Pumas edge Griquas in extra-time thriller to win SA Cup
MATCH REPORT: The Pumas claimed their second SA Cup title after they edged Griquas 38-35 after extra time in the Final in Kimberley on Saturday.
It was the third Final in a row contested by those two teams after the competition started in 2024. However, the Pumas will have the bragging rights after winning the third edition at Griquas’ home ground.
The match had everything, including a stunning second-half fightback from Griquas, who were 7-28 down at the break.
Pieter Bergh’s side scored three unanswered second-half tries to take the game into extra time, but the Pumas had enough in the tank to edge them.
It was all Pumas in the opening minutes, and they opened the scoring in the sixth minute with Ntsika Fisanti going over for a try.
However, it didn’t take long for the hosts to hit back and after a chicken-wing pass from George Whitehead, fullback Cameron Hufke stormed over for a five-pointer.
The Pumas regained the lead in the 22nd minute after a well-worked backline move sent Jaycee Nel into space to race away for a try.
The momentum was firmly on the visitors’ side, and they increased their lead in the 32nd minute when Wian van Niekerk powered over.
Things got worse for Griquas a few minutes later when Dylan Maart received a 20-minute red card after Pumas wing Lundi Msenge landed dangerously after a challenge in the air.
The Pumas rubbed salt into Griquas’ wounds after that, with Nevaldo Fleurs weaving his way through several defenders before feeding the ball to Nel, who ran in for his second try.
At half-time, the home side were 21 points down.
Griquas showed patience on attack in the opening stages of the second half, and they were rewarded when Lourens Oosthuizen crashed over for a try.
The home side were given an advantage in the 60th minute when Pumas flank Fisanti was yellow carded for collapsing the maul.
With a powerful scrum in front of him, replacement scrumhalf Caleb Abrahams picked up the ball before diving over for his team’s third score.
After repeated offside infringements by the Pumas, Msenge was shown a yellow in the 72nd minute.
Moments later, Tiaan Lange went over for a try after a powerful maul. George Whitehead landed his fourth conversion in a row to level the scores with six minutes left on the clock.
With time up on the clock, Whitehead went for the drop goal, but it went wide, which meant extra time was on the cards.
The Pumas landed the first punch in extra time when Danrich Visagie spotted space in the Griquas’ defence before racing away for a try.
The visitors’ lead was increased to 10 points a few minutes later with a Visagie penalty goal.
Griquas applied all the pressure in the second half of extra time, and they were rewarded when Lange went over for his second try after another maul.
The home side tried to get a winning score at the end, but the Pumas held firm for their second title in a row.
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Tries: Hufke, Oosthuizen, Abrahams, Lange 2
Cons: Whitehead 5
For Pumas:
Tries: Fisanti, Nel 2, Van Niekerk, Visagie
Cons: Fleurs 4, Visagie
Pen: Visagie
Twenty-minute Red Card: Dylan Maart (Griquas, 34′ – dangerous play, taking out a player in the air)
Yellow cards: Ntsika Fisanti (Pumas, 60′ – cynical play, collapsing the maul); Lundin Msenge (Pumas, 72′ – repeated infringements, offside)
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 11 Sako Makata, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Carl Els, 7 Marco de Witt, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 IG Prinsloo, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Leon Lyons.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Corne Lavanga, 18 Ntobeko Shezi, 19 Derik Pretorius, 20 Carel van der Merwe, 21 Caleb Abrahams, 22 Liam Koen, 23 Connor Mahoney.
Pumas: 15 Jaycee Nel, 14 Lundi Msenge, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Tino Swanepoel, 10 Nevaldo Fleurs, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Ruwald van der Merwe, 6 Ntsika Fisanti, 5 Tiaan de Klerk, 4 JJ Scheepers, 3 Sampie Swiegers, 2 Gustav de Rand, 1 Kudzwai Dube.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Junior Banda, 19 Miyelanie Ngobeni, 20 De Wet Marais, 21 Conor van Eden, 22 Danrich Visagie, 23 Qamani Kota.
Referee: Christopher Allison
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby, Hanru van Rooyen
TMO: Egon Seconds
