The Wildebeest moved to the top of the Vodacom Cup log and edged closer to a home semifinal with a seven-try hammering of the Cheetahs in their 51-14 victory in Durban on Saturday.
The coastal team led 25-7 at the break and never looked like losing the match, claiming their sixth win out of seven in what is turning into a watershed season for them.
The result takes the Wildebeest to the top of the log on 30 points, with the Falcons — the competition’s pacesetters for several weeks — slipping off the pace slightly to 29 points after their 50-29 defeat at the hands of the Blue Bulls in Brakpan.
Wildebeest wingers Cedric Mkhize (three tries) and Dusty Noble (two tries) led the try-fest.
The Blue Bulls are still well in contention in third place on the log with 27 points.
It was six magnificent tries by the Blue Bulls that put paid to the Falcons’ efforts, with Curlein Genies, Marius Delport, Trompie Nontshinga, Len Olivier, Hennie Danillier and Johannes Powell all scoring for the Pretoria outfit.
Blue Bulls flyhalf Olivier was in magnificent form, converting four of the tries and kicking three penalties and a drop goal for a personal tally of 25 points.
Leading 18-17 at the break, the Blue Bulls were never going to lose this one as a crop of youngsters stood up to wipe out the memory of last weekend’s disappointing defeat to the Boland Cavaliers.
The Falcons will be relatively satisfied with the bonus point they picked up, which keeps them in the hunt for the final on May 20.
The Eagles finally broke their winless streak of six games when they beat the Border Bulldogs 39-29 at Greenhaven Stadium on Saturday.
Groot Brak Rivier was the venue for this ”community game”, an initiative that looks to develop rugby in South Africa’s outlying areas with each match preceded by coaching clinics for the local clubs and schools.
Trailing 12-11 at half-time, the Eagles eventually held out to win with a bonus point by scoring five tries to the four by the Bulldogs.
The Eagles remain bottom of the table, but on the same amount of points as their equally troubled opponents.
The Eagles’ veteran flyhalf Rynhard van As scored 14 points as the gloom lifted temporarily from the South-Western Cape outfit’s dismal season.
The Boland Cavaliers had fullback Justin Peach to thank once again as they beat the Leopards 39-25 in Wellington.
Peach, the competition’s all-time highest points scorer, touched down for a try and kicked four conversions and a penalty for a personal tally of 16 as the hosts won their fourth consecutive game this season.
Defeat condemned the Leopards to their first loss in six games, while the Cavaliers moved into the top four ahead of their opponents.
Peach was assisted by teammates Oswald Damons, Francois Prinsloo, Henley du Plessis and Kobus Meintjies, with the quartet also scoring tries for the Cavaliers.
Three tries from the visitors were never going to be enough against a team that are playing some enterprising rugby under coach Hawies Fourie.
The men from Boland now have 25 log points — five behind the log-leading Wildebeest — as they chase a spot in the final. — Sapa