Currie Cup result: Plucky Pumas set up title clash with champs

Flyhalf Clinton Swart’s late penalty helped the Pumas progress to the Currie Cup final with a come-from-behind win against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Sunday afternoon.

Man of the Match Swart split the uprights in the 70th minute at Free State Stadium to complete a 27-24 victory that will see Jimmy Stonehouse’s men contest next Saturday’s decider in Kimberley against the defending champions Griquas, who earlier in the day thrashed the Lions 52-12 at Griqua Stadium.

It was also back-to-back wins for the Pumas over Frans Steyn’s troops after last week’s 52-26 rout in Nelspruit.

High The Lowvelders are no strangers to the showpiece of rugby’s oldest domestic competition, having reached consecutive finals in 2022 and 2023 and a maiden title triumph four years ago.

Sunday’s hosts controlled territory from the outset before Cheetahs flyhalf Jaco van der Walt opened the scoring with a penalty in the 18th minute.

Their forwards did the damage from there, a rolling maul on 35 minutes ending in a try for flanker Ramon Uys, and Van der Walt converted.

The Pumas struggled to find rhythm with ball in hand, undone by handling errors and a scrum that kept giving the home team a platform.

Swart’s penalty on the stroke of half-time was the visitors’ only reward as the Cheetahs took a 10-3 lead into the break.

The visitors struck early after the restart, winger Darren Adonis finishing off a lineout steal and Swart converting to level matters at 10-10.

Flanker Andre Goedhals barged over for a second try, but the Cheetahs hit back through replacement Marko Janse van Rensburg’s maul finish, and Van der Walt tied it up again from the kicking tee.

Gustav du Rand’s rolling-maul try nudged the Pumas back ahead before Carel-Jan Coetzee’s converted touchdown levelled it once more at 24-24.

Swart’s final strike then edged the Pumas in front, and they held on from there to book a spot in the decider.

CHEETAHS – Tries: Ramon Uys, Marko Janse van Rensburg, Carel-Jan Coetzee. Conversions: Jaco van der Walt (3). Penalty: Van der Walt.
PUMAS – Tries: Darren Adonis, Andre Goedhals, Gustav du Rand. Conversions: Clinton Swart (3). Penalties: Swart (2).

This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.