Currie Cup: Griffons secure historic win over Bulls, Pumas edge Cheetahs

The home side ran out 32-28 winners in Welkom on Friday to end a 50-year wait for a win over the men from Pretoria.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are still without a win in the Currie Cup this season after slumping to their fourth straight defeat.

Both teams scored four tries each, but two Jaywinn Juries penalties proved to be the difference for the Griffons, allowing them to bag a full haul of five points.

Sokhuphumla Xakalashe scored the first try for the home side, before the Bulls appeared to take control of the match via tries from Wandisile Simelane, Muller Uys and Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

Jean Pretorius pulled one back for the hosts on the brink of half-time and then retook the lead shortly after the break via another five-pointer from Jaco Willemse.

Jamba Ulengo scored the bonus-point try for the Griffons after a Johan Goosen fumble near his own line, and while the Bulls did hit back when Robert Hunt barged over late for their bonus-point try, the Griffons held on for the famous victory.

Adding to the drama, the players were taken off the field due to a thunderstorm and the threat of lightning with three minutes to play, forcing the Griffons to wait 15 minutes before seeing out the final few minutes to seal the win.

Pumas secure big win over table-topping Cheetahs

From the bottom of the table to the top, Friday's other Currie Cup clash saw an entertaining battle between the two top-ranked teams in the competition.

The table-topping Cheetahs hosted the second-placed Pumas in Bloemfontein, but with many of their players on Challenge Cup duty, it was the defending Currie Cup champions who ran out emphatic 61-21 winners.

The men from Mpumalanga led 26-7 at half-time thanks to four tries and they continued to run riot after the break, adding another 35 points.

In all, the men from Mpumalanga ran in nine tries to the Cheetahs' three, with Devon Williams getting three for the defending champions.

The Cheetahs' best period of the match came in the second half when they scored two converted tries when Pumas prop Corne Fourie was in the sin-bin, briefly threatening a comeback at 41-21 before the Pumas took control again.