On Saturday, the Leopards stayed in the fight right up to the final whistle before going down 29–23 in Welkom. It was comfortably their most encouraging performance of the season, and they will look to build on that momentum when they face the Border Bulldogs this week.

Babalo Makana - Morgan Piek

It’s been a tough start to the SA Cup for the Leopards. They suffered a heavy 101–7 defeat to the Suzuki Griquas in Kimberley, while a week earlier the Toyota Cheetahs ran out 64–7 winners at Olën Park in Potchefstroom.

In 2025, the Leopards conceded 70-plus points against the Purple People Eaters on two occasions, and even their warm-up fixture ended in heavy defeats.

After the narrow loss in Welkom, Leopards coach Riaan van Straten told OFM Sport he was thrilled with the team’s improvement, saying it will give them much-needed belief heading into the next block of matches - most of which are against First Division opposition.

“This is a massive step forward for us - like I said earlier in the week, we can’t chase outcomes if the processes aren’t in place,” said Van Straten.

Zac Bester scored twice for the Leopards in Welkom - Morgan Piek

“Today, the focus was purely on getting those processes right, and this is what happens when they click. I’m very happy with the intent we showed - we stuck to our structures and they worked.

“There were one or two unlucky moments, but those are small errors we can fix. Right now, it’s about getting the basics right, and we’re heading in the right direction.”

Van Straten added that consistent improvement on the field remains key as they continue to rebuild, and believes there were plenty of positives against their old rivals.

Jandré Burger ran the backline well from flyhalf at the DTI Stadium - Morgan Piek

“It’s huge. If you look at last year, the Leopards lost heavily to the Griffons, so to come here and be in the match until the final minute is massive for us.

“I didn’t bring that up with the team, but it shows the growth. I haven’t seen something like this in a long time. It gives us real momentum going into the next block of matches, especially since these are the teams we’ll face in the First Division. We know now - we’re in it.”

Saturday’s clash between the Leopards and Border Bulldogs at Olën Park kicks off at 15:00.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport