Lions and Bulls ends at top of the log
Xerox Golden Lions XV and Vodacom Blue Bulls managed to make it to the top eight.
The iCOLLEGE Pumas qualified as the top team for the quarter-finals after the pool phase of a pulsating SuperSport Rugby Challenge came to an end on June 23, while both the Xerox Golden Lions XV and Vodacom Blue Bulls managed to make it to the top eight, much to the heartbreak of SWD Eagles.
The Nelspruit side, by virtue of their 58-29 win over a gutsy Hino Valke team at the Bill Jardine Stadium in Longdale in Johannesburg on Sunday, topped the North Section with 39 points and a faultless record. They will host the Vodacom Blue Bulls in a quarter-final next weekend.
Photo: Gordon Arons
The men from Pretoria finished third in the North Section after being defeated 47-29 by the Xerox Golden Lions XV, also at Longdale, where the fifth and final Rugby Festival was played in front of a highly appreciative crowd.
However, the Vodacom Blue Bulls scraped through as the third-placed team with the fewest log points. The other third-placed team, Toyota Free State XV, will travel to Mdantsane to face defending champions, DHL Western Province in their quarter-final on July 1.
Photo: Gordon Arons
The Capetonians managed 37 log points with seven wins and a draw to finish top of the South Section, and a second-place finish overall.
The Free Staters, who started the month undefeated at the top of the log in the Central Section, suffered defeats to their Kimberley neighbours and Cell C Sharks XV (this weekend) and dropped to third in their section, but managed to stay in the competition as one of the two best-placed third finishers.
Tafel Lager Griquas overcame the Welkom ambush prepared by the Down Touch Griffons on Saturday to top the Central Section log and finish third on the overall log. They will host the Boland Cavaliers in Kimberley on Saturday.
There was also agony for the SWD Eagles, who got pipped by the Boland on Saturday, despite winning five matches to the four by the Cavaliers.
Boland edged the EP Elephants, and SWD lost to DHL WP on Friday, but the men from George still had a slim chance of getting into the top eight if the Vodacom Blue Bulls could manage to prevent the Xerox Golden Lions XV from getting any log points.
Photo: Gordon Arons
The Central Gautengers though, boosted by solid performances from Springboks Malcolm Marx, Ruan Combrinck and Warren Whiteley, easily won their match against their neighbours from across the Jukskei River.
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