Border Ladies 25, EP Queens 8

The Mastercard Golden Lions Women scored a third tournament win in the SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division, beating the Cell C Sharks Women in Alberton on Saturday to move past their Durban opponents on the points log, while in East London, Border Ladies needed a strong second half to beat EP Queens.

In another pulsating finish in Cape Town, DHL Western Province only secured the winning points against Boland Dames in the last play of the match. The Bulls Daisies, who had a bye, are still sitting pretty on top of the standings, followed by WP and Border, with the Lions now in fourth.

In what turned out to be a dramatic Round Eight of the competition, Lions coach Timmy Goodwin will be smiling broadest. The 17-10 win was their third for the year, a huge improvement from last year when they ended winless.

It was a hard-fought win, nonetheless. Things were still even at the break (10-10), but a second half try proved all the difference in the game. The visitors will be disappointed in their second half, where they could not muster a point.

At City Park in Cape Town, the DHL WP scraped through against Boland Dames, scoring the match-winning try in the last play of the game to win 15-10.

The visitors were left wondering how their complete scrum dominance did not yield more penalties and why they got such scant rewards from that set piece. They scrummed for penalties and despite dominating the phase, went unrewarded.

The match was tied, 5-5, at the break before Boland took a 10-5 lead halfway through the second half.  WP scored two late tries, with the match winner by replacement scrumhalf Alicia Willemse in the last play of the match. In the end though, you create your own luck and the home side’s endeavours to get the winning try is testimony to that.

At Police Park, Border Ladies showed some determination to beat the EP Queens 25-8 in their Eastern Cape derby played in East London. The match was much tighter than the score suggests, with a late gem from Felica Jacobs securing the match for the home side. The scrumhalf ran 70 metres from a counterattack, showing her great pace to the delight of the crowd.

Border led 18-3 at the break, before a try by EP early in the second half brought them back into the game. The Queens conceded too many penalties though and paid the price, with the late try rounding off a fine performance from the home side.

Scoring summary:

Mastercard Golden Lions 17 (10), Cell C Sharks Women 10 (10).

Lions -Tries: Fatouma Yalocoue, Piwo Nyanda, Evidence Tinoota. Conversion: Nyanda.

Sharks – Tries: Sne Luthuli, Tayla Kinsey.

DHL Western Province 15 (5), Boland Dames 10 (5).

WP – Tries: Anelisiwe Mxabo, Asiphe Mayaba, Alicia Willemse.

Boland – Tries: Onako Jika, Arthea King.

Border Ladies 25 (18), EP Queens 8 (3)

Border – Tries: Zintle Holofela, Siphenathi Yeko, Felicia Jacobs. Conversions: Yeko (2). Penalty goals: Yeko (2).

EP – Try: Sisonke Hawu. Penalty goal: Raylene Noubos.

First Division:

The Free State Women outplayed Leopards to remain top of the standings (log here), Limpopo Blue Bulls Women easily defeated the Pumas Women, the SWD Eagirls rebounded strongly to beat Griffons Women and Valke Women were made to work hard in their win over Griquas Women.

The Limpopo Women had too much firepower and outplayed the visiting Pumas Women 66-14 in Polokwane. The home side held a 33-7 lead at the break, with the second half a carbon copy with both teams scoring 33 and 7 points respectively.

Limpopo scored ten tries in the match, five in each half.

In Bloemfontein, the Free State Women had a fast start to their match against their Leopards counterparts, scoring 26 unanswered points in the first half of their match. The visitors from Potchefstroom deserved credit for rallying strongly in the second half to outscore the undefeated Free Staters 17-12. But the damage was done in that tsunami of a first half, and they romped home 38-17 to stay top of the log.

The SWD Eagirls were in destructive mode in Oudtshoorn and took no mercy on the visiting Griffons Women. They scored 14 tries in an 88-5 win after leading 43-0 at the break.

Shannon-Lee Windvogel, their leading try scorer, bagged five in the match and is now the top try-scorer in the competition with 13 tries in four matches.

Griquas Women delivered a solid performance in Kempton Park against Valke Women, but in the end the home side emerged 36-27 winners at Bosman Stadium.

It was a tight affair, with the Valke leading 22-17 at the break. The home side managed to respond every time Griquas scored points in the second half and secured the win.

Scoring summary:

Free State Women 38 (26), Leopards 17 (0).

Scorers:

Free State – Tries: Elizna Fortuin, Shandre Fouche, Bernice Strydom, Elizna Greeff, Nomfundo Pampiri (2). Conversions: Fouche (4).

Leopards – Tries: Baby Plaatjies, Teddy Gatyana, Vianca Boer. Conversion: Lonika Maartens.

SWD Eagirls 88 (43), Griffons Women 5 (0).

SWD – Tries: Danielle Jonas, Jernonique Murphy, Shannon Lee Windvogel (5), Antoneica Hannies, Chante Jonck (2), Nicolene Barendse (3), Leberth October. Conversions: Marnazelle Rabie (9).

Griffons – Try: Pali Pitsi

Limpopo Women 66 (33), Pumas 14 (7)

Limpopo – Tries: Mahlatse Lekola, Faith Mkhari, Jibrine Dube, Lemuka Mangane, Nelly Semenya, Reason Mabuza, Katlego Mokaba, Anastacia Mashiane, Mapula Matsimela (2).  Conversions: Mkhari (3), Evelyn Mkhabele (5).

Pumas – Tries: Sethabile Xulu, Thandi Sambo. Conversions: Qhawekazi Mdolomba (2).

Valke Women 36 (22), Griquas Women 27 (17).

Valke – Tries: Sibonela Letsala, Tanya Shava, Sima Kaulela (3). Conversions: Matshediso Bojosi (2), Letsela.

Griquas – Tries: Simone Cloete, Rudeen Beukes, Mekyla Regue, Vee Mosala, Blache Swartz. Conversion: Mosala.