The Pumas will have an opportunity to defend their Currie Cup title in Bloemfontein after bravely holding out for a narrow victory over the Sharks in Durban on Saturday night.
A second-half maul try from hooker PJ Jacobs was enough for the Pumas to see out a 14-man Sharks for a 26-20 semi-final victory at Kings Park.
Another final ?
The defending champions Airlink Pumas will travel to Bloemfontein next weekend for the #CurrieCup final after an excellent win over the @SharksRugby.#WhereLegendsRise pic.twitter.com/r8yNkzTCGe
— The Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) June 17, 2023
The defending champions will meet the number one-ranked Cheetahs in the Currie Cup final in Bloemfontein next weekend.
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The Pumas were full value for their win, as they got off to a flying start and only relinquished their lead for a brief period in the second half.
Tries from loosehead prop Corne Fourie, who scored in the first play of the match, and tighthead Simon Raw saw the Pumas go 12-0 up in the first half.
While the Sharks used the power of their pack to fight back, they went into the break trailing by two points.
The second half was turned into a defensive dogfight, while both teams lost a player to the sin bin for dangerous tackles.
The Sharks suffered a major blow when inside centre Alwayno Visagie was red-carded after colliding with Pumas wing Etienne Taljaard in the air.
Still, the hosts were given a late opportunity to win the match through a Pumas error, but the visitors defended for over 20 phases and eventually forced Lionel Cronje into touch to claim the win.
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix