Pumas, Sharks only unbeaten teams

The Pumas and Sharks XV remain the only two unbeaten teams in the Vodacom Cup competition.

They powered their way to their fourth successive victories this weekend, while Griquas suffered their first defeat of the season.

The round also proved significant for the Boland Cavaliers and the Falcons, who registered their first victories in the series.

In the opening match on Friday, Western Province successfully built on their win against the EP Kings last week by securing a 29-16 win and their second bonus-point victory of the season against the Border Bulldogs at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London.

The team ran in five tries, two of which were by No.8 Rayn Smid, to only one by the hosts, while their effective defence limited the Bulldogs to only a penalty in the second half.

North section log leaders, the Pumas, meanwhile, took advantage of Griquas' indiscipline for their 25-16 victory in Nelspruit.

Griquas outscored the hosts two tries to one, but six penalties by Pumas flyhalf JC Roos earned them the victory. In total Roos kicked 20 of his team's 25 points.

The Sharks XV dominated from the outset against the SWD Eagles at Kings Park for their 27-10 win, with Tim Swiel and Monde Hadebe crossing the tryline in the first 24 minutes for a 14-0 lead.

Eagles No.8 Alwyn Bester reduced the deficit by crashing over the tryline on the stroke of half time, but the Sharks held their composure and scored their third try of the match in the second half, while Swiel kept the scoreboard ticking with the boot to shut out the Eagles.

The Falcons were emphatic in their dominance against the winless Limpopo Blue Bulls in Sasolburg with the side touching down 11 tries in the 80 minutes for their 65-14 victory.

The first half was competitive as the Limpopo Blue Bulls scored two tries to the Falcons's four to trail only 24-14. But the hosts took full control of proceedings after the break and added an impressive seven tries to push their score over the 60-point mark.

In contrast, the Blue Bulls had to work hard for their 32-26 victory against the Leopards XV in Leeudoringstad after trailing 13-6 at half time.

After managing only two penalties before the break, the Blue Bulls surprised their hosts with a strong fight-back in the third quarter in which they scored a brace of four tries to snatch a bonus-point victory and their first away win of the season.

The Boland Cavaliers survived a determined second-half fight-back by Kenya's Simba XV for their 24-19 victory at the City Park Stadium and their first win of the season.

The hosts entered the break with an encouraging 17-5 lead thanks to three tries in 15 minutes.

But they allowed the Simba XV to bounce back with two tries to add to their one in the first half. A converted try by fullback Eric Zana with 13 minutes to go, however, ended the home side's losing run and secured them a bonus point for four tries.

In Johannesburg, the Lions had to fight for their 40-37 victory against the Griffons at the Bill Jardine Stadium as the teams were neck-on-neck for most of the match.

At half time the Lions led only 19-17, but the team's six tries to only five by the visitors handed them an edge. Lions No.8 Ruaan Lerm scored two tries for his team, while Griffons loose forwards Martin Sithole and Nicky Steyn earned two a piece for their team.

The Free State XV, meanwhile, bounced back strongly from their heartbreaking 22-23 defeat against the Sharks XV with a scintillating performance to outplay the EP Kings 31-3 in Cradock.

The Free State XV led only 10-3 at half time, but they dominated in the second half to secure their bonus point for four tries, while denying the EP Kings a single point. Replacement back Alvin Brandt scored two of the team's tries, with centre Nicolaas Lee and lock Teboho Mohoje touching down for the other two.

All the scores and scorers:

Border Bulldogs 16 (13) Western Province 29 (17)

Border Bulldogs:

Try: Noordman

Con: Taljard

Pens: Taljard 2, Jacobs

Western Province:

Tries: Roberts, Williams, Lewis, Smid 2

Cons: Roberts, Van Aswegen

Pumas 25 (16) Griquas 16 (6)

Pumas:

Try: Steenkamp

Con: Roos

Pens: Roos 6

Griquas:

Tries: Prinsloo, Schoeman

Pens: Jansen 2

Sharks XV 27 (17) SWD Eagles 10 (7)

Sharks XV:

Tries: Hadebe, Maritz, Swiel

Cons: Swiel 3

Pens: Swiel 2

SWD Eagles:

Try: Bester

Con: Aspeling

Pen: Aspeling

Falcons 65 (24) Limpopo Blue Bulls 14 (14)

Falcons:

Tries: Van Wyk, Richter, Cronje 2, Verwey 3, Am, Ngcobo 2, Gwavu

Cons: Cleophas 2, Kyle Hendricks 3

Limpopo Blue Bulls:

Tries: Janse van Rensburg, Mathonsi

Cons: Huysamen 2

Leopards XV 26 (13) Blue Bulls 32 (6)

Leopards XV:

Tries: Tossel, Nortier, Niemand

Con: Nortier

Pen: Nortier

DGs: Nortier, Botha

Blue Bulls:

Tries: Hugo, Mastriet, Tobias, Small-Smith

Cons: Kriel 2, Stander

Pens: Fouche 2

Simba XV 19 (5) Boland Cavaliers 24 (17)

Simba XV:

Tries: Chenge, Osinde, Omondi

Cons: Mukidza, Kochieng

Boland Cavaliers:

Tries: Pretorius 3, Zana

Cons: Zana 2

Golden Lions 40 (19) Griffons 37 (17)

Golden Lions:

Tries: Esterhuizen, Erasmus, Lerm 2, Qinisile, Mabuza

Cons: Du Plessis 5

Griffons:

Tries: Sithole 2, Steyn 2, Groenewald

Cons: Du Toit, Strydom 2

Pens: Strydom 2

EP Kings 3 (3) Free State 31 (10)

EP Kings:

Pen: Whitehead

Free State XV:

Tries: Brandt 2, Lee, Mohoje

Cons: Marais 4

Pen: Marais

Vodacom Cup Logs (under headings games played, won and points):

North Section: Pumas 4 4 17; Golden Lions 4 3 14; Griquas 4 3 13; Leopards XV 4 2 12; Blue Bulls 4 2 11; Falcons 4 1 7; Griffons 4 1 7;  Limpopo Blue Bulls 4 0 0.

South Section: Sharks XV 4 4 17; Free State XV 4 3 16; Western Province 4 3 14; SWD Eagles 4 2 12; EP Kings 4 1 6; Simba XV 4 1 6; Boland Cavaliers 4 1 5; Border Bulldogs 4 1 4.