Staff Reporter.
The Airlink Pumas ran in nine tries to smash the Toyota Cheetahs 21-61 (HT 7-26) in their Round-Four Currie Cup meeting in Bloemfontein on Friday.
In a clash of the top two teams – with one point separating them going into the encounter as the Cheetahs were on 15 and the Pumas on 14 – the defending champions showed their mettle away from home to thrash the only other undefeated side on their own home turf.
The Pumas showed all the endeavour in the first half and sailed to a commanding lead at halftime.
While the Cheetahs also put up their hands in terms of their hunger for the try line and their solid defensive work at the rucks, the Pumas – who butchered a couple of try scoring opportunities in the first 40 – came out on top in the first half.
The visitors were first on the scoreboard after they won a penalty at the lineout and used the blindside to their advantage and moved to the centre of the pitch, before an offload saw the Pumas try-scorer drag a good few defenders with him to crash over the whitewash for the opening score (0-5).
The Cheetahs responded with one of their one – a full point score at that – after a scrum in their own half.
The hosts’ power proved just too much in thr resulting play and, after having the throw-in in opposition 22, they powered their way through the remaining field to go 7-5 up in the first quarter.
Around the half-hour mark, the away side struck again to regain the lead (7-12).
After some aerial ping pong, the Pumas won a lineout on opposition 10, and while the Cheetahs came away with the ball, the Pumas persisted and got a lineout on the 5. From there on, they shifted into ‘power’ gear at the maul to have the final say as the halftime whistle sounded (7-26).
The Pumas held nothing back as they jumped out the blocks in the second half as sailed to a 7-33 lead, and they kept piling on the pressure to turn their massive points to 40 in the 51st minute.
The hosts finally made an appearance on the scoresheet again when they took their low tally to 14-40. Fur minutes later, and while they added another, the Pumas had just done too much at that point.
Jimmy Stonehouse’s team continued their onslaught as they bagged yet another in the final 20 after a superb effort from Tinus de Beer laid the platform for another try (21-47).
The holders of the title were not done just yet, though.
They added two more tries in stunning fashion to stamp down a massive statement (21-61).
The victory sees the Pumas overtake the Cheetahs at the top of the Currie Cup log.
Point-scorers:
Cheetahs – Tries: Janus Venter, Ruan Smit, Marcell Muller Conversions: Andell Loubser (3)
Pumas – Tries: Diego Appollis, Wian van Niekerk, Eduan Swart, Llewellyn Classen, Devon Williams (3), Tinus de Beer, Stefan Coetzee Conversions: Tinus de Beer (5), Brandon Thompson (3).
Meanwhile, in Welkom, the Griffons pulled off a surprise win against the Bulls, who have now gone four matches in the competition without a win.
The men from the Northern Free State won 32-28 for their first victory of the campaign.
In all, the Bulls franchise has now lost nine matches in a row — four in the Currie Cup and five in the United Rugby Championship.