Tafel Lager Griquas’ season-double over DHL Western Province on Sunday means an intriguing final weekend of action awaits when the league phase of the Carling Currie Cup concludes next weekend.
While the Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks have secured home semi-finals, the Toyota Cheetahs and Sigma Lions have dropped out of the playoff race. The final spots in the top four can go to any two of the other three teams though after Tafel Lager Griquas and the New Nation Pumas recorded victories to keep ensure they remain in the hunt.
After the penultimate round of action, the Vodacom Bulls still top the log on 44 points, followed by the Cell C Sharks on 40, Tafel Lager Griquas (33), the New Nation Pumas (32), DHL Western Province (30), Toyota Cheetahs (26) and Sigma Lions (24), with the men from Johannesburg having played their last match of the season.
22/08/2021 - Tafel Lager Griquas pummel DHL WP in Kimberley
Tafel Lager Griquas gave their Carling Currie Cup playoff hopes a massive boost when they powered to a 46-25 bonus-point win over DHL Western Province on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Kimberley. Scott Mathie’s men outscored the Capetonians by six tries to three to move up to third position on the log, where DHL Western Province had started the weekend.
It was a show of force by Tafel Lager Griquas, who outmuscled John Dobson’s charges everywhere but in the scrums. They dominated the gain line battle and made several smashing hits to send DHL Western Province crashing to fifth place. Three unanswered tries just before and after half-time saw the home team pull away from the Capetonians, who made life hard for themselves – particularly at restarts – couldn’t recover.
Scorers:
Tafel Lager Griquas 46 (24) – Tries: Gideon van der Merwe, Hanru Sirgel, Adré Smith, Ruan Steenkamp, James Verity-Amm (2). Conversions: George Whitehead (5). Penalties: George Whitehead (2).
DHL Western Province 25 (18) – Tries: Sergeal Petersen, Ruhan Nel, Neethling Fouché. Conversions: Tim Swiel (2). Penalties: Tim Swiel (2).
21/08/2021 - Cell C Sharks crush Sigma Lions to cruise into semi-finals
The Cell C Sharks guaranteed themselves what had always looked likely to be a home Carling Currie Cup semi-final with a smooth, try-studded 56-14 victory over a hard-working but out-gunned Sigma Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday. With DHL Western Province slipping in Kimberley, the Durbanites secured their position in the top two following this eight-try romp in the late winter sun on the Highveld.
It took the visitors 19 minutes to overcome the Sigma Lions’ feisty opening (in which they won penalties at the first three scrums) but their optimism began to thin as it was held up to the light of the Cell C Sharks’ enterprise, with left wing Thaakir Abrahams, who continued to shine in his debut season, bagging a hat-trick of tries.
Scorers:
Sigma Lions 14 (0) – Tries: Emmanuel Tshituka, Jaco Visagie. Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse (2).
Cell C Sharks 56 (28) – Tries: Thaakir Abrahams (3), Anthony Volmink (2), Marius Louw, Phepsi Buthelezi, Sanele Nohamba. Conversions: Lionel Cronje (5), Boeta Chamberlain (3).
21/08/2021 - New Nation Pumas maul Toyota Cheetahs in Nelspruit catfight.
The New Nation Pumas strengthened their Carling Currie Cup playoff push courtesy of a 28-19 win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Nelspruit on Saturday. Following their 33-26 midweek defeat to the Vodacom Bulls, the pressure was on Jimmy Stonehouse’s charges as a second loss to the Free Staters this season would have seriously dented their hopes of finishing in the top four. However, they controlled the catfight throughout, using one of their best weapons – their well-structured driving maul – to punish the Toyota Cheetahs, with evergreen hooker and Champion of the Match Simon Westraadt scoring a brace.
Scorers:
New Nation Pumas 28 (18) – Tries: Simon Westraadt (2), Penalty try. Conversion: Eddie Fouché. Penalties: Eddie Fouché (3).
Toyota Cheetahs 19 (7) – Tries: Victor Sekekete, Andisa Ntsila, Clayton Blommetjies. Conversions: Ruan Pienaar (2).
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18/08/2021 - DHL WP knock Sigma Lions out of the Carling Currie Cup race.
DHL Western Province dashed the Sigma Lions’ Carling Currie Cup playoff hopes when they claimed a comfortable 35-13 bonus-point win at a cold and wet Newlands on Wednesday evening. The home team dominated the territorial battle, which proved decisive, as the Sigma Lions failed to capatilise on having a strong wind at their backs in the first half and was kept scoreless in the second.
Tim Swiel put the boot into the visitors, both tactically and off the tee, scoring 15 points, while star No 8 and Champion of the Match Evan Roos scored two of the Capetonians’ four tries as they moved from sixth to third place on the log.
Scorers:
DHL Western Province 35 (16) – Tries: Godlen Masimla, Evan Roos (2), Andre-Hugo Venter. Conversions: Tim Swiel (3). Penalties: Tim Swiel (3).
Sigma Lions 13 (13) – Try: EW Viljoen. Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse. Penalties: Jordan Hendrikse (2).
18/08/2021 - Toyota Cheetahs fight back to sneak past Tafel Lager Griquas
The Toyota Cheetahs kept alive their hopes of reaching the Carling Currie Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought 33-32 victory over Tafel Lager Griquas in a nail-biting Central Derby in Bloemfontein on Wednesday afternoon. Two tries in four minutes after the hour-mark swung the momentum back to the hosts after their neighbours from the Northern Cape – who got two log points from the match – were in control of the score board for most of the match.
Although they struggled in the lineouts, Tafel Lager Griquas pounced on mistakes by their opponents, managed to exploit space in the wide channels and defended very well. The Toyota Cheetahs, who bagged a full-house of five log points, enjoyed more possession and had territorial advantage, but made a number of costly mistakes, especially in the in red zone, which gave the visitors confidence.
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs 33 (19) – Tries: David Brits, Craig Barry, Marnus van der Merwe, Conraad van Vuuren, Junior Pokomela. Conversions: Ruan Pienaar (4).
Tafel Lager Griquas 32 (29) – Tries: George Whitehead, Chris Hollis, James Verity-Amm, Hanru Sirgel. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalties: George Whitehead (2).
18/08/2021 - Vodacom Bulls power past game New Nation Pumas in Nelspruit
Carling Currie Cup pacesetters, the Vodacom Bulls, continued their winning ways when they powered to a 33-26 bonus-point win over the New Nation Pumas in Nelspruit on Wednesday afternoon. The men from Pretoria trailed 26-14 just before the hour-mark, with indiscipline proving costly, before their pack shifted into top gear and muscled them to a hard-earned come-from-behind victory.
The New Nation Pumas won the breakdown battle but were dominated at scrum time, where they conceded a penalty try, and couldn’t contain the physicality of the Vodacom Bulls when it mattered most.
Scorers:
New Nation Pumas 26 (16) – Tries: Niel Otto, Sebastián de Klerk. Conversions: Niel Marais, Eddie Fouché. Penalties: Niel Marais, Eddie Fouché (3).
Vodacom Bulls 33 (14) – Tries: Schalk Erasmus, Stravino Jacobs, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Penalty try, Mornay Smith. Conversions: Johan Goosen (3).