The Ixias were ruthless as they hammered the Orange Army 54-12 to earn a valuable bonus point on the road.

This was the team from Bloemfontein’s third straight win in the competition after recording wins over Maties in Stellenbosch and Tuks at home over the past two weeks.

The fullback, Ricoman Titus, was the star for the Ixias with a hat-trick of tries, while the centre, Zachery Bester, crossed the whitewash for a brace of seven-point tries.

The flanker, Janco Cloete, was simply outstanding for the Ixias and his performance earned him the man of the match accolade.

Darnell Osuagwu and Prince Nkabinde were the try-scorers for the hosts.

The Ixias coach, Melusi Mthethwa, told OFM Sport that it was important to focus on their own game and allowing the players to express themselves also helps in dealing with the pressure.

"The focus was always on us, doing what we knew we could do best," said the coach.

"For me, that has always been the main and most important thing. At some point, we needed to focus on what we do because everyone does something well.

"That just released a bit of pressure on the boys, and that also just gave them confidence in terms of what they are capable of."

The win has moved the Ixias up to second in the standings with 15 points. They trail the log-leading North West University Eagles. These teams will battle it out on Monday in Potchefstroom in a top-of-the-table clash.

Ixias: Tries - Zachary Bester 2, Ricoman Titus 3, Matthew Sekeke, Janco Cloete Conv. - Tylor Sefoor 6 Pen. - Sefoor

UJ: Tries - Darnell Osuagwu, Prince Nkabinde Conv. - Jonathan Viljoen

Morgan Piek OFM Sport