The Wildebeest all but secured a home final in the Vodacom Cup when they thumped the Mighty Elephants 71-20 in Port Elizabeth this weekend.
The win took the Natalians eight points clear of the Blue Bulls, who moved into second place on the log with a 45-35 win over Western Province at Loftus Versfeld.
In a surprise result, the Falcons lost 36-29 to the Boland Cavaliers in Brakpan, and with that fell to third on the table, a point shy of the Blue Bulls.
The Wildebeest scored 11 tries against the outgunned Elephants, with Nico Breedt and Daniel Farani scoring hat-tricks and Grant Rees and Ryan Kankowski collecting two tries each.
The Wildebeest registered their bonus point before half-time and then scored seven tries after the break to take another five points from a sensational season.
The Blue Bulls scored five tries against Western Province to keep alive their hopes of a place in the final.
Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter was in wonderful form, scoring 25 points via a try, four conversions, three penalties and a drop goal. Wing Marius Delport helped seal the victory with two well-taken tries.
The Cavaliers, trailing 26-13 at half-time, mounted a great second-half comeback to threaten the Falcons’ chances of making the final. The men from Brakpan have, however, played one game less than the Blue Bulls.
Five tries and the influential boot of fullback Justin Peach sent the Falcons into disarray as the Cavaliers scored 23 points in the second half.
The Border Bulldogs shocked the Leopards 46-38 in East London. It was only the Bulldogs’ second win of the campaign.
The Free State Cheetahs had little trouble dispatching the Lions at Ellis Park as they won 42-17.
Wing Phillip Burger was the star of the show, scoring two scintillating tries as the Cheetahs won their fourth successive game.
Griquas accounted for the Eagles 49-15 in Kimberley, and the Pumas beat the Griffons 37-27 in Witbank. — Sapa