Free State scored a hard-fought 18-3 win over the Pumas virtually to confirm their place in Saturday’s main match at the 44th annual Coca-Cola Craven Week at Paul Roos Gymnasium. Their likely opponents will be hosts Western Province, who won against the Lions on Wednesday.
Cooler conditions greeted the teams on day on the fourth day after overnight rains had left the pitch soft and muddy, which was not conducive to the open, running rugby seen over the first few days.
In other matches, the Blue Bulls thumped the Falcons; Zimbabwe scored a second consecutive win, beating Border; Namibia beat Border Country Districts; and Limpopo beat Griquas.
Free State vs Pumas
Free State withstood a fierce onslaught from a motivated Pumas side to secure an 18-3 win in a physical, and sometimes scrappy, encounter.
The Pumas, who took the game to their opponents, will rue the fact that they did not make the most of their chances and missed kicks at crucial times in the game.
Free State, despite being under the whip for most of the match, used the few opportunities they did get to create three well-taken tries. The Grey College-laden side led 8-3 at the break after a try by wing Hadley Smith and a penalty by flyhalf Josias Ebersohn.
After missing his first two attempts at goal, Pumas flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff hit the target to provide his side’s only points of the match on the stroke of half-time.
Free State went further ahead in the 44th minute after turning the ball over on the Pumas 22 and swinging it wide for Ebersohn to score an unconverted try.
Two minutes from time, the Pumas conceded a third try when prop Coenraad Oosthuizen drove the ball over the line. — Sapa