A heroic five-minute scoring blitz at the death clinched the Pumas a spot in the Currie Cup final at the expense of the Free State Cheetahs.
The teams met in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon and, trailing the Cheetahs 24-35 inside the final 10 minutes of the match, the Pumas scored two converted tries before the final whistle to book a place in a fairy-tale decider in Kimberley against fellow minnows Griquas in the sport’s oldest competition.
The Cheetahs suffered the huge loss of influential skipper Ruan Pienaar after he had to withdraw in the 23rd minute with a suspected knee problem, but the hosts took a seven-point lead into half time at Free State Stadium.
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In an exciting start to the first half, inside centre Eddie Fouche strolled in between the sticks for the opening try and kicked the extras.
The Cheetahs displayed their attacking brand of rugby in reply as No 8 Jeandre Rudolph barged over in the corner. Pienaar converted to level the scores, but outside centre Sebastian de Klerk reclaimed the lead for the Pumas with an opportunistic try.
Pienaar left the field at the beginning of the second quarter and the Pumas pounced on the unsettled hosts as De Klerk bagged his second five-pointer.
But the Cheetahs rallied to score two tries for a 24-17 lead going into the break – a penalty try was followed by fullback Clayton Blommetjies dotting down before the break.
Cheetahs flyhalf Siya Masuka took over the goal-kicking duties from Pienaar and converted Blommetjies’ try to go with an earlier penalty.
The hosts were quickest out the blocks after the break with Rudolph going over for his second try. Masuka’s conversion attempt went wide, but he made no mistake with his next penalty effort to extend the hosts’ advantage.
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Needing a spark for a comeback in the final quarter, Pumas flyhalf Tinus de Beer exploited a gap and ran the distance before offloading to replacement scrumhalf Giovan Snyman to cross the whitewash. Fouche converted to narrow the gap to eight points with 17 minutes left in the game.
Masuka earned the Cheetahs some breathing room with another well-struck penalty, only for left wing Rosko Specman to cop a yellow card for a handling infringement.
Again, the Pumas seized the opportunity to rattle the hosts as substitute prop Simon Raw rumbled into the end zone, De Beer on song for the conversion.
And wing Ali Mgijima completed the fightback after finishing off a lovely passing move, De Beer’s successful strike the icing on the cake for a 38-35 triumph for the men from Nelspruit.
