A dominating lineout and maul set piece performance helped the Airlink Pumas edge the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, 38-31, at the Mbombela Stadium in Round Eight of the 2026 SA Cup on Sunday, 03 May.
The win means the home side consolidates their position for a second-placed home semi-final spot, hoping to successfully defend their SA Cup title. With the two bonus points - one for losing within seven and scoring four tries - the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers find themselves in the all-important top four positions on the log.
With one round of matches left, the top four sides not only make the semi-finals but automatic qualification into the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division competition.
Tries for the visitors in the first half came via Sidney Tobias, Louis Schreuder, and Jayden Bantom. Bantom converted two of his three attempts, handing the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers a slender five-point lead at the halftime break, 14-19.
The educated boot of Clinton Swart kept the Airlink Pumas within touching distance at times when the home side were trailing. It was the very Swart, whose try in the right-hand corner minutes away from the final whistle, that proved to be the difference between the two sides.
The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers dominated the territory and possession stats in the opening half, outscoring the Airlink Pumas by three tries to two.
A seesaw battle in the opening 20 minutes of the match ensured an entertaining encounter, but it also led to the home side converting their opportunities into points. Tobias crashed over from close range for his fourth try of the campaign.
Ruwald van der Merwe and Lundi Msenge gave the Airlink Pumas a 7-point lead early in the first half, each scoring a try apiece, with Swart converting both scores, 14-07.
The powerful inside centre Jurick Lewis broke through two would-be Airlink Pumas defenders before passing to Schreuder on his inside, who dove across under the upright.
Bantom, who took over the kicking duties following injuries to Juan Mostert (shoulder) and James Tedder (concussion), succeeded with his attempt, levelling matters with minutes left in the opening stanza.
It was the very Bantom who had the final say in the first 40, the elusive fullback receiving the ball on the halfway line showing a clean pair of heels to canter in for what was arguably the try of the match,
The home side, however, came out firing in the second half when Gustav du Rand crashed over, for his first of two five-pointers, which handed the lead back to the Airlink Pumas, 21-19. Du Rand scored his second try in reply to Sanlam Boland Kavaliers' replacement front-ranker, Dayan van der Westhuizen, who crashed over from close range after collecting the ball at the back of a lineout throw that went awry.
Swart converted both Du Rand's scores, handing the home side a four-point lead, 28-24, as the final 20 minutes of the match drew closer.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers' head coach, Hawies Fourie, used the replacement bench effectively. Sauliegh Arendse got his name on the scoreboard with the subsequent conversion successful, which set the scene for an emphatic finish as the final ten minutes approached, 28-31.
A series of silly errors by both sides took play deep into the visitors' territory, with Swart receiving the ball off the back of an attacking five-metre scrum, powering his way across the whitewash with three Sanlam Boland Kavaliers closing in on him as he went to ground. Referee Stephan Geldenhuys awarded the try despite protests from Thurlow Marsh and Bantom, the latter doing so from virtually underneath Swart's body.
The successful conversion meant the Airlink Pumas had to hold on for three minutes without conceding a try, to register a 38-31 victory and with that five log points.
Scorers:
Airlink Pumas: 38 (14) Tries: Ruwald van der Merwe, Lundi Msenge, Gustav du Rand (2). Conversions: Clinton Swart (4). Penalty: Clinton Swart.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers: 31 (19) Tries: Sidney Tobias, Louis Schreuder, Jayden Bantom, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Sauliegh Arendse. Conversions: Jayden Bantom (3).
Airlink Pumas: 15 Jaycee Nel, 14 Lundi Msenge, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Clinton Swart, 11 Tino Swanepoel, 10 Nevaldo Fleurs, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Ruwald van der Merwe, 6 Andre Fouché, 5 Tiaan de Klerk, 4 Myelani Ngobeni, 3 Sampie Swiegers (c), 2 Gustav du Rand, 1 Kudzwai Dube. Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Junior Banda, 19 Andre Goedhals, 20 De Wet Marais, 21 Conor van Eeden, 22 Wian van Niekerk, 23 Qamani Kota.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers: 15 Jayden Bantom, 14 Duren Hoffman, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Jurick Lewis, 11 Xavier Mitchell, 10 Chris Smit, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh (c), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Sauliegh Arendse, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Jeandre Leonard, 3 Doctor Booysen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Dewald Maritz. Replacements: 16 Joshua Eras, 17 Mthokozisi Gumede, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Kwanda Dimaza, 20 Taine Booysen, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Thurlon Williams, 23 Domenic Smit.