Currie Cup champs score 101 points, Boland hold off Cheetahs

MATCH REPORT: Currie Cup champions Griquas opened their SA Cup campaign with a runaway 101-7 triumph over the Leopards, crossing for 15 tries in a one-sided display in Kimberley on Saturday.

Tries by Lourens Oosthuizen, Tiaan Lange, Cameron Hufke, Connor Mahoney, and Sako Makata ensured full control of the first half. Former Junior Bok flyhalf Liam Koen converted every first-half score.

The Leopards scored a consolation try though Naiden Jaarts, which was converted by Shaun-Christian Baxter, to make the half-time score 42-7.

Any hopes of a Leopards resurgence evaporated as the men from Kimberley resumed their assault immediately after the restart. Albert Liebenberg, Mahoney, and Oosthuizen added further tries, all converted by Koen before his substitution.

Makata completed his hat-trick, Phumzile Maqondwana powered over, and Damian Markus and Gustav Erlank also contributed to the final try tally.

Meanwhile, the Griffons secured a convincing 36–17 victory over the Border Bulldogs at the Down Touch Investments Stadium in Welkom on Saturday.

Entering the match, the Bulldogs were desperate to set a new tone for this season after a tough 2025 campaign where they failed to record a win.

The Griffons established control early on when No.8 Calla Pienaar crossed the whitewash in the seventh minute, with Keegan Schaefer adding the extras. Despite a period of dogged defence from the Bulldogs, the hosts increased their lead just before the interval through prop Hlumza Nondonga, taking a 12–0 lead into half-time.

The second stanza saw the Griffons pull away as wing Chad Tshimanga produced a scintillating hat-trick. Tshimanga’s first try in the 51st minute was quickly followed by another just three minutes later, both converted by Schaefer to stretch the lead to 26–0.

Tshimanga completed his treble in the 63rd minute, effectively sealing the result, before replacement Justin Forwood added a sixth try for the hosts in the 70th minute.

To their credit, the Bulldogs refused to capitulate and dominated the final 10 minutes. Siyabonga Marele sparked the late resurgence with a try in the 72nd minute, followed by scores from Mbasa Nkonki and Sphamandia Soti. Avuyile Mabece added a solitary conversion, but it was too little, too late to threaten the Northern Free Staters’ dominance.

Boland upset Cheetahs

Boland got their 2026 SA Cup campaign underway with a 34–24 away victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday.

It was the third consecutive win for Hawies Fourie’s charges against a team he previously coached before taking over as Boland head coach at the beginning of 2024.

The five points secured in Bloemfontein could prove valuable as the competition progresses, with the top four teams in the SA Cup earning promotion to the Currie Cup Premier Division later this season.

The visitors made a dream start, scoring three converted tries in the opening 26 minutes. However, as expected, the Cheetahs fought back strongly after half-time to put Boland under pressure.

No.8 and captain Thurlow Marsh played a central role in Boland’s early dominance. He scored the second of the three early tries and provided the final pass for both Xavier Mitchell (left wing) and Lunathi Nxele (outside centre), who crossed in the fifth and 26th minutes respectively.

Marsh also showed excellent support play when experienced scrumhalf Louis Schreuder broke down the blindside before sending the captain clear on his inside for a try following a line-out variation.

Nxele, who scored four tries against the Cheetahs in the opening SA Cup fixture in Wellington last year, benefited from a Marsh tip on in midfield before running 40 metres to score close to the sticks. That gave the visitors an emphatic 21–0 lead.

Flyhalf Juan Mostert then added a penalty in the 33rd minute to extend Boland’s advantage to 24–0.

Left winger, Prince Nkabinde, eventually opened the scoring for the home side shortly before the break, reducing the deficit to 24–7 as the players headed into the sheds.

The Cheetahs returned with renewed urgency and, with their powerful rolling maul proving difficult to contain, scored tries in the 43rd and 53rd minutes to close the gap by just seven points, 24–17.

Mostert then produced a crucial moment against the run of play when he charged down Ethan Wentzel’s kick following a quick throw-in from a line-out by replacement Clayton Blommetjies.

The flyhalf gathered the loose ball to score, convert, and hand Boland some breathing room yet again.

The Kavaliers were later reduced to 14 men when flanker Kwanda Dimaza saw yellow for a high tackle on Munier Hartzenberg. This gave the Cheetahs momentum heading into the final quarter.

Powerful inside centre Zander du Plessis brought the hosts within touching distance with a strong run, cutting Boland’ lead to seven, 31–24.

Calm leadership from Marsh then proved decisive. After consulting with referee Morné Ferreira, the Boland captain requested a review of a no-arms tackle on lock Jeandré Leonard. Television match official Aimee Barrett Theron confirmed the infringement, and Mostert stepped up to slot the resulting penalty from in front of the posts, 34-24.

Cheetahs flank Daniel Maartens, the initial offender, was penalised mere minutes later, resulting in him being shown a yellow card following another no-arms tackle.

Up front, Dayan van der Westhuizen (tighthead prop) was a menace at the breakdown, while Dimaza and Marsh carried strongly and defended bravely. The halfback pairing of Schreuder and Mostert also managed the game effectively for the visitors.

Boland’s composure in the final quarter ensured that a fast start was converted into a valuable away victory.

Boland next face the Griffons at the Boland Stadium in Wellington next Sunday in what will be the first of the much-anticipated Boland Sundays of the season.

In Friday’s other matches, Eastern Province suffered a 23-29 home defeat to the Valke, while the Pumas edged SWD 28-26 in George.

See below for Round One’s scores and scorers!

Friday, March 6:

Cheetahs 24-34 Boland

The scorers:

For Cheetahs:
Tries: Nkabinde, Van der Westhuizen, Van der Westhuizen, Du Plessis
Cons: Wentzel, Jasper

For Boland:
Tries: Mitchell, Marsh, Nxele, Mostert
Cons: Mostert 4
Pens: Mostert 2

Teams:

Cheetahs: 15 Michael Annies, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 De-an Ackerman, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Prince Nkabinde, 10 Ethan Wentzel, 9 Christiaan van der Westhuizen, 8 Gideon van der Merwe, 7 Sisonke Vumazonke, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Curtley Thomas, 4 Carl Wegener, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen (captain), 1 Matome Manyama.
Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Tielman Niewoudt, 18 Frankie Dos Reis, 19 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 20 Neels Volschenk, 21 Jandre Nel, 22 Cohen Jasper, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.

Boland: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Jade Stighling, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Chris Smit, 11 Xavier Mitchell, 10 Juan Mostert, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh, 7 Kwanda Dimaza, 6 Sauliegh Arendse, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Jeandre Leonard, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Dewald Maritz.
Replacements: 16 Joshua Eras, 17 Mthokozisi Gumede, 18 Andrew Beerwinkel, 19 Michael Benadie, 20 Khwezi Mafu, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Erik Lambrecht, 23 Thurlon Williams.

Referee: Morne Ferreira
Assistant referees: Tiaan Engelbrecht, DJ Hefer
TMO: Aimee Barrett-Theron

Eastern Province 23-29 Valke

The scorers:

For Eastern Province:
Tries: Sachin Toring, Laken Gray
Cons: Garth April 2
Pens: April 2, Maxwell Klaasen

For Valke:
Tries: Ezrick Alexander, Pierre Rabie, Musa Tshabalala, Adrian Joubert
Cons: Sergio Stalmeester 2, Mbembe Payi
Pen: Payi

Teams:

Eastern Province: 15 Lwandile Mapuko, 14 Rodney Damons, 13 Christiaan Potgieter, 12 Troy Delport, 11 Mpho Ntsane, 10 Garth April, 9 Sachin Toring, 8 Damon Royle, 7 Athenkosi Khethani, 6 Laken Gray, 5 Mzwanele Zito, 4 Joshua Paris, 3 Buhle Nojekwa, 2 Dandre Delport, 1 Siyakubonga Nzuzo
Replacements: 16 Kamvelihle Fatyela, 17 Hlomla Zodani, 18 Duncan du Buisson, 19 Armand Grobler, 20 Francois Bester, 21 Richman Gora, 22 Maxwell Klaasen, 23 Liyema Matyolweni

Falcons: 15 Mbembe Payi, 14 Adrian Joubert, 13 Theuns Pretorius, 12 Zeilinga Strydom, 11 Ezrick Alexander, 10 Sergio Stalmeester, 9 Luciano Elias, 8 Abulele Ndabambi, 7 Godfrey Muzanargwo, 6 Zander van der Merwe, 5 Cayno February, 4 Mihlali Stamper (captain), 3 Blaine Golden, 2 Pierre Rabie, 1 Kayden Kiewit
Replacements: 16 Sikholise Nanto, 17 Ethan Jeffery, 18 Thabo Ntunja, 19 Dirco Lourens, 20 Zingisa April, 21 Kelvin Kanenungo, 22 Wernich Aucamp, 23 Musa Tshabalala

Referee: Dylen November
Assistant referees: SARU appointed
TMO: SARU appointed

SWD Eagles 26-28 Pumas

The scorers:

For SWD Eagles:
Tries: Keanu Vers, Ulrich Stander, Carel du Preez, Penalty Try
Cons: Fred Zeilinga, Abner van Reenen

For Pumas:
Tries: Sango Xamlashe, Valentino Wellman, Dalvon Blood, Ntsika Fisanti
Cons: Danrich Visagie 4

Teams:

SWD Eagles: 15 Andell Loubser, 14 Nico Leonard, 13 Niel Beukes, 12 Carlton Banies, 11 Keanu Vers, 10 Abner van Reenen (captain), 9 Xavier Swartbooi, 8 Ulrich Stander, 7 Carel du Preez (captain), 6 HD Stemmet, 5 Dylan de Leeuw, 4 Matthew Gray, 3 Gunther Janse van Vuuren, 2 Janus Venter, 1 Nathan Meilhon
Replacements: 16 Allister Williams, 17 Ntokozo Hlophe, 18 Christo Swanepoel, 19 Ewan Coetzee, 20 Gideon van Wyk, 21 Tiaan Fourie, 22 Fred Zeilinga, 23 Tiaan Pretorius

Pumas: 15 Andrew Kota, 14 Valentino Wellman, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Clinton Swart, 11 Dalvon Blood, 10 Danrich Visagie, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Marvelous Mashimbyi, 7 Andre Goedhals, 6 Ntsika Fisanti, 5 Tiaan de Klerk, 4 Hanno Theunissen, 3 Sampie Swiegers (captain), 2 Gustav du Rand, 1 Kudzwai Dube
Replacements: 16 Darnelle Osuagwu, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Bryan le Roux, 19 Miyelani Ngobeni, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Reagan Oranje, 22 Jaycee Nel, 23 Darre Adonis

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: SARU appointed
TMO: SARU appointed

Saturday, March 7:

Griquas 101-7 Leopards

The scorers:

For Griquas:
Tries: Lourens Oosthuizen 3, Sako Makata 3, Cameron Hufke 2, Connor Mahoney 2, Albert Liebenberg, Tiaan Lange, Damian Markus, Phumzile Maqondwana, Gustav Erlank
Cons: Louis Koen 9, George Whitehead 4

For Leopards:
Try: Naiden Jaarts
Con: Shaun Baxter

Teams:

Griquas: 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Connor Mahoney, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Damian Markus, 11 Sako Makata, 10 Liam Koen, 9 Caleb Abrahams, 8 Gustav Erlank, 7 Carl Els, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 IG Prinsloo, 2 Tiaan Lange, 1 Leon Lyons
Replacements: 16 Keagan Blanckenberg, 17 Corne Lavanga, 18 Ntobeko Shezi, 19 Lungi Mbiko, 20 Phumzile Maqondwana, 21 Bobby Alexander, 22 George Whitehead, 23 Tom Nel

Leopards: 15 Jandre Burger, 14 Sino Tshontyi, 13 Indiphile Tyeda, 12 Bryan Breda, 11 Naiden Jaarts, 10 Shaun Baxter, 9 Daimon O’Connell (vice-captain), 8 Adri Kermis, 7 Ghudian van Reenen, 6 Armin Posthumus, 5 Mnncedisi Dlwengu, 4 Stephen Taylor, 3 Werner Geldenhuys, 2 Jason Alexander (captain), Tatenda Chayayi
Replacements: 16 Alistair O’Brien, 17 Spehekale Dube, 18 Munashe Mhere, 19 Babalo Makana, 20 Divan Pieters, 21 Hlumelo Ndudula, 22 Noegh Hayward, 23 Hennie Otto

Referee: Aimee Barrett‑Theron
Assistant referees: SARU appointed
TMO: SARU appointed

Griffons 36-17 Border

The scorers:

For Griffons:
Tries: Calla Pienaar, Hlumza Nondonga, Chad Tshimanga 3, Justin Forwood
Cons: Keegan Schaefer 3

For Border Bulldogs:
Tries: Siyabonga Marele, Mbasa Nkonki, Sphamandia Soti
Con: Avuyile Mabece

Teams:

Griffons: 15 Quan Eymann, 14 Chadrack Tsimanga, 13 Chris Hollis, 12 Jandre de Beer, 11 Izzy Novuka, 10 Duan Pretorius, 9 Keegan Schaefer, 8 Calla Pienaar, 7 Jared Kruger, 6 Mingo Piti, 5 Sergio Moreira, 4 Wikus Nieuwenhuis, 3 Hlumza Nondonga, 2 Simon Westraadt, 1 Xolani Jacobs
Replacements: 16 Chyle van Zyl, 17 Justin Forwood, 18 Tsepo Kalayamodimo, 19 Jack Steyn, 20 Camagu Dlisani, 21 Rian Olivier, 22 Daylon Myners, 23 Clive Kruger

Border Bulldogs: 15 Avuyile Mabece, 14 Lwazi Monakali, 13 Sphamandla Soti, 12 Lhumelo Zitha, 11 Sakheile Dingile, 10 Mbasa Nkonki, 9 Hlumelo Pantyo, 8 Sokuphmla Xakalashe, 7 Hlomla Payi, 6 Luvumo Makata, 5 Likho Ndiyalwa, 4 Caleb Radcliffe, 3 Sivuyise Mabece, 2 Sokhana Mpemba, 1 Sibusiso Lali
Replacements: 16 Bunono Jamani, 17 Siyamthanda Marele, 18 Mbasa Babele, 19 Kamva Tetani, 20 Esethu Zenani, 21 Oyisa Balekile, 22 Khanyisa Joni, 23 Lutho Mene

Referee: Griffin Colby
Assistant referees: SARU appointed
TMO: SARU appointed

Photo credit: @CheetahsRugby