Airlink Pumas 53-year wait for Currie Cup final over after spirited fightback in Bloemfontein
The Mpumalanga team scored a last-minute try to defeat the Toyota Cheetahs.
The Airlink Pumas will play in their first Currie Cup final in their 53-year history against the Windhoek Draught Griquas next Saturday.
The Pumas won their semi-final against the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein 38-35 this afternoon.
The visitors were trailing by four points in the 78th minute. Ali Mgijima came onto the field as a replacement in the 72nd minute. He scored the winning try from an attack that began deep in the Pumas’ half.
Tinus de Beer slotted the conversion after the hooter signalled the end of 80 minutes of play.
It was a remarkable effort from the Mpumalanga team, which were nine points behind the home team with 10 minutes to play.
The Pumas showed remarkable fighting spirit and the reward was a place in the 2022 Currie Cup final.
The Airlink Pumas were the better team in the initial stages of the game, while the Cheetahs seemed to battle with nerves.
Eddie Fouché scored on six minutes. The Pumas mauled from a five-metre line-out. Willie Engelbrecht flipped the ball to Fouché from a resulting phase and the centre went over. He converted his own try.
The home team hit back in the 15th minute, putting the ball through various phases, with Juandré Rudolph claiming the five points. Ruan Pienaar converted
A fumble by the Cheetahs gifted De Beer possession in the 19th minute. He broke the defence and passed to Sebastian de Klerk, who scored the try. Fouché missed the conversion.
Two minutes later, Fouché missed a penalty shot at goal.
De Klerk claimed his second try in the 24th minute, Daniel Maartens broke the defensive line and the pass went to De Klerk.
Again Fouché missed the kick at goal.
The Pumas’ discipline let them down for the last 15 minutes of the first half.
The Cheetahs were awarded a penalty try in the 31st minute when Maartens collapsed an attacking maul. He received a yellow card for the foul.
Siya Masuku kicked a 34th minute penalty for the home team to tie the score at 17-17.
Rosko Specman set up a try with an attacking break on 39 minutes. His pass went to Rudolph, who passed to Clayton Blommetjies, who went over the try line.
Masuku slotted the conversion to give the Cheetahs a 24-17 half-time lead.
After initially dominating play, the Pumas let the Cheetahs back into the game in the first half.
Fouché missed seven points at goal.
The home side came out breathing fire in the second half and Rudolph scored a try one minute after the restart. The home team attacked from deep within their own half for a great try.
Masuku missed a difficult conversion. He did succeed with a 46th minute penalty attempt to give the Cheetahs a 32-17 lead. But the Pumas were not done yet.
De Beer made a break and passed to replacement scrum half Giovan Snyman, who scored for the visitors. Fouché kicked the conversion.
In the 69th minute, Masuku kicked anther penalty to give the home team a 35-24 lead.
With time running out, it seemed the Cheetahs were going to host the Griquas in the final.
Then Specman was yellow-carded for knocking the ball down. The Pumas had a one-man advantage.
And Pumas hearts never give up.
Simon Raw, who also came on as a replacement, powered his way over the try line after an attacking line-out in the 75th minute. Be Beer claimed the extra two points and the Pumas trailed the Cheetahs by four points, 35-31.
Then came the defining moment in the match.
The Pumas were pushed deep into their own half after the Cheetahs had gained possession from the restart. All the home team had to do was keep the ball and play out the clock.
Somehow the Pumas ripped possession and De Beer created the space for an attack, which took the Pumas from their own try line to the Cheetahs’ try line with Gijima scoring the try.
De Beer kicked the conversion.
As the final whistle blew, the Pumas celebrated a moment in their history that was 53 years in the making.
The union, established in 1969, had for the first time ever qualified for a Currie Cup final.
The winners dug deep in the last 10 minutes of the match. When it mattered, they stood up to be counted.
It was all guts that earned the glory.
The Cheetahs had suffered their second home defeat of the Currie Cup season. The first was to the Airlink Pumas.
The better team won this afternoon.
