 men and gave the Pumas the advantage they needed to stamp their authority. With the numbers and momentum on the Pumas’ side, Coenie van Wyk and Rosco Speckman crossed the tryline to add to a penalty by flyhalf Carl Bezuidenhout for a 17-0 lead before Jordaan returned to the field.

But their dominant forwards continued to place the home team under pressure, which set flank Uzair Cassiem up for the team’s third try minutes later. Jordaan, however, hit back with a try before the break for Boland’s first points and a 22-5 half time score. But unfortunately it proved to be their only points of the match.

The Pumas continued to apply pressure on attack after the break thanks to a balanced display between the forwards and backs. But a solid defensive effort by Boland limited them to only two tries in the second half and a penalty by Tiaan Marx. This victory, however, marked the Pumas sixth of the season and their third bonus-point win.  

In East London, a solid kicking performance by Leopards flyhalf Adriaan Engebrecht and a dominant attacking display, in which they outscored the Border Bulldogs three tries to two, earned the visitors their fourth victory of the season.

The first half was tightly contested with the Leopards settling for three penalties in the first 30 minutes to open up the scoring. Such was the competitive nature of the half it took a Bulldogs yellow card for the Leopards to score their first try of the match and build a 14-0 lead at the break.

The second half proved to be equally tense, as both teams crossed the tryline twice, but unfortunately for the home team, their ill-discipline in the first half came at the high price of their fifth defeat of the season.

The Leopards, meanwhile, retained their second-place standing on the log table, but they remain only three points ahead of the EP Kings and SWD Eagles.

A scintillating kicking display by EP Kings flyhalf Ntabeni Dukisa and a hat-trick of tries by captain and flank Mpho Mbiyozo, meanwhile, led the Port Elizabeth team to an invaluable away-victory against the Falcons in Brakpan.

In a thrilling first half the Kings dominated possession, which set Mbiyozo up for his first two tries to add to Dukisa’s first-half penalty. The Falcons, meanwhile, did well to feed off the scraps for their 10 points in the first half, with Anrich Richter crossing the tryline for their first try.

The teams continued to put their bodies on the line in the second half, which resulted in an epic third quarter, but another three tries by the EP Kings, of which two were scored in the last five minutes of the match, to only one by the Valke sealed the victory for the Eastern Cape side.

Such was Dukisa’s influential performance, he earned 19 points with the boot thanks to five conversions and three penalties, and added an extra five thanks to his try, for a personal total of 24 points.

In George, a penalty-riddled first half saw the SWD Eagles take a narrow 16-15 lead against the Griffons. Such was the high level of ill-discipline, Eagles flyhalves Justin van Staden slotted over three penalties to add to the only try of the half by wing Alshaun Bock, while all the Griffons’ first-half points were compliments of penalties by flyhalf Louis Strydom.

Two tries by the Eagles to only one by the Griffons in the second half, however, handed the home team an edge and allowed them to remain hot on the heels of the Leopards and EP Kings on the log.

First Division Round Six results and scorers:

Boland Cavaliers 5-35 Pumas

For the Boland Cavaliers:

Try: Jordaan

For the Pumas:

Tries: Van Wyk, Herne, Speckman, Cassiem 2

Cons: Bezuidenhout 2

Pens: Bezuidenhout, Marx

The teams:

Boland Cavaliers: 15 Jacquin Jansen, 14 Senan Van Der Merwe, 13 Jonathan Francke, 12 Braam Gerber, 11 Brendon April, 10 Ricardo Croy, 9 Ntando Kebe, 8 Zandre Jordaan, 7 Bradley Fortuin, 6 Franzel September (captain), 5 John-Charles Astle, 4 PJ van Zyl, 3 Jacques Kotze, 2 Clemen Lewis, 1 Sabelo Nhlapo.

Replacements: 16 Ulrich Pretorius, 17 Francois Hanekom, 18 Ben Venter, 19 Alwyn Bester, 20 Ricky Schroeder, 21 Wynand Pienaar, 22 Cheswin Williams.

Pumas: 15 Coenie van Wyk, 14 JW Bell, 13 Wilmaure Louw, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Rosco Speckman, 10 Carl Bezuidenhout, 9 Francois de Klerk, 8 RW Kember, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Frank Herne, 5 Eduan Van Der Walt (captain), 4 Lubabalo Mtyanda, 3 De-Jay Terblanche, 2 Jacques Momberg, 1 Vincent Koch.

Replacements: 16 Corné Fourie, 17 Stephan Kotze, 18 Christo le Roux, 19 Jaco Bouwer, 20 Reynier van Rooyen, 21 Dewald Pretorius, 22 Tiaan Marx.

Border Bulldogs 10-26 Leopards

For the Border Bulldogs:

Tries: Spring, Mdaka

For the Leopards:

Tries: Snyman, Swart, Obi

Con: Engelbrecht

Pens: Engelbrecht 3

The teams:

Border Bulldogs: 15 Cecil Dumond, 14 Andrew van Wyk, 13 Ruan Jacobs, 12 Quinton Crocker, 11 Shane Spring, 10 Niell Jacobs, 9 Shannon Rick, 8 Juan Pretorius, 7 Gareth Krause (captain), 6 Rynardt van Wyk, 5 Stephan Gerber, 4 Anthonie Gronum, 3 Wesley Cloete, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Khwezi Mkhafu.

Replacements: 16 Wayne Lemley, 17 Renier Schoeman, 18 Siyabulela Mdaka, 19 Brian Shabangu, 20 Sinovuyo Nyoka, 21 Chrislyn van Schalkwyk, 22 Chumani Booi.

Leopards: 15 Danie Dames, 14 Luther Obi, 13 Hennie Skorbinski, 12 George Tossel, 11 Edmar Marais, 10 Adriaan Engelbrecht, 9 Johann Laker, 8 Morne Hanekom, 7 Peet van der Walt, 6 Henro Swart, 5 Brendon Snyman (captain), 4 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 3 Martin Dreyer, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 BG Uys.

Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Elardus Venter, 18 Rhyk Welgemoed, 19 Bernie van Rooyen, 20 Tiaan Dorfling, 21 Charl Weideman, 22 Jarryd Buys.

Falcons 18-44 EP Kings:

For the Falcons:

Tries: Richter, Roberts

Con: Kotze

Penalty: Kotze

DG: Kotze

For the EP Kings:

Tries: Mbiyozo 3, Dukisa, Grey

Cons: Dukisa 5

Pens: Dukisa 3

The teams:

Falcons: 15 Wesley Roberts, 14 Kyle Hendricks, 13 Coert Cronje, 12 Christo Joubert, 11 Sandile Ngcobo, 10 Jaun Kotze, 9 Anrich Richter, 8 JP Mostert (captain), 7 Francois Fourie, 6 Bruce Muller, 5 Rinus Bothma, 4 Johan de Bruin, 3 Nicolaas Pretorius, 2 Birtie Powell, 1 Nico Engelbrecht.

Replacements: 16 Wessel Du Rand, 17 Dandre van der Westhuizen, 18 Jacques Alberts, 19 Shaun McGeer, 20 Arafaat Kock, 21 Jaco Oosthuizen, 22 Jongi Nokwe.

EP Kings: 15 Siviwe Soyizwapi, 14 Michael Killian, 13 Siyanda Grey, 12 Andile Jho, 11 Eben Barnard, 10 Ntabeni Dukisa, 9 Boela Abrahams, 8 Stephan Zaayman, 7 Mpho Mbiyozo (captain), 6 Stefan Willemse, 5 Wayne van Heerden, 4 Samora Fihlani, 3 Lizo Gqoboka, 2 Albe De Swardt, 1 Brenden Olivier.

Replacements: 16 Dane van der Westhuyzen, 17 Jaco Engels, 18 Thabo Mamojele, 19 Thembelani Bholi, 20 Kayle van Zyl, 21 Brian Skosana, 22 Sergeal Petersen

SWD Eagles 30-25 Griffons

For the SWD Eagles:

Tries: Bock, Kemp, Floors

Cons: Van Staden 3

Pens: Van Staden 3

For the Griffons:

Try: Jordaan

Con: Strydom

Pens: Strydom 6

The teams:

SWD Eagles: 15 Daniel Roberts, 14 Clinton Wagman, 13 Ghafoer Luckan, 12 Gerrit Smith, 11 Alshaun Bock, 10 Justin van Staden, 9 Jandré Blom, 8 Christo Du Plessis, 7 Shaun Raubenheimer, 6 Kabamba Floors (captain), 5 Mzwanele Zito, 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Grant Kemp, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Roy Godfrey.

Replacements: 16 Wayne Khan, 17 Layle Delo, 18 Lourens Du Toit, 19 Buran Parks, 20 Mzo Dyantyi, 21 Jeff Taljard, 22 Mbembe Payi.

Griffons: 15 Aubrey McDonald, 14 Vuyo Mboto, 13 Werner Griesel (captain), 12 Japie Nel, 11 Tertius Maarman, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Oshwill Nortje, 8 Erik le Roux, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Martin Sithole, 5 Lehan Koekemoer, 4 Chris Ehlers, 3 Daniel van der Merwe, 2 JC van Wyk, 1 Kevin Stevens.

Replacements: 16 Derick van Heerden, 17 Rudi Britz, 18 Jeremy Jordaan, 19 Mlungisi Bali, 20 Andries Mahoney, 21 Shane Hancke, 22 Shaun Prins.

First Division log:

(Under played, wom, points)

Pumas (6, 6, 27)

Leopards (^, 4, 20)

EP Kings (6, 3, 17)

Eagles (6, 3, 17)

Cavaliers (6, 4, 16)

Falcons (6, 1, 9)

Griffons (6, 1, 9)

Bulldogs (6, 1, 8)