Pumas reach new heights

The Pumas set a new record for the biggest victory ever in first class rugby in South Africa when they beat the Limpopo Blue Bulls 154-0 in a Vodacom Cup massacre in Nelspruit.

It was a weekend of big scores, with one century of points and three 50s in the eight encounters as the top teams start their push for the play-offs.

The previous record, a 153-point win, was held by Lowveld with their 163-10 victory over Transkei in 1994.

The Pumas 154 points is the second most ever scored in South Africa, and surpassed Western Provinces 151-3 win over the Valke (then still called Eastern Transvaal) in 1995.

Former Springbok Sevens flyer Danwel Demas scored four of the ruthless Pumas 22 tries. They lead 70-0 at half-time.

Jaco Bouwer and JW Bell scored three tries each, while the home teams two flyhalves, Carl Bezuidenhout and Coenie van Wyk, converted 11 each.

This North Section win secured the Pumas a place in the quarterfinals and the smart money has to be on them to qualify for home field advantage in the play-off.

The Sharks XV, the only other unbeaten team in the Vodacom Cup, needs one log point in the South Section to secure a playoff spot, with only two league matches remaining before the quarterfinals.

The KwaZulu-Natalians secured a comfortable 54-24 win over the Boland Cavaliers in Durban on Friday afternoon, with Brynard Stander bagging two tries and Fred Zeilinga moving to 100 season points thanks to a personal haul of 24 points with the boot.

Also in the South Section, EP Kings wingers Yamkela Ngam and Siyanda Grey both bagged two tries as they beat the SWD Eagles by 52-10 at the NMMU Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday. The hosts ran in seven tries against their Southern Kings franchise partners.

Western Province, the defending champions, fought back in the second half of their match against 2011 champions, the Pampas XV, at Newlands. Early in the second half, the Argentineans lead by 17-5, but the Capetonians never gave up and ended up winning by 28-17 after scoring 23 unanswered points in the last 35 minutes.

The Free State XV scored four tries two of them by their captain. Tertius Daniller, as they won only their second match of the season by beating a gallant Border Bulldogs side by 26-25 in a thrilling match at the University of Fort Hare in Alice on Saturday.

In the North Section, the Blue Bulls were far too good for the Valke as they clinched a 74-14 win at Hugenote High School on Saturday afternoon. The three-time champions scored 12 tries, with Sampie Mastriet bagging four and three players Courtnall Skosan, Travis Ismail and former SA Under-20 captain Wiaan Liebenberg scoring two tries each.

Mastriet (left wing) got his first three tries within the first 25 minutes and scored his fourth early in the second half during this one-sided match.

On Friday afternoon, the Golden Lions resurrected their hopes of a play-off place thanks to a hard-fought 24-11 victory over Griquas at the UJ Stadium in Johannesburg.

It was the Golden Lions second win of the season and a very vital victory, as it kept them in the hunt for a quarterfinal berth.

The Leopards XV remained in second position on the North Section log with a good 27-7 win over the Griffons in Potchefstroom on Friday afternoon. Wing Danie Dames scored two tries, but an electrical storm saw play suspended for 33 minutes early in the match.

All the scorers:

Leopards XV 27 -7 Griffons

For Leopards XV:

Tries: Danie Dames 2, Morn Hanekom

Cons: Andr Pretorius 3

Pens: Pretorius 2

For Griffons:

Try: Aubrey McDonald

Con: Inus Kritzinger

Sharks XV 54-24 Boland Cavaliers

For Sharks XV:

Tries: Brynard Stander 2, Sbura Sithole, Heimar Williams, Murray Bondesio, Jaco van Tonder

Cons: Fred Zeilinga 6

Pens: Zeilinga 4

For Boland Cavaliers:

Tries: Ulrich Pretorius, Jacquin Jansen, Penalty Try

Cons: Ricardo Croy 3

Pen: Croy

Golden Lions 24-11v Griquas

For Golden Lions:

Tries: Warren Whiteley, Deon van Rensburg, Michael Bondesio

Cons: Marnitz Boshoff 3

Pen: Boshoff

For Griquas:  

Try: Jacques Coetzee

Pens: Pieter-Steyn de Wet 2

EP Kings 52-10 SWD Eagles

For EP Kings:

Tries: Yamkela Ngam 2, Sianda Grey 2, Scott van Breda, Luke Watson, Tiger Mangweni

Cons: Scott van Breda 7

Pen: Scott van Breda

For SWD Eagles:

Tries: Jeff Taljard, Kabamba Floors

Valke 14-74 Blue Bulls

For Valke:

Tries: Anrich Richter, Juan Kotze

Cons: Kotze 2

For Blue Bulls:

Tries: Sampie Mastriet 4, Clayton Blommetjies, Wiaan Liebenberg 2, Travis Ismail 2, Courtnall Skosan 2, Piet Lindeque

Cons: Willie du Plessis 7

Western Province 28-17 Pampas XV

For Western Province:

Tries: Pat Howard (2), Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Tim Swiel. Conversion: Dillyn Leyds. Penalty: Leyds. Drop goal: Swiel.

For Pampas XV:

Tries: Manuel Montero, Leonardo Senatore, Matias Massera

Con: Benjamin Madero

Pumas 154-0 Limpopo Blue Bulls

For Pumas:

Tries: Danwel Demas 5, Jaco Bouwer 3, JW Bell 3, Frank Herne 2, RW Kember, Ashwin Scott, Jerome Pretorius, De-Jay Terblanche, Doppies le Roux, Renaldo Bothma 2, Eduan van der Walt, Drew van Coller

Cons: Carl Bezuidenhout 11, Coenie van Wyk 11

Border Bulldogs 25-26 Toyota Free State XV

For Border Bulldogs:

Tries: Niell Jacobs, Mkhafu Khwezilokusa, Ernst Landendorf

Cons: Karlo Aspelling 2

Pens: Aspelling 2

For Toyota Free State XV:

Tries: Tertius Daniller 2, Noel Marx, Joubert Engelbrecht

Cons: Elgar Watts, Nico Scheepers 2