The Leopards Women, Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women and Limpopo Blue Bulls Women will bank on home ground advantage in round five of the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 2 on Saturday when they host AVBOB Griquas Women, the SWD Eagirls and Griffons Women, while the Valke enjoy a bye.
The Pumas dismantled the SWD Eagirls 44-17 at the Nelspruit Rugby Club; Griquas came back strong in their second half against Leopards Women to score a 24-19 win in Potchefstroom; and the Griffons returned victorious from Polokwane, where they claimed a 50-21 win over the Limpopo Blue Bulls Women, while the Valke Women had a bye.
The Pumas have secured a home semi-final in Mbombela with their seven tries to two win over the Eagirls with two rounds to play and showed that they are not going to release the grip on the title won last year.
The team from Mpumalanga scored three tries and were awarded a penalty try just before the break for a comfortable and deserving 22-3 lead at half-time.
The Pumas were cruising in the second half as well, but credit to the Eagirls who did not stop trying and were rewarded with two tries in the last five minutes, but it was too little too late. They left the Lowveld without any log points and are currently in fourth place on the log.
Griquas came back from a 14-7 half-time deficit to edge past the Leopards at Olën Park and, with the bonus-point win, moved them into second place on the log.
The first half was a tight affair, with defence holding sway over attack. Two quick tries by the Leopards changed that though.
First flyhalf Okule Njemla dotted down just before the half-hour mark, and wing Abrinah Matshoga scored five minutes later to give the Leopards a 14-0 lead. Griquas hit back with a maul try just before the break, with the conversion cutting the host team’s lead in half.
Two quick tries by the visitors early in the second half caught the Leopards napping, and they conceded the lead as well, but they restored their lead in the 50th minute when flanker Martha Yokwane crashed over.
However, another try from the Griquas forwards three minutes later, this time by tighthead prop Nicole van Wyk, handed the visitors the advantage again, and although the last 20 minutes were tight, they held on for a very good win.
An 80-minute performance by the Griffons Women secured them their first win on the road in Polokwane. They scored three tries in the first half and added another four after the break.
Wing Thato Rantai scored a hat-trick. She opened the scoring in the third minute to give her team the perfect start and added two more late in the second half for a 15-point haul.
That was almost as productive as scrumhalf Pinky Touto, who converted six tries, kicked a penalty goal and scored a try of her own for a personal contribution of 20 points.
Scorers:
Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women 44 (22), SWD Eagirls 17 (3)
Pumas – Tries: Bathabile Hlatshwayo, Sonia Khumalo, Pauline Sianga, Sesihle Maguga, Jibrine Dube, Sasa Mkhabela, Penalty try. Conversions: Mkhabela (2). Penalty goal: Mkhabela.
Eagirls – Tries: Mia-Lee Matiwane, Ceceilia Swarts. Conversions: Antoneica Hannies (2). Penalty goal: Hannies.
Limpopo Blue Bulls Women 21 (7) Griffons Women 50 (19)
Limpopo – Tries: Kgopotso Ramawela, Mapula Matsimela, Amaka Mabosi. Conversions: Tebogo Semanya (3).
Griffons – Tries: Luhle Mpiko, Thato Rantai (3), Pinky Touto, Mmadjadji Mohalali (2). Conversions: Touto (6). Penalty goal: Touto.
Leopards Women 19 (14), AVBOB Griquas Women 24 (7)
Leopards – Tries: Martha Yokwane, Okuhle Njemla, Abrinah Matshoga. Conversions: Amzolele Gqola (2).
Griquas – Tries: Mihle Sezelwa, Tyrell Wilson, Lindokuhle Sinaze, Nicole van Wyk. Conversions: Juanine Jacobs (2).