IN PHOTOS: Airlink Pumas kick off 2025 Carling Currie Cup with bonus point win

The Citizen

01-08-2025

The Airlink Pumas got their 2025 Carling Currie Cup season off to a great start on July 25 when they tore through an ill-disciplined Suzuki Griquas side at Mbombela Stadium.
In a repeat of the 2024 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division season opener, the Pumas were drawn against the Griquas to start their 2025 campaign, this time at Mbombela Stadium. It was the third time the two sides had locked horns at Mbombela Stadium this year with the Pumas holding a significant mental advantage going into the fixture as they'd won the other two clashes in 2025.
The Griquas would have been eager to avenge their SA Cup final loss, though. The encounter kicked off at 19:00 on a cold Friday night in Mbombela. The visitors from Kimberley drew first blood thanks to an early penalty that put them 3-0 ahead just after the one-minute mark.
Their lead was about as short-lived as it could've been, as a Heinz Bertram charge down led to a Sango Xamlashe try for the Pumas only 40 seconds later. The Griquas reclaimed the lead in the 12th minute with a try of their own, before the Pumas hit back with another try to retake the lead in the 15th minute.
The lead changed hands once again in the in the 23rd minute when George Whitehead slotted over a penalty for the Griquas. Another penalty and a try for the Griquas, along with two Pumas penalties took the scoreline to 23-18 in the Northern Cape side's favour on the stroke of half-time. But a Pumas try from the base of a powerful line-out maul after the hooter meant the hosts were 25-23 ahead when half-time finally came.
This was the last time the lead changed hands during the match and proved the turning point in the encounter as the Pumas managed to run amok in the second half. Their charge was aided by the fact that the Griquas received no fewer than three yellow cards in the second half, the first of which came at Caleb Abrahams's expense only three minutes into the half. Two minutes later Whitehead was also dismissed, leaving the Griquas with only 13 men on the field.
The Pumas ensured they capitalised on the numerical advantage and ran in a try and a penalty while the Griquas were two men down. Gurswin Wehr was the third Griquas player to be given his marching orders, just as Abrahams returned to the field with the score now 35-23 in the Pumas' favour. The Griquas fought hard despite their disadvantage and clawed back to score a try as the clock passed 70 minutes.
The Pumas received their first card of the game when debutant JJ Scheepers was yellow-carded with four minutes to play. But, the damage was done as the Pumas scored a further two tries in the last 10 minutes to put the game to bed. The final score was 49-28 in favour of the Pumas, handing them the perfect start to the season.
They will now travel to Bloemfontein to face a Toyota Cheetahs side eager to kick into gear after a shock defeat against the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in their first game. The match will kick off at Toyota Stadium at 19:00 on Friday, August 1.