The Pumas recorded a convincing victory over the Cheetahs at Mbombela Stadium to take them to third on the Currie Cup log.

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Two tries by Simon Westraadt lifted the Pumas to a 28-19 victory in a match which struggled to find its rhythm.

Matchflow: Leading up to the match, the Cheetahs camp spoke openly about needing to shore up their defence. It would have felt like two steps forward and one step back for the visitors as, despite looking more composed on defence, they struggled with discipline and transitioning to attack.

The Pumas took an early lead through Simon Westraadt’s first try and two penalties off the boot of Eddie Fouche. The Cheetahs struck back through a try of their own by Victor Sekekete, but could never find their groove and played catch-up for much of the first half.

Westraadt’s second try on the half-time hooter gave the Pumas a comfortable 18-7 lead at the break.

Though the Cheetahs outscored the Pumas in the second half, the game in truth was all but decided by the 70th minute after the Pumas were awarded a penalty try from a dominant driving maul. Ill-discipline cost the Cheetahs three yellow cards and they will be ruing some of their decision-making.