The SA Rugby U20 Cup semi-finals are taking shape, with several teams vying for a spot in the next round. The Vodacom Bulls, Fidelity ADT Golden Lions, and Toyota Cheetahs secured valuable wins in round eight, shaking up the standings. The Bulls produced a dominant performance, defeating the Hollywoodbets Sharks GEN 59-7 in Pretoria. This victory strengthened their position at the top of the standings.
The Fidelity ADT Golden Lions continued their impressive campaign with a 26-12 victory over the DHL Stormers Bolts at 10bet Ellis Park. The Lions laid the foundation for victory with a dominant first-half display, racing into a 19-point lead before the visitors from Cape Town responded after the break. Tries by Miguel Smith and Lindelani Nkambule, who scored twice, gave the Lions control before Grady Ngui sealed the result late in the contest.
The Toyota Cheetahs collected a crucial bonus-point win in a 14-try thriller against the Leopards U20 in Bloemfontein, which ended 56-42 in their favour. The highest-scoring match of the round saw the Cheetahs outlast a determined Leopards side. The hosts crossed for eight tries, while the visitors refused to go away and scored six of their own in a contest that produced 98 points.
The Bulls consolidated first place and increased their tally to 37 log points, while the Lions strengthened their hold on second spot with 34 points. The Bolts are third on 29, followed by the Sharks (16), Cheetahs (14), and the Leopards on eight points. The Vodacom Bulls showcased their title credentials with a ruthless nine-try performance over the Hollywoodbets Sharks GEN at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
The Cheetahs scored three tries to one before the break to lead 21-7, and they kicked on from there for a deserved home victory. For the winners, Bendre Vermaak scored twice, while Heinz Stockenstrom succeeded with eight conversions, two more than Marno Greeff, who was also a try scorer for the team from Potch. The Leopards put up a good fight but ultimately fell short.
In next weekend’s penultimate round of league games, the Bulls face Cheetahs on Saturday in Pretoria; the Sharks GEN take on Lions at home on Durban; while the Stormers Bolts clash with Leopards in Cape Town. The upcoming matches will be crucial in determining the final semi-final spots. Teams will need to bring their A-game to secure a spot in the next round.
The scorers from the matches were as follows: Fidelity ADT Golden Lions U20 26 (19), DHL Stormers U20 Bolts 12 (0); Vodacom Bulls U20 59 (26), Hollywoodbets Sharks GEN 7 (0); Toyota Cheetahs U20 56 (21) Leopards U20 42 (7). The results have set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the league games.
Key points
- The Vodacom Bulls strengthened their position at the top of the standings with a dominant 59-7 win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks GEN.
- The Fidelity ADT Golden Lions secured a crucial 26-12 victory over the DHL Stormers Bolts, solidifying their second-place spot.
- The Toyota Cheetahs collected a bonus-point win in a thrilling 56-42 match against the Leopards U20.
