The Airlink Pumas fired late to down Windhoek Draught Griquas 27-17 in Kimberley on Friday and book their place in the playoffs, repeating their 2022 Currie Cup final victory in the Northern Cape. The Mzansi Challenge final is also scheduled to take place on Saturday. SWD Eagles beat the Boland Cavaliers 38-27 in in George, and up in Kempton Park, the Valke romped to a 57-30 win over the Leopards. Meanwhile, the Mzansi Challenge semi-finals were staged on Saturday afternoon.
In the end, the Capetonians did the Free Staters a massive favour when they beat the visitors from Durban by 44-5.Īction from earlier in the year between the SWD Eagles and Boland Kavaliers. While the Free Staters moved to the top of the log with their win over the Vodacom Bulls, their chances of clinching first position – and hosting a potential final – hinged on DHL WP stopping a rampant Cell C Sharks side that had won seven matches in a row. Nevertheless, the last game of the round was an important one for the Cell C Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs in the context of the race for first place. These two bonus points allowed Jake White’s team to move ahead of the Fidelity ADT Lions in the standings, and took them six points clear of DHL WP, ending the Capetonians’ hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals. While the hosts let the result slip, they did claim bonus points for scoring four tries and losing by seven or fewer points. The Vodacom Bulls appeared to be on course for a big win at Loftus Versfeld, before the Toyota Cheetahs fought back to clinch a 31-27 bonus-point victory. Had the Vodacom Bulls failed to accumulate any log points in Pretoria on Saturday, and had DHL WP lost in Cape Town, the Fidelity ADT Lions may well have qualified for the final four. The 39-22 bonus-point victory against the NovaVit Griffons temporarily propelled them up to fourth place in the standings.
Meanwhile, in the game staged in Welkom at the same time, the Fidelity ADT Lions delivered a potentially campaign-saving performance. With that win, the Airlink Pumas secured a third-place finish in the standings. The defending champions showed their quality when they overcame a strong Windhoek Draught Griquas side in Kimberley on Friday afternoon. Both matches are set for Saturday, with the kick-off times to be confirmed.ĭespite a valiant last-ditch effort on the final weekend of the regular season, the Fidelity ADT Lions, Windhoek Draught Griquas and DHL Western Province have failed to qualify for the next round. The Premier Division playoff line-up has been decided, with the Toyota Cheetahs set to host the Vodacom Bulls in Bloemfontein, and the Cell C Sharks scheduled to battle the Airlink Pumas in Durban.
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