Rugby
The Pumas get their revenge─── MORGAN PIEK 07:37 Sun, 25 May 2025
The Pumas are the SA Cup champions for the first time, exacting sweet revenge on Suzuki Griquas with a commanding 39–14 victory in the final at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday evening.
After leading 19–7 at half-time, the home side never looked like surrendering their advantage. The Pumas had already handed the Griquas their first defeat in the league phase a few weeks prior, and they emphatically repeated that result to lift the trophy on home soil.
The match turned early when Griquas front-rower Cebo Dlamini was shown a red card in the seventh minute for a head-on-head collision, forcing the visitors to play with 14 men for 20 crucial minutes.
Sango Xamlashe. Photo: SA Rugby
The Pumas struck immediately, with hooker Eduan Swart crashing over from a dominant maul. Flyhalf Danrich Visagie converted, setting the tone for the match. From there, the Pumas dominated both possession and territory, piling pressure on the defending champions.
Centre Sango Xamlashe – who played for Griquas in last year’s final – came back to haunt his former side with a brace of tries. His first came from slick footwork near the posts, and his second from a well-timed skip pass near the corner, pushing the score to 19-0.
The Pumas. Photo: SA Rugby
Against the run of play, Griquas struck back with a long-range intercept try from winger Gurswin Wehr, narrowing the margin to 19–7 at the break.
But the Pumas resumed control after the restart. Visagie slotted a penalty and then converted a try by Willie Engelbrecht, who intercepted a pass and ran it in to make it 29–7. Another penalty made it 32–7.
Griquas briefly fought back through a try from the powerful Mnombo Zwelendaba, but it was too little, too late.
Gurswin Wehr. Photo: Morgan Piek
Replacement prop Dewald Maritz powered over for the final score of the evening, sealing a dominant win and the Pumas’ long-awaited moment of glory.
The next game for both teams will be on 25 July when they face each other again in Nelspruit, but this time during round one of the Currie Cup Premier Division.
Pumas: Tries - Eduan Swart, Sango Xamlashe 2, Willie Engelbrecht, Dewald Maritz Conv. - Danrich Visagie 4 Pen. - Visagie 2
Griquas: Tries - Gurshin Wehr, Mnombo Zwelendaba Conv. - George Whitehead 2
