Race to First Division play-offs heats up

WRAP: The Falcons, Griffons and Eastern Province may have booked their places in the First Division semifinals with three more victories this weekend.

However, a lot can still happen before the final standings are confirmed after next weekend’s last round of league action.

The SWD Eagles currently sit in fourth spot on the log, but they can be pipped by the fifth-placed Leopards.

The two teams play each other next weekend, which is effectively a quarterfinal, but the Border Bulldogs are out of the running.

The top three teams on the log all recorded comfortable victories this weekend, with EP too good for the Bulldogs in the Eastern Cape Derby with a 44-20 win this past Friday.

This past Saturday, the Falcons and Griffons each scored half-centuries.

The East Randers beat the Eagles by 54-26 in Kempton Park, and the Northern Free Staters smashed the Leopards by 59-7 in Potchefstroom.

Despite winning all four their games to date, the Falcons can still lose their top spot on the log to the Griffons, while the Elephants also have an outside chance of finishing top of the log, making the final round a crucial one for all involved.

This past Friday, EP controlled their encounter with the Bulldogs from start to finish. They led 27-3 at the break and added a few more tries in the second half to cruise to a solid win, with Rodney Damons scoring twice for the hosts at the Madibaz Stadium.

In Kempton Park, the first half was very tight and the Falcons went into the break at the Barnard Stadium leading by only 14-7, but they pulled away in the second half for a big win.

Mbembe Payi scored a hat-trick for the hosts and Valentino Wellman chipped in with a brace as they ended up scoring eight tries to four, which included a penalty try for the Eagles.

The Leopards came up against a purple wave at Olen Park, with the Griffons outscoring their hosts by nine tries to one. The visitors led by 33-0 at the break. Ulrich Stander and Ngia Selengbe scored two tries apiece, while the top points’ scorer in the competition, Andrew Kota, contributed 19 points with a try and seven conversions.

Apart from the “quarter-final” between SWD and the Leopards in George, the other games will see the Falcons travel to Gqeberha to take on EP, while the Griffons host the Bulldogs in Welkom.

All the Round Four scores and corers:

Eastern Province 44 (27) Border Bulldogs 20 (3)

The scorers

EP
Tries: Enrique Franks, Rodney Damons 2, Stefan Willemse, Davian Swanepoel, Masikane Mazwi, Diego Williams, Jayden Bantom
Cons: Oliver Zono, Chadwin November

Border
Tries: Oyisa Balekile, Esethu Zenani
Cons: Maxwell Klaasen 2
Pens: Klaasen 2.

Falcons 54 (14) SWD Eagles 26 (7)

The scorers

Falcons
Tries: Ezrick Alexander, Valentino Wellman 2, Mbembe Payi 3, Eddie Evans, Kelvin Kanenungo
Cons: Keagan Fortune 3, Sergio Stalmeester 4

SWD
Tries: Mpho Ntsane, Marlo Weich 2, Penalty try
Cons: Sachin Toring, Weich, a penalty try does not require a conversion

Leopards 7 (0) Griffons 59 (33)

The scorers

Leopards
Try: Ricardo Fourie
Con: Charles Williams

Griffons
Tries: Willem van den Hever, Buhle Nojekwa, Ulrich Stander 2, Richman Gora, Quan Eymann, Ngia Selengbe 2, Andrew Kota
Cons: Kota 7