Replacement hooker HP van Schoor’s second-half brace of tries saw the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers keep one foot in the semi-finals of the SA Cup competition, despite going down 32-34 to the Airlink Pumas at Boland Stadium on Saturday. More significant to this, is remaining in the qualification race for this year’s Currie Cup Premier Division.
The two losing log points and a massive favour from Eastern Province who beat the Novavit Griffons 20-14 in Gqeberha, sees Boland hold on to the fourth spot in the SA Cup standings with one regular round game of the season to go.
Boland, who now have 27 log points, travel to Gqeberha to face the EP Elephants on their home turf, where a win for coach Hawies Fourie and his team to seal a spot in the SA Cup semi-finals and Currie Cup Premier Division status.
The contest started at a frenetic pace, as both sides tried to assert their dominance, but it was the Pumas who drew first blood as scrumhalf Ross Braude took a quick tap penalty and darted past a few defenders before chip-kicking and regaining the ball and scoring the opening try.
It would not take long for Boland to reply as James Tedder started and finished of a brilliant attacking move after diving over from a off-load from hooker Sidney Tobias
A penalty by Clinton Swart put the Pumas 10-5 ahead before Tedder brought the home side back within two points before they hit the lead as fullback Domenic Smit dived on a well-placed grubber by winger Xavier Mitchell.
The Pumas tied things up as Jaycee Nel scored his side’s second five-pointer, as the Cavas showed great resistance with their defence to keep things tied up at the break.
However, a yellow card and 10 minutes in the sin-bin for centre and Cavaliers vice-captain, Lunathi Nxele, saw the Pumas hit the lead after 52 minutes in the second half as flanker Ruwald van der Merwe dove over from a brilliant lineout move to go 22-15 up after a successful conversion from Swart.
But the Nxele sin-binning would not cost the Cavas anymore points as the home side almost immediately squared things up after regaining the ball from the restart before Van Schoor drove his way over for his first try and Tedder converted.
With the teams back to 15 players apiece, the Pumas struck a crucial blow after outwitting the Boland defence put wide for Nel to score his second try of the day.
The Cavas then had numerous opportunities to square things up, but handling errors cost them before a decision to go for poles by Tedder put the game on a knife’s edge at 29-25 with seven minutes left to play.
But former Bolander Darren Adonis broke the home crowd’s hearts when he ran in the Pumas’ fifth try of the day with just a few minutes left on the clock.
Another restart turnover from Boland saw them back in contention to bag a bonus point, but a penalty for holding on to the ball on the ground meant that all that the Pumas had to do was boot the ball into touch to win the game.
Swart, however, made the mistake of going for distance with his touch finder as Mitchell skilfully made sure the ball stayed in-field as the Cavas launched a counter-attack from deep inside their own half.
And after a penalty for Boland, the home side used their lineout maul to good affect again, before a few hard pick and go carries saw Van Schoor dive over for his second try and secure two valuable bonus points.
SCORERS:
SANLAM BOLAND CAVALIERS 32 (15) – Tries: James Tedder, Domenic Smit, and HP van Schoor (2). Conversions: Tedder (3). Penalties: Tedder (2).
AIRLINK PUMAS 34 (15) – Tries: Ross Braude, Jaycee Nel (2), Ruwald van der Merwe and Darren Adonis. Conversions: Clinton Swart (3). Penalties: Swart