On Friday evening, the Toyota Cheetahs beat the Airlink Pumas 42-25 at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. Saturday's action featured the Fidelity ADT Lions defeating DHL Western Province 40-19 at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg, while the Vodacom Bulls dominated the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV with a decisive 64-0 victory in the evening fixture at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The round concluded on Sunday afternoon with a stunning comeback from Suzuki Griquas, who beat the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 48-39 at the Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley.

As a result of their huge win in Pretoria over the Durbanites, the Vodacom Bulls now lead the standings with a full house of 10 points from their two wins, followed by Gauteng neighbours the Fidelity ADT Lions, who have the same number of points but a slightly weaker points differential.

The Toyota Cheetahs improved to seven points and now sit third on the table, followed by the Airlink Pumas and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, both on six points. Suzuki Griquas are next on five points, followed by the DHL WP and the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV, who are both yet to open their points accounts.

The Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein was the scene of a thrilling Carling Currie Cup encounter on Friday evening as the Toyota Cheetahs managed to beat the Airlink Pumas 42-25. They led 28-13 at halftime thanks to the contribution of scrumhalf Jandre Nel, who scored three of his four tries in the opening half.

The Bloemfontein outfit, looking to bounce back from a narrow opening-round defeat in Wellington, faced a confident Pumas side that had secured a comfortable home victory the previous weekend. In a high-scoring affair, it was the Cheetahs that ultimately emerged victorious, outscoring their visitors from Mpumalanga by six tries to four.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with both sides crossing the try line, but it was the home attack, in particular, which was a force to be reckoned with as Nel pulled the strings in the No 9 jersey. His opposite number, Ross Braude, was once again one of the Pumas’ best players, scoring two tries.

The Free Staters deservedly led by 15 points at the interval, with the forwards laying a good attacking platform. They scored two more tries and while the visitors matched their second half try-tally, they just couldn’t find that extra gear to close the gap.

Meanwhile, their frustration was further compounded when right wing Banie Britz was yellow carded for a repeated team offence.

The Fidelity ADT Lions, fresh off a comfortable opening-round victory, continued their strong start to the season with a convincing 40-19 win over DHL Western Province at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday afternoon.

The home side showed their intent from the outset, with Jaco Visagie (2), Lubabalo Dobela, Rabz Maxwane and WJ Steenkamp scoring tries, while they were also awarded a penalty try, in response to WP’s Louw Nel, who opened the scoring early on, while Gideon van Wyk also crossed the line for the Cape side.

The Highvelders went into the halftime break with a healthy 21-12 lead. The second half saw the hosts extend their lead, with their attack proving to be too much for Province to handle. The match was a physical affair, with the referee issuing yellow cards to Fidelity ADT Lions scrumhalf Nico Steyn and DHL WP prop Sti Sithole.

The hosts’ victory solidified their position amongst the top two in the competition, while the Cape side will be disappointed with a second consecutive loss.

The Vodacom Bulls signalled their ambitions as a top contender by securing a runaway 64-0 victory over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV in their second-round clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening. The result saw them maintaining their winning momentum, while the Durbanites' campaign suffered another heavy blow.

JP Pietersen’s side came into the game desperate for a reversal of fortune after a crushing defeat to the Lions last weekend in Johannesburg. However, they were no match for a clinical Bulls outfit that executed a near-perfect game plan in front of their home crowd.

The hosts’ pack laid the foundation with a physically imposing performance, setting up their clinical backline that exploited gaps in the Sharks’ defence. By halftime, the Bulls had established a commanding 35-0 lead already, putting the game all but out of reach for the visitors.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Phiwe Nomlomo’s team extending their advantage with a mix of powerful forward play and creative backline movements. Chris Smit (inside centre), Jeandre Rudolph (No 8) and former Junior Springbok Juann Else each scored two tries.

Suzuki Griquas staged a magnificent second-half comeback to secure a 48-39 victory over the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in a pulsating encounter at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on Sunday afternoon. The match, which saw a total of 14 tries, was a true game of two halves, with the Kavaliers dominating the first period and hosts fighting back with a vengeance after the break.

The Bolanders stunned Toyota Cheetahs with a last gasp win last weekend and they came out firing in Kimberley, running in five first-half tries and exploiting some defensive lapses from the home side. At halftime, they were in a commanding position with the scoreboard reading 34-19 in favour of the visitors, leaving the home team with a seemingly insurmountable task for the second half.

However, Griquas showed immense character and determination, turning the game on its head with a relentless attacking and defensive display. They piled on the pressure, and their efforts were rewarded with a flurry of tries that stunned their opposition.

The home team's key players stepped up, with Dylan Maart, Lourens Oosthuizen, and Gurshwin Wehr (two tries) all contributing. The comeback was led by Caleb Abrahams (two tries) and a late try from Derik Pretorius, which sealed the victory.

The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, who had looked so good in the first half, were unable to stem the tide, but they dominated the first half with tries through Lunathi Nxele, David Brits, Donavan Don, and Marcqiewn Titus. The goal-kicking of James Tedder (Boland) and George Whitehead (Griquas) was also on target for both teams, adding crucial points throughout the match.

Suzuki Griquas will get the third-round action underway this Friday evening when they host struggling DHL WP in a 19h00 kick off in Kimberley. Saturday’s early fixture sees the Vodacom Bulls welcome the Airlink Pumas to Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (15h00), and this encounter will be followed by the match between the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV and Toyota Cheetahs in Durban (17h10).

On Sunday, the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers welcome the Fidelity ADT Lions to Wellington (15h00), which will will wrap up week three’s action.

Scorers:

Toyota Cheetahs 42 (28), Airlink Pumas 25 (13)

Cheetahs – Tries: Jandre Nel (4), Carel-Jan Coetzee, Neels Volschenk. Conversions: Tiaan Swanepoel (5), Cohen Jasper.

Pumas – Tries: Ross Braude (2), Sango Xamlashe, Wian van Niekerk. Conversions: Danrich Visagie. Penalty goal: Visagie.

Fidelity ADT Lions 40 (21), DHL Western Province 19 (12).

Lions – Tries: Jaco Visagie (2), WJ Steenkamp, Lubabalo Dobela, Rabz Maxwane. Penalty Try. Conversions: Dobela (4).

WP – Tries: Louw Nel (2), Gideon van Wyk. Conversions: Kyle Smith (2).

Vodacom Bulls 64 (35), Hollywoodbets Sharks XV 0

Bulls – Tries: Chris Smit (2), Jeandre Rudolph (2), Juann Else (2), Dylan Smith, Cornel Smit, Stravino Jacobs, JJ Theron. Conversions: Boeta Chamberlain (7).

Suzuki Griquas 48 (19), Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 39 (34)

Griquas – Tries: Gurshwin Wehr (2), Caleb Abrahams (2), Dylan Maart, Lourens Oosthuizen, Tiaan Lange, Derik Pretorius. Conversions: George Whitehead (4).

Boland – Tries: Donavan Don (2), Lunathi Nxele, David Brits, Marcqiewn Titus. Conversions: James Tedder (3). Penalty goal: Tedder.