The Wildebeest continued their inexorable march towards the final of the Vodacom Cup with a 49-29 victory over the Lions at Ellis Park this weekend.
The log leaders scored seven tries, six before half-time, to move to 54 points on the standings, nine ahead of the Blue Bulls and Falcons.
The latter pair are still fighting it out for a place in the May 20 final, but after the Falcons’ 48-3 win over the Mighty Elephants they remain the favourites to go through.
The Blue Bulls beat Griquas 25-17 in their final round-robin match in Kimberley, but failed to gain a bonus point, which means the Falcons need just a point against the Border Bulldogs next week to make the final.
Flyhalf Louis Strydom was once again influential for the Falcons, scoring 16 points and backing up a side that scored seven tries.
In Potchefstroom, the Leopards returned to winning ways by narrowly beating the Griffons 29-28.
A penalty try was the difference between the two sides, with both scoring three tries over and above this five-pointer.
Andre Hough, the competition’s top points scorer with more than 150 points, kept the Griffons in the hunt with three penalties and two conversions.
The Pumas qualified for the Currie Cup premier division with a 53-8 win over the Eagles in Witbank.
The Pumas secured the bonus point they required to ensure that they will finish in the top two on the qualifying log with one round still remaining.
Western Province ended the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs’ four-game winning streak with a 23-13 win in Bloemfontein, while the Border Bulldogs rallied from a 30-18 deficit at half-time to win 50-47 against the Boland Cavaliers in East London. — Sapa