The New Nation Pumas hosted the Toyota Cheetahs in Nelspruit today. A lot was at stake and the Pumas secured a win (28-19) to move to the 3rd position on the Currie Cup log.
Ill discipline by the Cheetahs kept the Pumas in control of the game on the field and on the scoreboard. The Cheetas were down to 13 minutes during the important last 20 minutes.
04:39 Simon Westraadt scored the Pumas first try of the match from the back of a 5m lineout maul. This try is Simon Westraad's 7th try of the current Carling Currie Cup season (05-00).
10:10 Eddie Fouche converted a penalty for the Pumas (08-00).
20:00 The momentum at this stage with the Pumas helped by the ill-discipline of the Cheetahs. A total of 8 penalties
24:39 Eddie Fouche converted his 2nd penalty for the Pumas (11-00).
27:40 Victor Sekekete burst over the tryline after the Cheetahs set up camp in the red zone of the Pumas (11-07).
31:03 A yellow card to Aranos Coetzee (Cheetahs) for a high tackle.
40:10 Simon Westraadt scored his 8th try of the season and second of the match from the back of a 5m lineout maul (18-07).
40:00 The Pumas are leading at the halftime break after they scored two tries after penalties were conceded by the Cheetahs. The Cheetahs has conceded 13 penalties in the first 40 minutes of the match. Apart from the penalty count, the match is balanced on a knife's edge with a bit of magic from either game still good enough to win.
60:00 Twenty minutes of errors and penalties did not produce any points nor excitement.
60:38 Eddie Fouche converted the 3rd penalty for the Pumas (21-07).
64:06 Andisa Ntsila score from a driving maul that started 18m from the Pumas' try line (21-14).
68:00 Yellow card to Duncan Saal (Cheetahs)
68:15 A penalty try against the Cheetahs was awarded after they illegally collapsed a Pumas' driving maul (28-14).
70:00 Yellow card to Andy Ntsila (Cheetahs).
74:20 Yellow card to Willie Engelbrecht (Pumas).
74:47 Clayton Blommetjies squeezes into the corner for the Cheetahs' 3rd try (28-19).
Scorers:
New Nation Pumas: Tries: Simon Westraadt (2), Penalty Try. Conversions: Eddie Fouche. Penalties: Eddie Fouche (3).
Toyota Cheetahs: Tries: Victor Sekekete, Andisa Ntsila, Clayton Blommetjies. Conversions: Ruan Pienaar (2).
New Nation Pumas: 15. Devon Williams, 14. Sebastián de Klerk, 13. Erich Cronje, 12. Matt More, 11. Ettienne Taljaard, 10. Eddie Fouche, 9. Ginter Smuts, 8. Willie Engelbrecht, 7. Phumzile Maqondwana, 6. Daniel Maartens, 5. Pieter van Vuuren, 4. Shane Kirkwood, 3. Marne Coetzee, 2. Simon Westraadt, 1. Dewald Maritz. Replacements: 16. Eduan Swart, 17. Ettiene Janeke, 18. IG Prinsloo, 19. Kwanda Dimazad, 20. Niel Otto, 21. Chriswell September, 22. Ali Mgijimae, 23. Tapiwa Mafura.
Toyota Cheetahs: 15. Clayton Blommetjies, 14. Duncan Saal, 13. David Brits, 12. Siya Masuku, 11. Malcolm Jaer, 10. Ruan Pienaar (C), 9. Tian Meyer, 8. Mihlali Mosi, 7. Aidon Davis, 6. Junior Pokomela, 5. Victor Sekekete, 4. Rynier Bernardo, 3. Aranos Coetzee, 2. Marnus van der Merwe, 1. Cameron Dawson. Replacements: 16. Louis van der Westhuizen, 17. Hencus van Wyk, 18. Conraad van Vuuren, 19. Reinier Viljoen, 20. Andisa Ntsila, 21. Chris Smit, 22. Brandon Thomson, 23. Evardi Boshoff.