Griquas secure the ball at a line out in round five of the SA Cup. Image: Via SA Rugby.
SA Cup round five recap: Griffons stun Cheetahs
The Cheetahs suffered a shock defeat, the Pumas and Griquas maintained their unbeaten runs in the SA Cup during the weekend’s fifth round action.
Griquas secure the ball at a line out in round five of the SA Cup. Image: Via SA Rugby.
Griquas and the Pumas maintained their unbeaten record in the SA Cup when both again scored important away wins during the weekend’s fifth round action.
SA CUP FIFTH ROUND RECAP
The log leaders from Kimberley withstood a spirited effort from the Boland Kavaliers to register a 48-30 triumph in Wellington on Saturday, while at the same time in East London, the team from Mpumalanga bagged a 56-0 victory over Border Bulldogs – their third clean sheet of the SA Cup season.
Elsewhere on Saturday, the Valke delivered their best performance of the season by outmuscling SWD Eagles by 63-31 in Kempton Park for their maiden win of the new competition, while the Leopards defeated Eastern Province in Potchefstroom for their second win of the SA Cup campaign.
On Sunday in Welkom, the Griffons clinched a dramatic 36-33 victory over neighbours Cheetahs when they were awarded a penalty try after the buzzer for their fourth win of the season, to stay in touch with the frontrunners.
After five rounds of action, Griquas managed to hold onto their leading log position with 25 points from five wins in as many SA Cup games. The Pumas have the same amount points, however, they find themselves second on the standings behind on points’ difference.
The Griffons’ derby win over the Cheetahs lifted them above the Bloemfontein outfit into third place with 20 points, with the team from Bloemfontein three points behind on 17. The two Free State sides are followed by the Kavaliers in fourth place (12 points), the Eagles and Leopards (both 10), Elephants (8), Valke (7) and Bulldogs (0).
The action continues next weekend when five more games will be played during round six of the competition. Following conclusion of the single round of matches, the two top-ranked sides will contest the Cup final on Saturday, 25 May.
EXPLAINING SA RUGBY’S HOT NEW TOURNAMENT
What is the SA Cup?
It is a new competition under the SA Rugby umbrella, which will mark the official launch of the local provincial season for 2024. One of the interesting features of this competition is the inclusion of five Sunday afternoon fixtures staged across the country.
The SA Cup serves as an important bridge between pre-season and the beginning of the Currie Cup Premier and First Division competitions, effectively replacing the Mzansi Challenge from 2023.
Who are the participating teams?
The new competition will involve 10 provincial teams (excluding those with a United Rugby Championship franchise team) who will compete against each other over a span of nine consecutive weeks in a total of 46 matches.
The teams are: the Griffons, Griquas, Leopards, SWD Eagles, Pumas, Cheetahs, Boland Kavaliers, Eastern Province, Valke and Border Bulldogs.
In 2025, the top four teams from the SA Cup will join the four Vodacom URC franchises in the Currie Cup Premier Division, with the remaining six teams contesting the First Division.
Source: SA Rugby
