The Vodacom Bulls are the 2020 Vodacom Unlocked champions. The Phakisa Pumas did not seem to care much for this fact during the last 40 minutes both teams played last Saturday.

The Bulls dominated the first-half, were rampant in the set pieces and controlled the pace of the match. The champs held a 21-0 first-half lead.

The Pumas team that came out in the second half played with exceptional belief and lifted their game to not match, but outclass the Bulls, if only for 40 minutes. The visitors’ bench was used to good effect by coach, Jimmy Stonehouse.

The young Mpumalanga team and their coaching staff can be very proud of the effort. The final score, 21-5.

The Phakisa Pumas will take the seven log points they earned in the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked competition into the Carling Currie Cup that starts this weekend. Two of these came from the match against the Emirates Lions, that was cancelled due to Pumas players testing positive for Covid-19 and others being forced into self-isolation.

They are second-last on the log table, with only Griquas on three points below them.

The Mpumalanga team have a long injury list and simply do not have the squad depth of the bigger unions.
Their performances on the field have not been good enough. They conceded 25 tries in five matches, leaking an average of five per match. With this defensive record they will not be Currie Cup semi-final contenders.

It will take a miracle for the Pumas to, at best, finish fourth on the log and qualify for the semis. This mission will have to start with a win over the Cell C Sharks at Jonsson Kings Park tomorrow night.

Four weeks ago, the Cell C Sharks scored a convincing 42-19 win over the Phakisa Pumas at Mbombela Stadium. They outscored their hosts six tries to three.

But the Pumas have played extremely well in patches this season. If they are at their best, the Cell C Sharks will be up for a tough 80 minutes in Durban tomorrow night, but remain favourites to win.

Here is the team that will face the Sharks:
1. Liam Hendriks
2. HP van Schoor
3. Ruan Kramer
4. Darrien Landsberg
5. Pieter Janse van Vuren (captain)
6. Daniel Maartens
7. Phumzile Maqondwana
8. Francois Kleinhans
9. Ginter Smuts
10. Theo Boshoff
11. Etienne Taljaard
12. Ali Mgijima
13. Erich Cronje
14. Morne Joubert
15. Devon Williams

Replacements
16. Marko Janse van Rensburg
17. Wikus Groenewald
18. Brandon Valentyn
19. Heath Backhouse
20. Chriswill September
21. Wayne van der Bank
22. Tapiwa Mafura
23. Dewald Maritz