The Pumas defeated a youthful Bulls 44-14 in their final round Currie Cup fixture at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Sunday to finish their season on a positive note, while Frans Steyn delivered another masterclass kicking performance in Kimberley on Saturday to steer the Toyota Cheetahs to a hard-fought 22-18 win over Tafel Lager Griquas.

The clash between Western Province and the Sharks, which was scheduled to take place at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday, was cancelled in line with COVID-19 protocols. As a result, the encounter was declared a draw and the teams each received two log points.

Following the completion of the round-robin phase, the Bulls finished top of the standings on 39 points with Western Province in the second spot on 37, followed by the Sharks (35) and Lions (34).

Saturday’s victory moved the Cheetahs’ tally to 31 points, while the Pumas increased their total to 17 for the season. The winless Tafel Lager Griquas completed the campaign in the seventh position.

The Carling Currie Cup final has been moved to Saturday, 30 January, with the two semi-finals scheduled for the previous weekend – when the Bulls will host the Lions in Pretoria, and Western Province taking on the Sharks in Cape Town – with both matches on Saturday, 23 January.

Pumas outmuscle Bulls in Nelspruit

The Pumas defeated log leaders the Vodacom Bulls 44-14 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit to finish their Currie Cup on a high note on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowvelders outscored the Pretoria outfit by six tries to two in the Mbombela Stadium for their third win of the Covid-19 disrupted season.

Their first half effort was exceptional as the home side proved their experienced by outscoring the visitors five tries to one for a 34-7 halftime lead.

Despite the home side sealing a bonus-point win, the result made no difference to the final standings as the Vodacom Bulls remain top and the Phakisa Pumas finished sixth.

Scorers:

Pumas: Tries - Luther Obi, Etienne Taljaard, Devon Williams (2), Willie Engelbrecht, Daniel Maartens Conv - Ginter Smuts (4). Pen. - Smuts (2).

Bulls:  Tries - Joe van Zyl, Dawid Kellerman Conv. - Morne Steyn, Clinton Swart.

Reliable Steyn steers Cheetahs to another hard-fought victory

The Toyota Cheetahs withstood a spirited late onslaught from Griquas to win their last Currie Cup fixture of the campaign 22-18 in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon.

Hawies Fourie's team led 10-6 at halftime, and not for the first time this season, they had to thank the booming boot of experienced Springbok midfielder Frans Steyn for steering them home.

The big inside centre succeeded with five penalties and a conversion for another flawless kicking display and a personal tally of 17 points.

The win means the team from Bloemfontein finish the season with a total of six wins from 12 games and a final tally of 31 log points.

However, the men from Kimberley finished the season winless from 12 starts, a number of those defeats by the tightest of margins.

Scorers:

Griquas: Tries - Gideon van der Merwe, Daniel Kasende Conv. - George Whitehead Pen. - Tinus de Beer (2).

Cheetahs:  Try - Marnus van der Merwe Conv. - Frans Steyn Pen. - Steyn (5).