Pumas go top with 10-try rout of the Griffons
MATCH REPORT: The defending champion Pumas continued to set the pace in South Africa's premier domestic competition with a 64-6 rout of the hapless Griffons at the NorthWest Stadium, in Welkom, on Sunday.
Scoring 10 tries, while the home team replied with just two penalties, the Pumas claimed back the top spot from the Cheetahs - who held the No.1 ranking for 24 hours after beating Western Province in Cape Town the day before,
Realising their best hope of coping with the power and pace of the Pumas was to turn it into a scrap, rather than a free-flowing affair, the Griffons recklessly threw their bodies into tackles and at the breakdown.
However, as has been the case in all their games they started running out of puff in the last quarter.
The visitors dominated possession (60 percent) and held a comfortable 19-6 lead at the half-time break.
Seven more second-half tries - five of those in the final quarter - saw them going past the half-century for the third time in six games this season.
* To recap all the Welkom action, CLICK HERE!
The Pumas got off to a flying start, Deon Slabbert finishing off a team try that flyhalf Tinus de Beer started. The flyhalf added the conversion - 7-0 after four minutes.
Continuing to dominate the contact areas the Pumas forced the home team to opt for kicking to find space and territory.
It was 15 minutes before the Griffons had their first scoring opportunity - a penalty by flyhalf Robbie Petzer.
However, from the restart pumas scrumhalf Giovan Snyman darted over after the Griffons failed to deal adequately with a high bomb. De Beer's attempted conversion went wide - 12-3 at the end of the first quarter.
That was followed minutes later with a Devon Williams long-range run for a try, which was cancelled after a TMO intervention ruled that a Pumas played had played the ball while off his feet.
Petzer failed with his penalty attempt.
The Pumas had another potential try wiped off the scoreboard through a forward pass, as the visitors continued to dominate the opening half.
They eventually got rewarded when lock Malembe Mpofu rumbled over from close range. However, his fellow forwards help set it up with a number of fierce charges. De Beer's conversion made it 19-3.
Five minutes before the break Pumas No.8 Kwanda Dimaza was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes after a high tackle.
This time Petzer slotted the penalty, narrowing the gap to 13 points - 6-19, which is how it stayed till half-time.
Diego Appollis got the bonus-point try just minutes after the break, coming from a period of scrappy play by both teams - De Beer picking up a stray ball and sending Appollis away. De Beer's attempted conversion hit the upright - 24-6.
The scrappy nature of the game continued, with a litany of errors by both teams creating a real stop-start affair in the Welkom heat.
Going back to their forwards the Pumas got their fifth try when replacement PJ Pot-Jacobs got the armchair ride from a powerful maul. De Beer's conversion made it 31-6.
Replacement loose forward Ruwald van der Merwe was the next to cross the tryline, De Beer making it 38-6 with his conversion.
The Griffons went down to 14 men when replacement Sokuphumla Xakalashe was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle.
Van Der Merwe and Jacobs got second tries, while Chriswill September and Brandon Thomson got in on the act as the Pumas raced past the 50- and 60-point marks against a tiring Griffons team.
Thomson kicked two late conversions as the visitors raced to the top of the standings with a 64-6 rout.
The scorers
For the Griffons
Pens: Petzer 2
For the Pumas
Tries: Slabbert, Snyman, Mpofu, Appollis, Jacobs 2, Van der Merwe 2, September, Thomson
Cons: De Beer 5, Thomson 2
Yellow cards: Kwanda Dimaza (Pumas, 35 - foul play, high tackle), Sokuphumla Xakalashe (Griffons, 68 - foul play, high tackle)
Teams
Griffons: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Granwill Matthys, 13 Keanu Vers, 12 Marquit September, 11 Duren Hoffman, 10 Robbie Petzer, 9 Richman Gora, 8 Ludio Williams, 7 Thomas Ongera, 6 Jean Pretorius, 5 Curtly Thomas, 4 Jaco Willemse, 3 Neo Mohapi, 2 Hendrik van Schoor, 1 Stephan de Jager.
Replacements: 16 Dandre Delport, 17 Xolani Jacobs, 18 Doctor Booysen, 19 Michael Benadie, 20 Sokuphumla Xakalashe, 21 Jaywinn Juries, 22 Duan Pretorius, 23 Carl-Jan Coetzee.
Pumas: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Stefan Coetzee, 13 Diego Appollis, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Giovan Snyman, 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Deon Slabbert, 6 Francois Kleinhans, 5 Shane Kirkwood (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Njabulo Gumede, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Jacobs, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Simon Raw, 19 Andre Fouche, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Brandon Thomson, 23 Lundi Msenge.
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron
TMO: Cwengile Jadezweni
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