Staff Reporter.
The Boland Kavaliers and Valke remain in the race for Currie Cup Premier Division qualification after big wins in round 6 of the SA Cup.
Boland shrugged off two previous losses to bully the Border Bulldogs 52-3 on Saturday and move into fourth place, edging the Griffons and Valke on points difference.
The East Randers shrugged off a first-half blitz from the Northern Free Staters to score two tries in the dying minutes and clinch a thrilling 45-40 win in Kempton Park.
In Bloemfontein, the Cheetahs bagged their fourth win and second in a row when they overran the SWD Eagles 87-15 at Free State Stadium to move into third spot on the table.
Meanwhile, unbeaten front-runners Griquas and the Pumas banked comfortable victories to sustain their momentum.
Jimmy Stonehouse’s Pumas brushed aside the Leopards 80-10 in Potchefstroom, while holders Griquas opened the weekend’s action with a 70-17 rout of Eastern Province in Kimberley on Friday afternoon.
With only three league rounds remaining, Griquas and the Pumas lead the table on 30 points each. The Cheetahs are third on 22 points, which is two more than the Kavaliers, Griffons and Valke.
EP are seventh on 12 points, with the defeat in the Northern Cape a big blow to their semi-final aspirations, while SWD (7 pts), the Leopards (4) and Border (2) complete the standings.
The competition pauses over Easter before the action resumes with a sumptuous, top-of-the-table clash between the Pumas and Griquas in Nelspruit on Friday, 25 April.
On the following day, the Kavaliers host the Leopards in Wellington, Border and EP play their Eastern Cape derby in East London, the Griffons welcome SWD to Welkom and the Cheetahs are home to Valke.