The Pumas snatched a victory over Western Province with a long-range penalty in the final five minutes at the Mbombela Stadium on Friday.
Replacement flyhalf Brandon Thomson held his nerve to slot a clutch kick and give the defending champions a 25-24 victory, after they had fallen 14-7 down in the first half.
The win sees the Pumas climb up to the top of the table, while for Province it was a second successive loss where the Cape side was in the contest for most of the match.
Province, who took an early lead through a self-converted try by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, looked to have grabbed a win when the young fullback converted replacement wing Luke Burger’s 74th-minute try.
However, the Pumas were awarded a late penalty for a dangerous tackle, which saw Province flank Louw Nel sent to the sin bin, and Thomson sent his attempt through the poles to seal a win for the hosts.
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images