Latest news with #Visagie
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Currie Cup result: Pumas' Visagie punishes yellow-fever Griquas
Visagie scored one of the Pumas' six tries and booted five conversions and three penalties from the tee. NELSPRUIT, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 25: Danrich Visagie of the Airlink Pumas during the Carling Currie Cup match between Airlink Pumas and Suzuki Griquas at Mbombela Stadium on July 25, 2025 in Nelspruit, South Africa. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images) Flyhalf Danrich Visagie scored 24 points on Friday night to spearhead the Pumas to a bonus-point win in Nelspruit, where Griquas paid the price for three yellow cards. The lead changed hands seven times in a breathless first half of the 2025 Currie Cup opener before the 2022 champions raced away in the second to win 49-28, punishing a Griquas side that lost both halfbacks – Caleb Abrahams and George Whitehead – to the sin bin, along with winger Gershwin Wehr. Visagie stole the show Visagie scored one of the Pumas' six tries and booted five conversions and three penalties from the tee, while the visitors crossed the line three times in reply. Sango Xamlashe and Eddie Swart also dotted down in frantic half, giving the hosts a narrow 25-23 advantage at the break, with Whitehead keeping Griquas in the hunt through a try, two conversions and three penalties. But once the dam wall broke, the flood followed. Wiaan van Niekerk, JJ Scheepers and Darren Adonis added second half tries as the Pumas romped clear, sealing a statement win to kick off their Currie Cup campaign in style. In round 2, the Pumas travel to Bloemfontein to battle the Cheetah while Griquas host Boland. This story was first published on It is republished here with permission.
IOL News
24-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Lions to open Currie Cup against Sharks with confidence and unfinished business
Jaco Visagie will again lead a hungry Lions outfit in the Currie Cup, with the pain of last season's final defeat to the Sharks still fresh in memory. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The Lions will have to grapple with a dichotomy of sorts when they kick off their Currie Cup campaign this weekend: confident that they will do well, yet desperate that they must. It was heartbreak in the final of last year's competition when the Joburgers stumbled at the death against the Sharks — losing the title on the last play via a penalty. They face the defending champions in their opening match at Ellis Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), with the memory of that pain still whispering through the halls of Doornfontein. Recent shortcomings in the United Rugby Championship (URC) have not eased the pressure of expectation. And with nearly a decade having passed since their last piece of silverware, it's understandable that the team will privately acknowledge the importance of a positive outcome in the coming weeks. The Lions head into the tournament with a healthy mix of senior squad members and junior rookies. On the field, they will be led by the affable Jaco Visagie, while Mzwakhe Nkosi returns to direct proceedings from the touchline. There has been enough time, too, to consign last season's disappointment to the record books. There should, therefore, be more than enough belief and confidence to repeat their run to the final — and perhaps quash the growing exasperation of a support base hungry for success. The Lions are not deaf to those frustration. 'Being a Joburger myself, you do feel it,' Lions coach Nkosi admitted on Thursday. during a media briefing at Joburg Stadium. 'I think I was the first to feel it last October (after the final loss to the Sharks). There's a real desperation within the Lions Rugby Company — firstly, to bring some success and sustain it; and secondly, to get our hands on some silverware. 'We came really close last season, and hopefully we can build on that. The long and short of it is, only one team can win — whether that's in the URC with 18 teams or in the Currie Cup with eight. "It's a challenge, but myself included, we're all desperate for sustained success. And we have to give it our best shot.' Visagie was distraught after last year's final, but as he prepares to lead the team once again this season, he remains optimistic that another exciting Cup run lies ahead. And there is no reason to doubt that confidence. After all, the Lions racked up an impressive 437 points last season — 53 more than their nearest rivals, the Bulls. They played an enterprising brand of running rugby: fearless and ruthless. Most importantly, their squad for the tournament has a familiar look to it. 'We've got a very good team dynamic,' said Visagie. 'We almost have the same group this year, so the belief is there and the brotherhood is there.' 'We'll have the same approach as last year,' he added. 'The systems we put in place obviously worked. We lost only two matches — both to the Sharks — and those structures were solid. We just need to believe in them again.'
IOL News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Pumas dethrone Griquas to capture SA Cup in Mbombela final
On Saturday they repeated that feat in convincing style to capture the SA Cup title on home soil. The Pumas became the second team – after Griquas in the inaugural competition last year – to finish the campaign unbeaten after they dealt the men from the Northern Cape their first defeat in the competition in the league phase a few weeks ago. The hosts worked hard for a 19-7 advantage at half time and kicked on the second half for a deserved win. It is happy days in Nelspruit after the Pumas captured their first SA Cup title by beating last year's champions, Griquas, 39-14 in the final at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday evening. The Airlink Pumas take down the Suzuki Griquas to lift the 2025 #SACup 🏆 The match got off to a bad start for Griquas when their front ranker Cebo Dlamini was red carded for a head-on collision in the seventh minute, which meant they had to play the next 20 minutes with 14 men. In a sign of what was to come, the Pumas scored their first try barely a minute later, when hooker Eddie Swart went over at the back of a strong maul, which was converted by Danrich Visagie. Predictably, the men from Mpumalanga proceeded to dominate both possession and territory, leaving the defending champions to fend off wave after wave of attack from the rampant home side. The Pumas used their forward dominance to set up two good tries for midfielder Sango Xamlashe to take the score to 19-0 with a quarter of the opening half remaining. For his first effort, the outside centre stepped his way inside two defenders to score near the posts, and he was on the receiving end of a looping skip pass to go over near the corner for his second five-pointer. Griquas tried their best to stay in the contest and they were rewarded with a rather fortunate try when speedster Gurshwin Wehr intercepted a pass in his 22 to run in a long-distance try to make the half-time score 19-7. The dependable Visagie slotted a penalty goal before he converted No 8 Willie Engelbrecht's intercept try to stretch the home team's advantage to 29-7 shortly after the restart for the second half. Another successful penalty goal by Visagie took the score to 32-7 before Mnombo Zwelendaba scored Griquas' second try to bring the deficit down to 32-14. But the Pumas had the last laugh when replacement front ranker Dewald Maritz forced his way over the try line for their second try of the second half to all but secure them the SA Cup title
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Pumas dethrone Griquas to capture SA Cup
The match got off to a bad start for Suzuki Griquas when their front ranker Cebo Dlamini was red carded for a head-on collision in the seventh minute. The Pumas became the second team – after Griquas in the inaugural competition last year – to finish the campaign unbeaten after they dealt the men from the Northern Cape their first defeat in the competition in the league phase a few weeks ago, and on Saturday they repeated that feat in convincing style to capture the SA Cup title on home soil. The match got off to a bad start for Suzuki Griquas when their front ranker Cebo Dlamini was red carded for a head-on collision in the seventh minute, which meant they had to play the next 20 minutes with 14 men. In a sign of what was to come, the Airlink Pumas scored their first try barely a minute later, when hooker Eddie Swart went over at the back of a strong maul, which was converted by Danrich Visagie. Predictably, the men from Mpumalanga then proceeded to dominate both possession and territory, leaving the defending champions to fend off wave after wave of attack from the rampant home side. The Pumas used their forward dominance to set up two good tries for midfielder Sango Xamlashe to take the score to 19-0 with a quarter of the opening half remaining. For his first effort, the outside centre stepped his way inside two defenders to score near the posts, and he was on the receiving end of a looping skip pass to go over near the corner for his second five-pointer. Griquas tried their best to stay in the contest and they were rewarded with a rather fortunate try when speedster Gurshwin Wehr intercepted a pass to run in a long distance try to make the halftime score 19-7. The dependable Visagie slotted a penalty goal before he converted No 8 Willie Engelbrecht's intercept try to stretch the home team's advantage to 29-7 shortly after the restart for the second half. Another successful penalty goal by Visagie took the score to 32-7 before Mnombo Zwelendaba scored Griquas' second try to bring the deficit down to 32-14. But the Airlink Pumas had the last laugh when replacement front ranker Dewald Maritz forced his way over the try line for their second try of the second half to all but secure them the SA Cup title. Scorers: Airlink Pumas 39 (19) – Tries: Sango Xamlashe (2), Eddie Swart, Willie Engelbrecht, Dewald Maritz. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (4). Penalty goals: Visagie (2). Suzuki Griquas 14 (7) – Tries: Gurswhin Wehr, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (2).
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Intensity wins: Pumas conquer Griquas in Mbombela
The SA Cup has a new title holder, and their home ground is Mbombela Stadium. The Airlink Pumas put on a brilliant display of dominant rugby to defeat the Suzuki Griquas 39-14 and were crowned the 2025 SA Cup champions tonight. The home team came out snorting from the kick-off and executed a game plan of speed, power and precision. This was complemented by excellent defence. The foundation of the Pumas' victory was their powerful scrum, which earned them numerous scrum penalties. The Griquas played their hearts out but were outclassed in every aspect of the game. They could not cope with the Pumas' intensity and committed too many unforced errors. The Pumas were gifted possession. The home team was also ruthless at the breakdowns and won numerous turnovers. It was a sublime team effort from the Mpumalanga side. The Griquas were in trouble within five minutes of the start. Cebo Dlamini was red carded for a dangerous tackle and they would play the rest of the match with 14 men. The Pumas' first try came in the sixth minute. A penalty was punted into touch on the Griquas' five-metre line and Eduan Swart scored from the resulting maul. Danrich Visagie slotted the conversion. Shortly after the restart, the Pumas again had an attacking line-out from a penalty into touch. The Pumas won their line-out and the ball went down the backline, with Sango Xamlashe scoring a try that was not converted. ALSO READ: Pumas and Griquas face each other in final battle of 2025 SA Cup war Xamlashe scored again in the 24th minute from the same scenario, using his speed to carve a gap through the Griquas' defence. Visagie added the two points. Three minutes before half-time Griquas finally put points on the board. Gurshwin Wehr intercepted a pass on his own five-metre line and sprinted the length of the field to score a try. George Whitehead converted. The half-time score was 19-7 to the home team. The Pumas continued to dominate in the second half. Two Visagie penalty kicks put the Mpumalanga team up 25-7 by the 52nd minute. Then Willie Engelbrecht intercepted a pass on his own 10-metre line and ran through untouched to score a try. Visagie kicked the conversion. The Griquas hit back when Mnombo Zwelendaba caught the Pumas napping, tapped a penalty and scored the try. Whitehead kicked the conversion. ALSO READ: IN PHOTOS: Pumas on fire at captain's practice The Pumas were soon back on attack in the Griquas 22-metre area, and after a period of sustained pressure, Dewald Maritz claimed a try. Visagie nailed the conversion. The Griquas threw everything at the Pumas in the final ten minutes of the match, but the home team's defence held. The new champions did their fans proud. They simply did not take the foot of the accelerator, and this sustained level of play gave them front-foot possession. It was 80 minutes of attrition that the visitors could not combat. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
