That comprehensive victory by WP, who top the standings on 33 points, was their sixth of the campaign and allowed them to open a nine-point gap over the second-place Hollywoodbets Sharks on the log after the Durban outfit fell to a 40-38 loss to the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last Friday.

WP had too much firepower for the Bulls, with their string of Junior Springboks laying the foundation for a huge win over their Pretoria rivals. Scrumhalf Asad Moos scored a hat-trick of tries while flyhalf Kyle Smith scored a try and slotted seven conversions for a personal tally of 19 points. Bulls’ playmaker JT Kapank succeeded with all six of his team’s conversions.

In Saturday’s other game played in Potchefstroom, the Leopards were downed 52-36 by the Fidelity ADT Lions in a high-scoring affair, where the home side were trailing 21-14 at the break.

The visitors eventually outplayed their hosts by eight tries to five. The Lions had eight different scorers, with flyhalf Matthew Coetzee adding six conversions to his five-pointer, while his Leopards counterpart Duan du Toit succeeded with four conversions and a penalty goal.

In Bloemfontein, the Free Staters scored six tries and five conversions and the Sharks also replying with six tries and four conversions, with the two points proving the difference in the end after the two teams were locked at 19-19 at the halftime whistle. For the Sharks, flyhalf Frederick Marx kicked four conversions while their Khuti Rasivhaga (wing) bagged two tries.

The coming weekend’s round eight action sees the Lions hosting WP at Ellis Park at 13h30 on Friday. In Saturday’s two fixtures, the Cheetahs take on the Leopards in Bloemfontein (13h00), while the Bulls entertain the Sharks from 14h00 in Pretoria.

Meanwhile the second round of the SA U19 Cup competition was completed this past weekend, with the Vodacom Bulls gaining an important 38-19 away win over DHL Western Province, which leaves the Cape side without a win since the start of the campaign.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks also secured a strong 40-20 away win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, while the defending champions, the Fidelity ADT Lions, smashed the Leopards by 80-14 in Potch.

Following the second round, the Lions, Bulls, and Sharks all have 10 points, however, the Highvelders are sitting on top of the pile because of their superior points difference. WP are in fourth place with just two league points, followed by the Cheetahs and Leopards each on one point.

In this coming weekend’s third round fixtures the young Lions return to action when they host winless WP in a 11h00 start at the Johannesburg Stadium on Friday. The Cheetahs and Leopards clash the same time the next day in Bloemfontein, while also Saturday in Pretoria, the Bulls entertain the Sharks from 11h30 at the Loftus B-field.

In the SA Rugby U21 Shield competition, which started a few weeks ago, the Harmony Griffons top the northern section pool with 10 points from two wins, while Sanlam Boland lead in the south with 12 points from two wins in their first three games, the same number of wins as SWD, who are second on 10 points.