Pumas storm to top of Vodacom Cup log
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The Steval Pumas are the frontrunners in the northern section of the Vodacom Cup after racking up an impressive 61-7 win over the FNB Welwitschias in Windhoek on Friday evening.
After two rounds, the side captained by lock Eduan van der Walt are log leaders on points difference ahead of the Xerox Golden Lions and the Vodacom Blue Bulls – who all have the maximum of ten league points.
Pumas coach MJ Mentz said he was happy to see his side achieve its mission of clinching the full five points in Windhoek’s Hage Geingob Stadium – a target they had already reached by halftime when they led 33-0.
The Pumas side scored nine tries – one more than the previous week in their home win over the Griffons.
“We were not as clinical as we would have wanted and we left quite a number of tries unscored,” said Mentz, whose team also came away without any noticeable injury concerns.
For the Namibian part-timers it was also the second consecutive half-century they conceded after last week’s 53-3 loss against the Lions.
The Welwitschias managed to score their first try of the series when inside centre Jacques Nell went over in the 54th minute after a period of sustained pressure by the home side.
Although the Namibians were often in trouble at scrum time and lost a number of lineouts on the throw-in of hooker DG Wiese, they still had more possession than the week before against the Lions. With no established backline combinations however, most of their attacks were blunted by handling errors and poor options.
The penalty count was also more evenly balanced than last week’s poor showing, although Roderique Victor received a yellow card for “negative play” after 65 minutes – barely five minutes after being sent on as a replacement looseforward. Strongly built Namibian scrumhalf Eneill Buitendag was named man of the match, having done some good work on defence especially.
Namibia coach Henry Kemp – a former Pumas hooker himself, with 97 appearances – named 20-year-old prop Quintin Esterhuizen to captain the side for the first time, following centre Darryl de la Harpe’s groin injury.
The largely amateur set-up of Namibian rugby means that the Welwitschias would still have their work cut out when they play the Down Touch Griffons next on March 27, following a bye weekend.
Scorers:
Steval Pumas: Tries by Jason Fraser, Heinrich Steyl (2), Rudi Mathee, Marcello Sampson (2), Ruwellyn Isbell, Wilmaure Louw and a penalty try. Conversions: Justin van Staden (7) and JC Roos.
FNB Welwitschias: Try by Jacques Nell. Conversion by Shaun Kaizemi.
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