4 October 2026
The Airlink Pumas unleashed a devastating attacking masterclass to blow away the Lusitanos 68-20 in the final round of the Toyota Challenge in Tbilisi. The Lowvelders crossed the whitewash ten times in a relentless display of physical, high-tempo running rugby. Despite a spirited first-half effort from the Lusitanos, the South African side simply had too much muscle and political power in the collisions.
The Lusitanos drew first blood when flyhalf Aubry Hugo slotted a penalty to open the scoring. That early wake-up call sparked the Pumas into immediate action as Stephan Krugel crashed over a minute later. Bradley Pierre Giddy added the extra two points, kickstarting a flawless kicking display that kept the scoreboard ticking over.
The Pumas quickly set up camp in the visitors' half, with Banie Britz slicing through the defensive line for a quick-fire second try. The Portuguese outfit showed immense grit to hit back through Hugo, who converted his own five-pointer to keep things competitive. However, the lethal Dalvon Blood immediately answered back for the hosts and scored out wide.
Vasco Durao grabbed an unconverted try for the visitors to narrow the gap, but the Pumas put their feet firmly on the gas before the break. Powerhouse loose forward Willie Engelbrecht tore the game open, dotting down twice in the space of five minutes. Giddy converted both, ensuring the dominant South Africans marched into the tunnel with a commanding 35-15 lead.
The hosts rang the tactical changes at halftime, injecting fresh legs into the engine room to sustain the brutal pace. Substitute Jordan Mcloughlin made an instantaneous impact, bursting over the line within sixty seconds of the restart. Giddy converted to extend the Pumas’ lead to 42-15.
Lundi Msenge then joined the scoring party, finishing off a beautiful team move that left the Lusitanos' defenders clutching at shadows. Moments later, Dalvon Blood secured his brace with a spectacular piece of individual skill, showcasing the Pumas' lethal counter-attacking threat. Giddy remained deadly from the tee, easily converting both scores to stretch the lead beyond reach.
The visitors managed a rare highlight in a gruelling second half when Jose Monteiro crossed for a well-deserved try. Hugo could not find his target with the conversion, and the Pumas quickly turned the screws once again. Clinton Swart came off the bench to orchestrate the final phase of the demolition, adding stability to the backline.
With the Lusitanos visibly out of gas, Reagan Oranje showed superb awareness to score under the sticks, with Swart adding the extras. Msenge then capped off the stunning afternoon by bagging his second try of the match out wide. Although Swart missed the final conversion, the job was emphatically done, sealing a magnificent 68-20 victory at the final whistle.
Scorers:
Lusitanos: Tries: Aubry Hugo, Vasco Durão, José Monteiro. Conversion: José Monteiro. Penalty: José Monteiro.
Airlink Pumas: Tries: Willie Engelbrecht (2), Reagan Oranje, Dalvon Blood (2), Lundi Msenge (2), Jordan Mcloughlin, Banie Britz, Stephan Krugel. Conversions: Bradley Pierre Giddy (8), Clinton Swart (1).
Teams:
Lusitanos: 1 Abel Da Cunha, 2 Pedro Gaspar Vicente, 3 António Prim Da Costa, 4 Pedro Ferreira, 5 Duarte Pedro Nunes, 6 João Granate, 7 André Cunha, 8 José Monteiro, 9 Martim Dias, 10 Aubry Hugo, 11 Tomás Moreno Amado, 12 Tomás Appleton, 13 Vasco Durão, 14 Jordan Lee Bacon, 15 Tomás De Barros Batista. Replacements: 16 André Bardizy, 17 Francisco De Almeida, 18 José Filipe Burne Filipe Lavos, 19 António Rebelo Andrade, 20 Luís Carlos Avides Moreira, 21 Pedro Lucas, 22 Guilherme Miguel Costa.
Airlink Pumas: 1 Stephan De Jager, 2 Tian Vorster, 3 Junior Banda, 4 Stephan Krugel, 5 Andre Goedhals, 6 Thabo Ndimande, 7 Andre Fouche, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 9 Christiaan Van Der Westhuizen, 10 Bradley Pierre Giddy, 11 Lundi Msenge, 12 Wian Van Niekerk, 13 Banie Britz, 14 Dalvon Blood, 15 Tino Swanepoel. Replacements: 16 Jordan Mcloughlin, 17 Jaco Du Toit, 18 Damian Baker, 19 Tiaan De Klerk, 20 Henri Van Heerden, 21 Reagan Oranje, 22 Clinton Swart, 23 Russwill Fredericks.