The Pumas dethroned Griquas with a convincing win in the SA Cup final at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts led 19-7 at the break and went on to claim a deserved 39-14 victory.
The Pumas became the second team – after Griquas in the inaugural competition last year – to finish the campaign unbeaten.
Griquas made a nightmare start to the match when tighthead prop Cebo Dlamini was red-carded for a head-on collision in the seventh minute, which meant they had to play the next 20 minutes with 14 men.
In a sign of what was to come, the Pumas scored their first try barely a minute later, when hooker Eddie Swart went over at the back of a strong maul, which was converted by flyhalf Danrich Visagie.
Predictably, the hosts then proceeded to dominate both possession and territory, leaving the defending champions to fend off wave after wave of attack.
The Pumas used their forward dominance to set up two good tries for midfielder Sango Xamlashe to take the score to 19-0. For his first effort, the outside centre stepped his way inside two defenders to score near the posts, and he was on the receiving end of a looping skip pass to go over near the corner for his second.
Griquas tried their best to stay in the contest and they were rewarded when speedster Gurshwin Wehr intercepted a pass to run in a long distance try.
But the dependable Visagie slotted a penalty goal before he converted No 8 Willie Engelbrecht’s intercept try to stretch the home team’s advantage to 29-7 early in the second half.
Another successful penalty goal by Visagie took the score to 32-7 before inside centre Mnombo Zwelendaba scored Griquas’ second try.
But Pumas replacement front ranker Dewald Maritz then forced his way over the tryline to cap off the win.
Pumas 39 (19) – Tries: Sango Xamlashe (2), Eddie Swart, Willie Engelbrecht, Dewald Maritz. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (4). Penalty goals: Visagie (2).Griquas 14 (7) – Tries: Gurswhin Wehr, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (2).
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
