On Friday afternoon, Airlink Pumas kicked off their 2024 campaign with a convincing 44-24 win over Suzuki Griquas to gain revenge for their recent SA Cup final loss at the same venue in Kimberley.

In Friday’s second game, the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV and Fidelity ADT Lions dished up a thriller in Durban, with the Gauteng side emerging as winners by a single point, 26-25, to break the hearts of the home supporters.

Saturday saw the action move to Bloemfontein and a runaway 82-20 triumph for the Toyota Cheetahs in their Free State derby with the NovaVit Griffons, and the opening round concluded on Sunday in drenching rain in Cape Town, where the Vodacom Bulls prevailed by 30-25 in a North-South derby over DHL Western Province.

The action continues from Friday until Sunday, with four more matches scheduled: Suzuki Griquas vs Hollywoodbets Sharks XV; Airlink Pumas vs Fidelity ADT Lions; Toyota Cheetahs vs DHL WP; and NovaVit Griffons vs Vodacom Bulls.

Rejuvenated Airlink Pumas outplay Suzuki Griquas in Kimberley

A rejuvenated Airlink Pumas outfit proved too strong for Suzuki Griquas as the team from Mpumalanga ran out winners 44-24 in Kimberley on Friday afternoon.

The visiting side had their noses in front by 25-12 at halftime and were always in control of the game, outscoring their hosts by six tries to four and once they got their noses in front, they never surrendered the lead in the Diamond City.

Each of the Airlink Pumas' six tries were scored by a different player, while flyhalf Clinton Swart kept the scoreboard ticking over with four conversions and two penalty goals.

Scorers:

Suzuki Griquas 24 (12) – Tries: Mnombo Zwelendaba (2), Cameron Hufke, Bobby Alexander. Conversions: George Whitehead, Lubabalo Dobela.

Airlink Pumas 44 (25) – Tries: Etienne Janeke, Eddie Swart, Ruwald van der Merwe, Ross Braude, Dean Ackermann, Stefan Coetzee. Conversions: Clinton Swart (4). Penalty goals: Swart (2).

Nick Hatton is stopped in his tracks by the Fidelity ADT Lions defence.

Fidelity ADT Lions grab the points in Durban thriller

The Fidelity ADT Lions broke the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV’s hearts with a nail-biting 26-25 win in Durban on Friday evening.

Unconverted tries by wing Jaco Williams and second rower Coetzee Le Roux gave the KwaZulu-Natalians a 10-8 halftime advantage, but the Highvelders staged a brave fightback in the second stanza during which time Jarod Cairns (loose forward) and Morne Brandon (replacement hooker) scored to help them claw their way into the lead.

Skipper Nick Hatton found a gap in the visitors’ defence to score in the last minute, but experienced flyhalf Lionel Cronje missed the conversion, which saw the Fidelity ADT Lions leave Durban with the spoils.

Scorers:

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV 25 (10) – Tries: Coetzee Le Roux, Nick Hatton, Jaco Williams, Diego Appollis. Conversion: Lionel Cronje. Penalty goal: Cronje.

Fidelity ADT Lions 26 (8) – Tries: Kade Wolhuter, Jarod Cairns, Morne Brandon. Conversion: Wolhuter. Penalty goals: Wolhuter (3).

Toyota Cheetahs open title defence with runaway home win

The Toyota Cheetahs were too powerful for their Free State neighbours, the NovaVit Griffons, in Bloemfontein on Saturday, recording a massive 82-20 victory.

The home team outscored their inexperienced Northern Free State rivals, who lost a number of players after the SA Cup, by 12 tries to two. Already up by 28-13 at the break, the Toyota Cheetahs cut loose in the second half to romp to a comfortable win.

Gideon van der Merwe, Daniel Kasende and Jandre Nel all grabbed two tries each for the impressive Toyota Cheetahs, with Ethan Wentzel (six) and George Lourens (three) adding the conversions off the kicking tee.

Scorers:

Toyota Cheetahs 82 (28) – Tries: Gideon van der Merwe (2), Daniel Kasende (2), Jandre Nel (2), Sbu Nkosi, Ethan Wentzel, Litha Nkula, Jeandre Rudolph, Neels Volschenk, Penalty try. Conversions: Wentzel (7), George Lourens (3).

NovaVit Griffons 20 (13) – Tries: Gurswin Wehr, Penalty try. Conversion: Andrew Kota. Penalty goals: Kota (2).

Sbu Nkosi scored a try for his new province, the Toyota Cheetahs, in their big win on Saturday.

Vodacom Bulls reign supreme in cold and wet Cape Town

The Vodacom Bulls had the upper hand in Cape Town on Sunday, and after holding a 13-5 advantage at halftime, they went on to two score twice after the break and hold off a spirited fightback from DHL WP for their 30-25 win.

The game was played in ice cold weather and torrential rain at the DHL Stadium.

Vodacom Bulls hooker Joe van Zyl went over early, Jaco van der Walt added the extras and also succeeded with two penalty goals, while DHL WP's Jean-Luc du Plessis scored their only try in the opening spell.

After the break, Nizaam Carr's Vodacom Bulls continued with their dominance as Devon Williams and replacement Mpilo Gumede also went over for tries.

DHL WP finished with a flourish of tries through Angelo Davids and Wandisile Simelane which secured them two losing bonus points, but by then the team from Pretoria had done enough to secure the win.

Scorers:

DHL Western Province 25 (5) – Tries: Jean-Luc du Plessis, Gary Porter, Angelo Davids, Wandisile Simelane. Conversion: Du Plessis. Penalty goal: Jurie Matthee.

Vodacom Bulls 30 (13) – Tries: Joe van Zyl, Devon Williams, Mpilo Gumede. Conversions: Chris Smith (2), Jaco van der Walt. Penalty goals: Van der Walt (3).

Cats, dogs, DHL WP and the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town.

Kavaliers remain unbeaten in First Division

In the Carling Currie Cup First Division, the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers continued with their winning ways by bagging their fourth consecutive victory, while there were away wins for the Valke and Eastern Province.

The Kavaliers scored 11 tries against one in their 71-7 rout of the Leopards in Wellington on Saturday. The hosts were 38-7 ahead at the end of the first half and kept their visitors scoreless in the second half while piling on the pressure and the points.

Prolific try scorer Duren Hoffman (wing) continued his scoring spree by going over for a hat-trick of tries. Xavier Mitchell (centre) and Domenic Smit (fullback) grabbed two tries apiece.

Flyhalf Ashlon Davids slotted five conversions and his replacement, Bentley Geldenhuys succeeded with three more conversions and a penalty goal. Flanker Chris Vermaak scored Leopards' solo try and fly half Charles Williams added the extras.

Domenic Smit celebrates scoring for the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers.

Eastern Province gained their second win of the campaign courtesy of a comprehensive 69-26 triumph over Eastern Cape rivals Border in the Mtatha.

EP ran in 11 tries kicked seven successful conversions, while the Bulldogs reacted with four tries and three conversions. Lock Lungi Mbiko and scrumhalf Shirwin Cupido each helped themselves to a brace of tries, while fullback Jayden Bantom scored a try and slotted six conversion kicks.

Lindokuhle Seteni (prop), Sikholise Nanto (hooker), Camagu Dlisani and Luphumlo Mbiko (locks) each scored a try for Border. Replacement outside back Ryan Maree added three conversions.

The Phangela SWD Eagles just failed in their bid to record their second win of the campaign when they went down 33-32 to the Valke in George on Friday afternoon. The teams were locked 13-13 at the break, and with both sides scoring four tries, it was the kicking boot of fly half Keagan Fortune that ultimately proved the difference.

Fortune scored one of his team's tries and landed two conversions, and three penalty goals.

Marlo Weich (No 10) kept the Eagles in the game with a conversion, a penalty goal, and a drop goal, while fullback Braam Abrahams also chipped in with two of the other conversion kicks.

Saturday will see the following games: Valke vs EP; Border vs Sanlam Boland Kavaliers; and Leopards vs Phangela SWD Eagles.

Scorers:

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 71 (38), Leopards 7 (7)
Boland Kavaliers – Tries: Duren Hoffman (3), Domenic Smit (2), Xavier Mitchell (2), Ameer Hendricks, Marlyn Williams, Bentley Geldenhuys. Conversions: Ashlon Davids (5), Darian Hock (3). Penalty goal: Hock.
Leopards – Try: Chris Vermaak. Conversion: Charles Williams.

Border Bulldogs 26 (5), Eastern Province 69 (24)
Border – Tries: Lindokuhle Seteni, Sikholise Nanto, Camagu Dlisani, Luphumlo Mbiko. Conversions: Ryan Maree (3).
Eastern Province – Tries: Lungi Mbiko (2), Shirwin Cupido (2), Athenkosi Manentsa, Jay-dee Jooste, Sherwin Slater, Rodney Damons, Deon Plaatjies, Diego Williams, Jayden Bantom. Conversions: Bantom (6), Mbembe Payi.

Phangela SWD Eagles 32 (13), Valke 33 (13)
SWD Eagles – Tries: Damon Royle, Thoubaan Gabriels, JP Duvenage, Rosco Syster. Conversions: Braam Abrahams (2), Marlo Weich. Penalty goal: Weich. Drop goal: Weich.
Valke – Tries: Eddie Evans, Zander van der Merwe, Musa Tshabalala, Keagan Fortune. Conversions: Fortune (2). Penalty goals: Fortune (3).