Kings pick up 10th win and Leopards stunned by Eagles

Herald Reporter

WHILE the EP Kings continued their unbeaten run with a 35-19 win over Border on Friday, the Griffons all but ended Boland's reign as Absa Currie Cup First Division champions after a 54-37 victory in Welkom on Saturday.

That outcome leaves the Cape side 13 points adrift of the playoff zone with just three rounds remaining of the eight-team competition.

Boland, with 20 log points from their 11 matches, still have a mathematical chance of reaching the semi-finals, but they would have to pick up three bonus-point wins in their final three outings and then hope that the Leopards, on 33 points, and SWD Eagles, on 31, do not win a match for the remainder of the season.

The Griffons' victory solidifies their third place on the log and the men from Welkom are now one win away from sealing their final-four place.

In the weekend's other matches, the Kings picked up their 10th win of the competition against Border Bulldogs, who have yet to register a victory. The result leaves the Kings eight points clear of the second-placed Pumas, who enjoyed a 29-22 victory over the Falcons on Saturday.

In the first match of the round, the SWD Eagles kept their semifinal hopes alive by pulling off a remarkable 64-34 victory over playoff rivals the Leopards on Friday.

The win moves the Eagles to 31 points. A dramatic revival in the final quarter carried the Eagles to their thrilling victory.

The Leopards, having fought their way back to 34-34 after 57 minutes, were left stunned as the Eagles scored three more tries, resuscitating their hopes of making the semifinals.

The Eagles started in magnificent fashion, racing to a 17-0 lead, but the visitors also showed some attacking verve and added a conversion and a 19th-minute penalty and suddenly the Leopards only trailed 17-10.

After a penalty in the 27th minute (20-10) the Eagles looked after the ball well for outside centre Nicolaas Hanekom to score, fullback Hoffman Maritz again adding the conversion.

It was like taking candy from babies when 23-year-old Leopards lock Victor Kruger charged over the tryline five minutes before the break and another penalty by flyhalf Andre Pretorius left the Eagles bemoaning the way they had rather wasted their early advantage.

The Leopards again conceded a try from the kick-off, with left wing Ghafoer Luckan darting over, but Leopards number 11 Berty Visser went hard and low to score in the 51st minute.

Six minutes later, the Leopards were level after a try by inside centre Adriaan Engelbrecht, also converted by Pretorius.

But Van Vuuren kicked a 64th-minute penalty to reclaim the lead for the Eagles, before replacement flyhalf Burton Francis slotted two well-taken drop goals.

Inside centre Jeffrey Taljard and scrumhalf Johan Herbst, twice, then knifed through for tries in the last six minutes to seal an exciting win.