CURRIE CUP WRAP: Lions tornado hits Nelspruit to shake up Round 2

Round two of the Carling Currie Cup certainly produced its share of talking points, with a comeback shock in Kimberley not even the biggest among them.

For that we have to turn to Nelspruit, where the Airlink Pumas were blown apart in a sensational Fidelity ADT Lions performance that few people saw coming, winning 75-21.

After all, the Pumas did score their own big victory in Kimberley the week before in doubling Suzuki Griquas’ score in their derby, and Jimmy Stonehouse’s side is normally one that is talked about as a potential title contender.

But the tornado of tries that hit Nelspruit couldn’t have been predicted, and the way the Lions put the hammer down in the latter stages to run up the scoreline will be concerning for the Pumas as they plot their course forwards.

For the Joburg side it is a second away win from two starts, after they scored a one-point win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV last weekend and now top the Currie Cup log at this early stage with a host of home games to look forward to.

Rabz Maxwane’s intercept prowess grabbed him a hat-trick of tries but the most impressive performance on the night came from debutant and former Junior Springbok Sam Francis, who scored his side’s opening 16 points through three penalties, a try and a conversion to put them firmly on course for the rout.

Francis ended up with eight conversions, three penalties and a try for a 30-point haul which will have his coaches smiling at the prospect of his development for the season ahead.

Whether this was just the outlier, or the Lions flexing their muscles this early at the title shot waits to be seen, but it certainly would have made other sides sit up and notice.

On Sunday in Welkom, one of three unbeaten sides, the Vodacom Blue Bulls scored a workmanlike 52-10 win over the Novavit Griffons, scoring eight tries in the process and taking a full house of points to add to their first round win over DHL Western Province in Cape Town last weekend.

Springbok squad member Celimpilo Gumede scored twice while there were also tries for new signings Aphiwe Dyantyi and Sintu Manjezi as the Bulls pulled away to a comfortable victory in the end.

In Kimberley on Friday, Griquas proved that a half dozen Springboks meant very little in the Northern Cape and came back from 24-7 down to win a nail-biting contest 34-31 in the end.

The Sharks fielded six Springboks released from the national camp to get game time and they certainly helped rattle up the early big lead, but when the bench came on Griquas ground their way back into the game and when they had the opportunity, took advantage of a disjointed Sharks defence to get themselves close.

In the end it was Griquas flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela who had the honour of the match-winning kick after the hooter to send his side into rapture and claim their first big scalp for the season.

The Toyota Cheetahs kept up their 100 per cent record in the competition by smashing Western Province 37-17 in a one-sided game where the visitors looked disinterested in the contest at times.

While the first half was still competitive, the Cheetahs pulled away in the second half with a four try blitz, signalling they won’t be giving up their title with ease and compounding the problems for Western Province, who are still to win a game after the first two rounds.

The Cheetahs scored five tries in total - two by hooker Vernon Paulo, with Jeandre Rudolph, Daniel Kasende and Munier Hartzenberg all getting their names on the scoresheet.

This coming weekend one team will lose their unbeaten status as the Cheetahs travel to Pretoria to face the Blue Bulls in the prime fixture of Round 3.

The Lions will host a resurgent Griquas while the Sharks head to Nelspruit to face the Pumas, with both sides having a point to prove.

The final fixture of the weekend sees the Griffons host Western Province on Sunday, with the winner there finally getting their first W for the season.

Results

Suzuki Griquas 34 Hollywoodbets Sharks XV 31

Airlink Pumas 21 Fidelity ADT Lions 75

Toyota Cheetahs 37 DHL Western Province 17

Novavit Griffons 10 Vodacom Blue Bulls 52

Fixtures for Round 3

Friday

Fidelity ADT Lions v Suzuki Griquas (15h00)

Vodacom Blue Bulls v Toyota Cheetahs (17h00)

Airlink Pumas v Hollywoodbets Sharks XV (19h00)

Sunday

Novavit Griffons v DHL Western Province (15h00)