The Airlink Pumas scored six tries on their way to a stylish bonus-point 49-28 (halftime 25-23) victory over the Suzuki Griquas in the opening round of the Carling Currie Cup at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela on Friday evening.
Flyhalf Danrich Visagie scored a try, converted five times and added three penalties for a personal haul of 24 points while Sango Zlamlashe, Eddie Swart, Wian van Niekerk, JJ Scheepers and Darren Adonis all crossed the line.
The Airlink Pumas start their #CarlingCurrieCup campaign with a win ✅🏉#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/IV9rIgqNLs
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 25, 2025
Griquas were in the game on the stroke of halftime but suffered three yellow cards in the second half to turn the tide but managed three tries themselves through Gustav Erlank, Mnombo Zwelendaba and George Whitehead, who also added two conversions and three penalties to his tally.
Both sides began the match with an intensity that set the stage for an exciting game with Griquas captain and prop, Cebo Dlamini celebrating his 50th cap by winning a penalty for his side inside the first minute, which flyhalf Whitehead converted to give his side an early lead.
However, the home side returned the pressure from the kick-off, with Whitehead’s attempted clearance charged-down. Centre Xlamlashe was quick onto the loose ball and scored the game’s first try, converted by Visagie to give the sparse home crowd something to cheer about early on.
No 8 Gustav Erlank showed his strength 10 minutes later as the visitors from Kimberley moved the ball to the right of the field from a lineout and with a quick switch of play, saw Erlank burst through an attempted tackle to take Griquas back into the lead.
Whitehead’s conversion moved the visitors back into a three-point lead, which was only to last a few minutes as the hosts added their second try as Visagie found space in the Griquas defence to score. However, despite landing the conversions, Visagie was guilty of taking too long and landed the conversion after the shot clock had counted down, leaving the Pumas just two points ahead.
Whitehead and Visagie traded two penalties each as the teams headed into the final 10 minutes of the opening stanza separated by just a two points but Whitehead found some space to score a try and convert to hand the advantage to the visitors heading towards halftime.
However, as the clock turned red, the Pumas attacked through a maul and hooker Eddie Swart burst over to score his side’s third try and with Visagie converting, handed the Pumas a slender two-point advantage at halftime.
The try on the stroke of halftime turned the momentum towards the home side and as they emerged from the changerooms in their changed strip, they took control of the match, piling on the pressure from the get-go.
The pressure on the Griquas line would tell as the half-back pairing of Caleb Abrahams and Whitehead were sent to the sin-bin just two minutes apart for repeated infringements on the tryline . With the visitors down to 13 men, Visagie landed his third penalty before replacement centre Wian van Niekerk rounded off a wonderful move.
The Pumas had the Griquas on the backfoot and Van Niekerk received an inside pass, beat three defenders with some wonderful stepping to score under the poles, handing Visagie an easy conversion to take the hosts into a 12-point lead.
The Griquas did extremely well to only concede 10 points with 13 men on the field but worse was to come as left-wing Gurshwin Wehr was also sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-down as the Pumas were breaking down the right-hand side of the field.
Griquas were only down to 12 men for moments as first Abrahams returned and then Whitehead rejoined the fray, which seemed to spark something in the visitors as a wonderful period of play saw the Dlamini’s men go over the line through centre Mnombo Zwelendaba.
Three Yellow Cards 🤯
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 25, 2025
The Suzuki Griquas are down to 12 🟨🟨🟨
📺 Stream #CarlingCurrieCup on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNho4A4 pic.twitter.com/c85II4PeWI
But the spark was momentary as the Pumas hit back right from the restart as replacement hooker JJ Scheepers went over after the Griquas had given away yet another penalty. Visagie’s conversion left Griquas two scores behind.
Scheepers was soon off the field, sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate foul on the line and replacement flank Marco de Witt burst over for a try for the visitors, only for the TMO to overturn the try as De Witt was part of the ruck and not allowed to play the ball.
The home side rounded off an excellent evening as Visagie placed the perfect cross-kick, which left-wing Adonis snatched out the air to score under the poles for a converted try on the hooter.
SCORERS:
Airlink Pumas – Tries: Sango Xlamlashe, Danirch Visagie, Eddie Swart, Wian van Niekerk, JJ Scheepers, Darren Adonis; Conversions: Visagie (5); Penalties: Visagie (3).
Suzuki Griquas – Tried: Gustav Erlank, George Whitehead, Mnombo Zwelendaba; Conversions: Whitehead (2); Penalties: Whitehead (3).