Pumas pip Griquas to lift SA Cup rugby title in Kimberley

An extra time penalty goal for the Pumas by Danrich Visagie helped his team clinch a thrilling 38-35 win over Griquas in a tense SA Cup final at the Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on Saturday evening.

The Pumas went into the break with a commanding 28-7 lead after outscoring the hosts by four tries to one in front of a capacity crowd.

Griquas were also forced to play 20 minutes with 14 men after Dylan Maart was red carded for a dangerous tackle.

However, the Northern Cape side fought back brilliantly in the second stanza, scoring three unanswered tries to level the scores at 28-28 and forcing the game into extra time — validating their position as log leaders during the league phase.

The visitors from Mpumalanga regained the ascendancy to lead by 10 points at the halfway stage of extra time. Though Griquas hit back with a maul try to come within three points, the visitors from Nelspruit held on for a famous win.

Seasoned Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has added his voice to a growing chorus of dissatisfaction among leading SA rugby personalities who want the second tier SA Cup rugby competition to be scrapped. Stonehouse, whose team are playing Griquas in the SA Cup final in Kimberley on Saturday, would like to see the feeder competition replaced by an enlarged Currie Cup Premier Division featuring all SA’s 14 provincial unions. The SA Cup, which offers four lucrative qualifying berths for the Currie Cup, has been criticised for the lack of technology and the absence of television match officials (TMOs) at matches. Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn and Griquas mentor Pieter Bergh agree with Stonehouse that the time has come to discard the flawed SA Cup. Matches are often poorly attended, and there is limited television coverage of matches in the 10-team league. “Defending our title is important for this union,” Stonehouse told Rugby365. “There is always hype around them (Cheetahs) potentially missing the Currie Cup. “Because it is a legacy team and one of the big unions, they get the publicity. “All the teams, including the Pumas, were also fighting for their survival (to qualify for the Currie Cup). “That is why I feel there is an argument to be made to expand the Currie Cup. “The SWD Eagles certainly deserve to be playing in the Currie Cup this year.” A resurgent Eagles team lost on points difference to the Boland Kavaliers after a nail-biting end to the league stage of the SA Cup. “Let us look back over the last six years. What happened to all those Craven Week players?” Stonehouse said. “However, the challenge is to secure the funding to pay those salaries. I don’t believe only the four big unions, Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions, produce all the Springboks. There are some well-documented Springboks from the smaller unions, and that should not be ignored “I don’t believe only the four big unions, Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions, produce all the Springboks. “There are some well-documented Springboks from the smaller unions, and that should not be ignored. “For the game in South Africa, we have to find employment for all the fringe players that fall by the wayside. “I have read a lot about why Griquas must qualify for the Currie Cup as defending champions. “We featured in four finals in the past four years, and nobody asks why the Pumas must play in a qualifying tournament. Steyn, whose team was beaten by the Pumas in the SA Cup semi-finals, wants a bigger and better funded Currie Cup. “Looking at how the teams have performed this year, you could just as well have one big Currie Cup. That’s my opinion,” he said. “The Valke were good and definitely not pushovers, and the Griffons also showed their quality. If you had one expanded Currie Cup, then maybe this competition [SA Cup] wouldn’t even be necessary. “I’ve said before that the Currie Cup needs to be made bigger and backed properly financially. There are people who still care deeply about the competition [Currie Cup], and with private equity coming into rugby, there’s an opportunity. Steyn’s plea has been backed by Bergh, who would also like the Currie Cup revamped. “If officials cannot do it [provide TMOs for the SA Cup], we must have a 14-team Currie Cup without qualification,” he said. “Teams like the Valke, SWD and EP are getting better – although there are a few teams still falling short.” SA Cup final: Saturday: 6.30pm Griquas v Pumas in Kimberley Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

The team from Mpumalanga set the tone early when flanker Ntsika Fisanti finished off a fine movement, with the conversion by Nevaldo Fleurs giving them a 7-0 lead.

Griquas showed their clinical nature with ball in hand when fullback Cameron Hufke took a sharp offload to score under the posts. The successful conversion levelled the scores at 7-7.

An intense 10-minute arm-wrestle followed before Jaycee Nel broke the deadlock, latching onto a Willie Engelbrecht pass to score the Pumas’ second try.

Two more tries followed in quick succession for Jimmy Stonehouse’s team via Wian van Niekerk and a second for Nel, stretching their lead to 21 points.

During this period, Maart was red carded after misjudging a high ball contest, resulting in a dangerous landing for his opposite number and leaving Pieter Bergh’s side a man down.

To their credit, the Peacock Blues — champions two seasons ago — used their powerful pack to claw back into the contest. They mauled their way toward the tryline for hooker Janco Uys to dot down. Momentum shifted further when Pumas’ Fisanti was yellow carded for repeated team infringements.

Scorers:

Griquas 35: Tries: Tiaan Lange (2), Cameron Hufke, Janco Uys, Caleb Abrahams. Conversions: George Whitehead (5).

Pumas 38: Tries: Jaycee Nel (2), Ntsika Fisanti, Wian van Niekerk, Danrich Visagie. Conversions: Nevaldo Fleurs (4), Visagie. Penalty goal: Visagie.

- SA Rugby Communications

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