The reigning Currie Cup champions, the Airlink Pumas led for most of the eighty-minute arm wrestle in Durban to secure a place in next weekend's 2023 Currie Cup final with a 26-20 win against the Cell C Sharks.
The Airlink Pumas scored two early tries to lead 12-00 after only ten minutes of play, however, thereafter the Cell C Sharls clawed their way back into the match on the back of a dominant scrum to trail 17-19 going into the second half. A try by the Airlink Pumas gave them a 20-20 lead with fifteen minutes to play in the match, whereafter, the Airlink Pumas defended for their lives during the final minutes of the match to win 26-20.
The Airlink Pumas started like a house on fire when Corne Fourie barged his way over the Cell C Sharks try line to open the scoring after just two minutes of play. The Airlink Pumas continued to attack using the driving maul to good effect. Simon Raw scored the Airlink Pumas' second try from the back of a lineout-maul to extend the visitor's lead to 12-00.
The Cell C Sharks clawed their way back in contention and launched wave after wave of attack until Corne Rahls forced his way over the Pumas tryline to reduce the Airlink Pumas' lead to 12-10 and twelve minutes to play in the first half. The Airlink Pumas reply was almost immediate when Andrew Kota intercepted a loose pass by the host to score the Airlink Pumas' third try.
With three minutes to go in the first half, the Cell C Sharks' Fez Mbatha scored the host's second try from the back of a lineout-maul to reduce the Airlink Pumas' lead to 19-17 which was also the halftime score.
A yellow card shown to Etienne Taljaard (Airlink Pumas) resulted in a converted penalty by Lionel Cronje, taking the Cell C Sharks into the lead for the first time in the match, after eight minutes of play in the second half.
A yellow card to Henco Venter (Cell C Sharks) resulted in a lineout-maul from which Pieter Jacobs scored the first points for the Airlink Pumas to retake the lead, 26-20. With fifteen minutes to play Alwayno Visagie (Cell C Sharks was shown a red card reducing the host to fourteen men for the last fifteen minutes of the match. The last fifteen minutes of the match was an arm wrestle with the Airlink Pumas' defence securing a 26-20 win.
Scorers:
Cell C Sharks: Tries: Corne Rahl, Fez Mbatha. Conversions: Lionel Cronje (2). Penalties: Lionel Cronje (2).
Airlink Pumas: Tries: Corne Fourie, Simon Raw, Andrew Kota, Pieter Jacobs. Conversions: Tinus de Beer (3).
Teams:
Cell C Sharks: 15 Nevaldo Fleurs, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Murray Koster, 12 Alwayno Visagie, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Bradley Davids, 8 Henco Venter, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 James Venter, 5 Reniel Hugo (captain), 4 Corne Rahl, 3 Khutha Mchunu, 2 Fezokuhle Mbatha, 1 Khwezi Mona. Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Ockie Barnard, 20 Marco de Witt, 21 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 22 Tiaan Fourie, 23 Curwin Bosch.
Airlink Pumas: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Andrew Kota, 13 Diego Appolis, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Etienne Taljaard, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Francois Kleinhans, 6 Andre Fouche, 5 Shane Kirkwood (captain), 4 Deon Slabbert, 3 Simon Raw, 2 Pieter Jacobs, 1 Corne Fourie. Replacements: 16 Darnell Osuagwu, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Deward Martitz, 19 Malembe Mpofu, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Giovan Snyman, 22 Gene Willemse, 23 Wian van Niekerk