Pumas fight back with venom to be crowned U21 Shield champs

In a thrilling final, the Pumas were crowned champions of the 2023 South African Rugby U21 Shield after a hard-fought final battle at Hoërskool Middelburg on September 30.

A successful penalty attempt from the halfway line secured the Mpumalanga-based team’s victory.

They won the match 39-32.

The Pumas were undefeated in the 2023 U21 Shield heading into the final.

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So when they found themselves trailing their opponents 24-11 in the the first half the pressure was on – would they fold or would they fight? Their hard work on the training field paid off to ensure the Elephants did not expand on their lead.

A late first-half rally managed to cut the Elephant’s lead to three.

Both teams headed into the break with a sense of confidence, although momentum was on the Pumas side. The score was 24-21 in favour of the Elephants.

As the second half approached, you could feel the atmosphere tighten. The formerly boisterous crowd was quiet and the tension was palpable.

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With the second half underway, the men in pink stepped up their intensity, contesting every ruck as if it were their last, committing to every tackle and executing their game plan with venom.

They managed to grab hold of the lead, but there was still an elephant in the room, the Eastern Province side scored a try to retake the lead with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.

A quick response was necessary. The Pumas were behind by one point and time was against them, but they knew they would have at least one more chance to steal the game, and the shield along with it.

The Elephants defence was cracked, with the Pumas scoring a try. But a missed conversion gave the Elephants hope. The difference was five points.

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All they needed was one try to jot their names down in the history books – the pressure was on for both teams.

Fighting to defend mere centimetres, the Pumas stood firm.

After their steadfast resilience, the Pumas delivered the knockout blow as the referee awarded the Pumas a penalty. The easy decision would have been to kick the ball out of play and wind the clock down with a lineout, but the Pumas did not reach the final undefeated by taking the easy route. Russwill Fredericks had other plans.

He trusted his ability and opted for a penalty attempt, a monstrous 50-metre kick.

As everyone – the players, management and crowd held their breaths, his kick casually sailed through the middle of the uprights.

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The Pumas could now breathe. This meant that the best the Elephants could hope for was a draw in regular time, but the match would finish 39-32 in favour of our boys in pink.

The final whistle blew and celebrations ensued, with the coaching staff and players jumping wildly into each other’s arms. Only they knew the effort and sacrifice each member of the team had dedicated to this unbelievable season, the Pumas earned the trophy.

Scorers

• Tries:
  Russwill Fredericks (2),
  Seyabonga Ngobeni,
  Jan Joubert and Vuyelwa Khoza.
• Penalties and conversions:
  Russwill Fredericks
  (4 penalties, 2 conversions)
  and Jan Joubert (1 penalty).