An excellent defence, a work rate that reflected their fitness and tenacious handling of pressure earned the Airlink Pumas the 2022 Carling Currie Cup trophy at Windhoek Draught Park in Kimberley this afternoon, June 25.

The Pumas took their opportunities and played the match of their lives. They displayed guts and determination on the pitch for 80 minutes. It was a team effort of immense proportions.

For the first time in their 53-year history, the Airlink Pumas lifted the Currie Cup.

After two losses to the Windhoek Draught Griquas, the Pumas made the third match count to make history.

The Pumas won 26-19.

The score was 3-3 after three minutes. Eddie Fouché and George Whitehead traded penalty kicks.

Whitehead put the home team 6-3 up on 19 minutes with another penalty goal.

The Pumas scored their first try in the 22^nd minute.

They won their line-out on the halfway line. The attack went through numerous phases as they worked towards the Griquas goal line.

Caution-to-the-wind passing broke the defence and Devon Williams went over for the try.

Fouché converted to give the visitors the lead.

Whitehead slotted another penalty on 29 minutes after one of the Griquas players was tackled without the ball.

But the last 10 minutes of the half changed the destiny of the match.

The Griquas conceded a penalty after nine phases of Pumas’ attack in their own 22-metre area. Fouché nailed the three points.

Four minutes before half-time the Pumas won a scrum penalty at the halfway line. Tinus de Beer kicked the ball into touch, and the Griquas conceded another penalty for taking the jumper out in the line-out. The penalty was well within Fouché’s range, but the Pumas opted to kick into touch.

Eduan Swart scored off the resulting maul. Fouché missed the conversion, but the Pumas held a 18-9 half-time lead.

A possible try by Williams early in the second half was not awarded after third match official Trevor Immelman judged the pass to the full back forward.

But a penalty four minutes later, by Fouché, gave the Pumas a 21-9 lead.

Daniel Maartens conceded a penalty after not releasing in the tackle on 46 minutes. But the penalty was reversed for a Griquas hand to a Pumas face.

Again the Pumas kicked for touch. A maul formed and then the ball went through various passes. Jade Stighling broke the defence and passed to Maartens who offloaded to Willie Engelbrecht to score the try.

Fouché missed the conversion.

The reversed penalty and resulting try were defining moments in the match, attributed to the Griquas’ lack of discipline and the Pumas’ confidence to score tries.

Ten minutes later came the second defining moment in the Pumas win. This time it was the Pumas’ brave defence that stood out.

The Griquas won a penalty, tapped and ran. The visitors defended superbly as the home team ran the ball at them. Swart then won a penalty for the Pumas two metres from the try line and the Griquas were driven back into their own half from the touch-finder.

Munier Hartzenberg scored shortly afterwards for the Griquas.

Another penalty was a tap and go, and Hartzenberg accelerated through the defence as the Pumas were caught retreating.

Whitehead kicked the conversion.

The full back hit the post with a penalty attempt in the 76^th minute, but succeeded with another a minute later.

The score was 26-19 to the Pumas with three minutes to play.

The Griquas secured possession from the restart and had to score and convert to take the match to extra time.

They attacked up to the halfway line before conceding a penalty in the onslaught of another massive Pumas defensive effort.

The final whistle blew and the Currie Cup was won.

It was an epic final. Both teams battled with the proverbial butterflies early in the game, but the visitors stamped their authority on proceedings in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

The Pumas continued their dominance in the second half. But the home team were not going to give up. They fought until the end, lifting their game with remarkable support from the home fans in the stands.

But finals are won on defence. The Pumas’ fitness and will to win saw them through to the 80^th minute.

When it mattered most, when the Griquas were determined to change the tide of the game, the Pumas were at their best.

The visitors showed belief to win against all odds.

Captain Willie Engelbrecht was the man of the match, but the award could have easily gone to Swart.

History was made in Kimberley today, and it is coming home to Mbombela in the form of a beautiful gold trophy.

Photos: Johan Orton