SA Cup

So Gríkwas overcame the Pumas.

Interestingly enough, this is the venue where the Pumas had actually beaten Gríkwas not too long ago in an SA Cup final.

No, actually a few months ago in the SA Cup final and a little while before that.

So as our colleague Bryce indicated, Jeremy Stonehouse has a reasonable record with his Pumas team in Kimberley.

9,000 people in attendance, as I said.

Unfortunately, you got injured.

Why not sign a two-year contract at Herikwas? Play a lot of games.

Play just about every SA Cup game.

But yeah, shout out to her.

But it's interesting to me, Liam couldn't sign Krikwas at the beginning of the SA Cup from the Bulls.

Liam couldn't form a baby buck.

could have stuck in the the bulls um uh system but like um let's say damien marcus chose to depart the bulls to join request within a system of uh in kimberly where they definitely it's weird that that request is known for like diamond mining where it's like they're literally polishing um uh playing stock that one could refer to as diamonds because we're talking like blue chip prospects like Liam Coon, like Damien Marcus, a few other guys who've come through the system for like more game time.

might be the more dynamic team, the more team that are most likely to score more exciting tries, and they're probably the most likely team to win.

But I've seen what the Pumas have done to them in finals.

Jordan Lee, explain to us how that panned out in the SA Cup final.

You must have been disappointed losing that one at home.

A few weeks ago.

I think also with the SA Cup, the Pumas have won two out of three matches.

Yeah.

Pumas probably likely to win this one.

in extra time.

They want it in extra time.

This is a repeat of the SA Cup final at the same venue that Pumas won it in extra time against Krikwas.

And Krikwas were slight favourites in that as well.

At the expense of Borland, Borland, this is their World Cup every year.

Yes, they try really hard in the SA Cup, but like the Curry Cup Premier Division, this is their thing.

And they made the playoffs last year to their credit.

It's not that Borland had a bad season.

in terms of players on the fringes of URC teams, but players also playing overseas who might be a bit homesick and that type of thing, and getting quality recruits, just padding out their team.

Because, I mean, they're on a budget, so they can't necessarily make massive statement signings, but just very intelligent recruitment from them.

Puma's obviously SA Cup champions when they beat the Grigwas not too long ago.

One of my favorite quotes from Stonehouse uh, after the SA Cup, um, also in an interview you guys had a very successful rebuild and it was like we have a rebuild every year every year new players come in I build them up as soon as we're successful they get scouted they leave to a bigger union we have to rebuild and I think that's something that we have to give a lot of credit to SA Cup and Curry Cup squads for the non-URC squads you URC squads you've got money so But the non-URC squads, you have to give those coaches credit.

They have a heated rivalry for the Pumas.

They keep meeting them in the SA Cup final.

But I often say that the Krikwas have a near URC-level team, and it's credit to them.

They do not have a lot of resources there, but they build this team so intelligently.

Novaldo Flos, a Varsity Cup superstar in his own right.

So Pumas have a good team.

And this is the Pumas team who actually defeated Krikwas in the SA Cup final.

And on the Krikwas side, Krikwas actually did some interesting recruiting.

Um, Pumas versus Pumas.

This is, um, this is a SA Cup, uh, derby.

These two teams often, um, um, see one another in the Currie Cup, uh, Premier Division knockout stages these days.

So, um, they're both going...

Then two converted tries for the Bulls, a red card and a yellow card for the Cheetahs, and then in the final ten minutes, it was three converted tries for the Bulls, and then finally a penalty to the Cheetahs, sixty-two-fifty-two.

We have just two rounds left and would you look at that? The four squads from the South Africa Cup, the Griquas, the Cheetahs, the Pumas and the Boland Cavaliers are your top four.

And the backup squads for those URC teams, the Lions, the Stormers, the Sharks and the Bulls are your bottom four.

Bulls are out of it.

Leon Lyons had a very good game starting at Lucid Prop.

Liam Kuhn, he got a lot of games in the SA Cup for Krikwas having transferred from the Bulls to get more game time.

So it seems like with that inside center that they got from the Stormers as well as Liam Kuhn, Krikwas is seen as, and their coach has been very honest about this, is seen as a way for extremely promising young players who might not, might sort of be stuck behind a massive depth shot at a URC franchise to come and play a full season in SA Cup and a full season in the Karaka Premier Division and then sort of springboard their career from there.

For example, Ichprinsloo used to be a promising tight-head prop at the Sharks, but he's chosen to sign with Hrikwas.

On the Sharks side, We have to credit Luan Gilimir, who actually had a really good game off the bench against New Zealand.

Leathers, Cheetahs, four wins.

Interesting, nice bounce back season with the Cheetahs after they almost didn't qualify for the Super, Karika Premier Division.

through the SA Cup by the skin of their teeth, where François Steyn was saying, oh, we better qualify, otherwise it's going to really hit Costings.