Club season: Then there was four

WRAP: College Rovers and Naka Bulle claimed big victories this past weekend to secure home ground advantage for the Gold Cup, national club championship, semifinals.

Northam Rhinos and Helderberg also recorded impressive wins to gather some momentum ahead of the penultimate round of the tournament.

The quarterfinal matches staged in Pretoria, Strand, Setaria and Durban this past Saturday were high-scoring affairs.

All four home sides won by comfortable margins, but it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue into the semifinals.

Naka Bulle proved too strong for the Northam Wolves in Pretoria, scoring 10 tries in a 65-10 win.

Wing Pule Molokome dotted down twice for the defending champions, while fullback Hansie Graaf slotted four conversions.

The play-off between Helderberg and Centurion in Strand was in the balance at half-time, with the hosts enjoying a slender 22-19 lead. Helderberg scored 27 points after the break to emerge with a 49-24 victory, with scrumhalf Michael Visser contributing 19 points from the boot.

Northam Rhinos continued their high-scoring run in this tournament, following up a 55-19 win over Pirates in the Round of 16 with a 60-12 victory against Groot-Brakrivier in Setaria on Saturday.

Replacement hooker Maliviwe Simanga scored two of his team’s 10 tries, and the margin of victory may have been greater if not for five missed conversions.

Down in Durban, Inny Radebe scored 14 points to guide College Rovers to a 70-6 win over Louis Trichardt. The Rovers have racked up 237 points in their three matches while conceding just five tries.

College Rovers’ defence will be put to the test this Saturday when they host the Rhinos in Durban. The fixture is a replay of last season’s semifinal, which the KwaZulu-Natalians edged 21-19.

Naka Bulle, who beat Rovers 56-29 in the 2023 Final, will host Helderberg in the play-off staged in Pretoria this Saturday.

Quarterfinal results

Naka Bulle 65 Northam Wolves 10
Helderberg 49 Centurion 24
Northam Rhinos 60 Groot-Brakrivier Rugby Club 12
College Rovers 70 Louis Trichardt 6

Semifinals

Saturday, October 12

15.00: College Rovers v Northam Rhinos (Kings Park Three, Durban)
16.00: Naka Bulle v Helderberg (Naka Bulle Club, Pretoria)