The Phakisa Pumas showed tremendous character and tenacity in defeating the Tafel Lager Griquas 22-17 tonight.

The Carling Currie Cup match was played at Mbombela Stadium.

The victory was anchored in a young team that played with self- belief – and for each other.

The Griquas were poor in the first half and much better in the second. They made too many unforced errors.

The Pumas’ scrum was an unstoppable juggernaut in the first 40 minutes and this put the home team on the front foot and the visitors under pressure.

Ginter Smuts put the Pumas 3-0 up after Griquas were blown for playing the ball of their feet.

After the visitors had conceded numerous scrum penalties the Pumas opted to scrum when awarded a penalty ten metres from the try line on 21 minutes. The Pumas power forced the Griquas to scrum illegally and a penalty try was awarded.

The Pumas led 10-0.

Griquas hit back soon after when poor defence gifted Eduan Keyter a try. Tinus de Beer converted.

In the 32nd minute Etienne Taljaard made a break down the left of the field. The ball was recycled and Devon Williams gave a pin-point perfect cross-kick into the hands of Luther Obi who scored in the right corner. Smuts pushed the conversion wide.

The Pumas held a 15-7 half-time lead.

The Griquas upped their effort in the second half. De Beer narrowed the gap with a penalty kick on the 44th minute.

The play was furious as the teams pushed each other to the limit, with tempers flaring at stages but not getting out of hand.

Marko Janse van Rensburg came on in the 60th minutes to earn his 50th cap for the Phakisa Pumas.

The try that sealed the win came in the 72nd minute. A Griquas knock-on gave the Pumas possession.

Obi passed the Daniel Maartens sprinted 35 metres to score under the uprights with the Griquas defence caught napping. Smuts converted.

Griquas attacked from the restart and Pumas prop Wikus Groenewald was yellow-carded for a professional foul, playing the ball in an off-side position.

Keyter scored his second shortly afterwards. The visitors held possession for multiple phases and a delicate grubber-kick was collected by Keyter. De Beer converted.

The Pumas held on for the final few minutes with 14 men. Another Griquas unforced error, a knock-on from a line-out while on attack, was the last move in a thrilling encounter.

The Pumas thoroughly deserved the 22-17 win.

Williams was the man of the match, but the starting team, and the bench, were all superb.

Le Roux Roets was massive, captaining the side on the night and leading by example.