Pumas beat Cheetahs by a single point in Currie Cup match in Bloem

Patience and grit helped the Pumas to narrowly beat the Cheetahs 29-28 in a tightly-contested Currie Cup match at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Friday night.

The Pumas needed the victory at all costs to boost their chances of booking a spot in the semifinals of the domestic competition.

Meanwhile, the Cheetahs needed to bounce back from their 46-18 defeat they suffered at the hand of the Griquas last weekend.

Before the Griquas defeat, the Cheetahs had gone for nine matches without a loss and they have now lost two matches in a row.

The two sides scored four tries apiece with Devon Williams (2), Tinus de Beer and Eduan Swart scoring for the Pumas, while Louis van der Westhuizen (2), Gideon van der Merwe and Daniel Kasende crossed the try line for the Cheetahs.

Veteran flyhalf contributed eight points with his boot but his unsuccessful penalty attempt on 78 minutes cost the Cheetahs the match.

Eddie Fouche’s nine points from his kicking helped the Pumas to clinch victory.

The Pumas are now fourth on the log with 27 points with one game to play in the round-robin format.

Meanwhile, the Griquas defeated Western Province 43-41 at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch in the earlier match on Friday.

The Griquas are third on the log with 31 points ahead of their final game before the semis.

The Sharks are hosting the Lions at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday (5pm) in a Currie Cup clash.

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