Pumas still unbeaten in Vodacom Cup

JC Roos and Rudi Mathee were the main point contributers with Roos kicking 16 of his team’s points and Mathee scoring two powerhouse tries in the second half, securing their 44-31 victory.
Although the Pumas’ series of tries started as early as the first minute with a perfect interplay by hooker Jacques Momberg, and two quick tries by Ruwellyn Isbell and Uzair Cassiem, the Leopards did, however, find some gaps in the Pumas’ defence after they trailed 24-0.

Two converted tries in only two minutes late in the half by former Middelburger, George Tossel and SW Oosthuizen, had the Pumas slightly on the backfoot.

It was Tossel who narrowed the points gap early in the second half to only three when he scored his second try in the 11th minute. But it was the kicking boot of Roos who kept the Pumas in the lead. He proved that any team making mistakes as far as 60 metres from the posts, will be punished.

Mathee’s first try secured the bonus point for the Lowvelders. Scrum half Sinovuyo Nyoka was successful with a long-range penalty to put the Pumas in the lead by 37-24. It was the hard-working Mathee who scored his second try with
only a couple of minutes to go, but the Leopards still had some fight left in them to score a bonus-point try by replacement hooker Jacqes Vermaak for a final score of 44-31.
“Our team efforts are paying off and the whole group of players deserve the credit. With one week to go to the play-offs and a week’s rest in-between, we can look forward to a tough final game in Johannesburg.

But
we are positive, motivated and ready to end the season on a high note. We can’t believe that we are almost done with the Vodacom Cup,” captain of the Steval Pumas, Corné Steenkamp said.
This week the Lowvelders will have a well-deserved break before their last league encounter against the Lions in
Johannesburg on April 26.
Although the Pumas top the leaders log by 27 points, the final play-offs’ positions are still to be finalised after the last
match with the GWK Griquas in second on 22 points, Blue Bulls in third on 21, Lions in fourth on 19 and the Leopards in fifth on 18. The play-offs will be against the top four of the southern section led by the Cell C Sharks (27),
Western Province (23), SWD Eagles (21) and Toyota Free State XV (21).