Pumas edge plucky Cheetahs in SA Cup semifinal thriller

MATCH REPORT: The defending SA Cup Champion Pumas booked their place in the 2026 Final following a 42-36 semifinal win over the Cheetahs in Mbombela.

Both teams scored five tries, but three penalties by Clinton Swart proved to be the difference in the end.

The Pumas will face the winner between Griquas and Boland Kavaliers in the second semifinal on Saturday in Kimberley.

The Cheetahs will pinpoint their ill-discipline as a key element of this defeat, having conceded two yellow cards on the day.

*Also read: SA Cup semifinals – Teams and Predictions

The first half was littered with errors, with neither team getting their flow on attack.

The Cheetahs registered the first points of the match in the fourth minute through a Tiaan Swanepoel penalty after the Pumas conceded back-to-back penalties to allow the visitors territory and possession.

Off a scrum set-piece outside the Pumas’ 22, the Cheetahs extended their score with a Clayton Blommetjies try assisted by Michael Annies in the 17th minute. Swanepoel added the extras.

The Pumas finally got onto the scoreboard after 24 minutes when Sampie Swiegers dotted down off a rolling maul. Swart added the conversion.

Tiaan Swanepoel was sent to the sinbin for a deliberate knock-on whilst the Pumas were attacking on penalty advantage on the 31st minute mark.

Swart levelled the scores to 10-10 a minute later with a successful penalty.

The Pumas took the lead for the first time in the match three minutes before halftime when Swiegers barged over from close range for a brace after a patient build-up on attack, with Swart nailing the conversion kick.

The hosts struck a blow after the halftime hooter when Swart recorded his second penalty of the evening to stretch the lead to 10 points heading into the sheds.

Swart added another penalty 10 minutes into the second half to stretch the Pumas’ lead to 13 points.

The Cheetahs didn’t lie down and struck back with a try by Annies in the 54th minute, with Cohen Jasper’s conversion making it a six-point game.

The visitors went down to 14 players again when Louis van der Westhuizen was yellow-carded for illegally slowing down the ball off a line break in the 57th minute.

The Pumas cashed in on the numerical advantage immediately with a line-out maul try by Willie Engelbrecht a minute later.

Jasper struck back for the Cheetahs in the 62nd minute after the Pumas made a handling error after the restart.

The Pumas stretched the lead beyond seven points once more with Gustav du Rand crashing over in the 65th minute, and Swart adding the conversion.

The seesaw scoring continued when Neels Volschenk dotted down for the Cheetahs. Jasper’s conversion brought it back to a six-point game with 11 minutes to play.

Junior Banda’s 75th-minute try seemed to have sealed the deal for the defending champions. Swart added the extras.

However, the Cheetahs weren’t done yet when Sisonke Vumazonke barged over the Pumas line off the back of a line-out maul. Jasper’s successful conversion ensured a tense final minute.

The visitors attacked from their own 22 metre area after the final hooter, but a knock on saved the day for the Pumas to book their ticket to the big dance next weekend.

Scorers

For the Pumas:
Tries: Swiegers 2, Engelbrecht, Du Rand, Banda
Cons: Swart 4
Pens: Swart 3

For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Blommetjies, Annies, Jasper, Volschenk, Vumazonke
Cons: Swanepoel, Jasper 3
Pens: Swanepoel

Yellow cards: Tiaan Swanepoel (Cheetahs, 31′ – Cynical foul: Deliberate knock-on), Louis van der Westhuizen (Cheetahs, 57′ – Cynical foul – illegally slowing the ball down after a linebreak)

Teams

Pumas: 15 Jaycee Nel, 14 Lundi Msenge, 13 Sango Xamlashe (vice captain), 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Tino Swanepoel, 10 Clinton Swart, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Ruwald van der Merwe, 6 Ntsika Fisanti, 5 Tiaan de Klerk, 4 Miyelani Ngobeni, 3 Sampie Swiegers, 2 Gustav du Rand, 1 Etienne Janeke
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Kudzwai Dube, 18 Junior Banda, 19 Andre Goedhals, 20 De Wet Marais, 21 Conor van Eden, 22 Nevaldo Fleurs, 23 Qamani Kota

Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Cohen Jasper, 13 Munier Hartzenberg, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Micheal Annies, 10 Tiaan Swanepoel, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Sisonke Vumazonke, 7 Neels Volschenk (captain), 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Tielman Nieuwoudt
Replacements: 16 Juan Smal, 17 Dux Manyama, 18 John-Kelly Onkonko, 19 Curtley Thomas, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 22 Carel Jan Coetzee, 23 Ethan Wentzel

Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys