Marksmen set sights on SAA Club Champs title

Goalkickers look set to play a major role in the semi-finals of the SAA National Club Champs, which resumes at the LC de Villiers stadium on the University of Pretoria’s sport campus on Thursday.

Apart from some superb running rugby, the tournament has featured some top-class goalkicking displays by a number of players – and going by their match-winning points-scoring hauls on Tuesday, it’s the kickers who hold the key to which teams will progress through to Saturday’s final, to be played at Loftus Versfeld at 13h00.

Defending champions NWU-Pukke will play Springs and 2008 finalists College Rovers will face Hamilton after a day of drama in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Pukke won through to the last four with a hard-fought 44-34 win over determined Boland champions Rawsonville, while Valke champions Springs overwhelmed Border’s Buffalo 51-19.

KZN champions College Rovers beat Eastern Province champions Park 52-22 while Hamilton scored 25 unanswered points in coming from behind to beat Golden Lions champions Pirates 39-27.

On the kicking front, Rovers’ flyhalf Dauw Steyn was on target with six conversions in his team’s victory over Park, while his opponent on Thursday, scrumhalf Dustin Jinka of Hamilton, scored 29 of his side’s 39 points through a try, three conversions and six penalties – of which two were from 55 metres.

Springs flyhalf Ashley Buchler – one of the players of the tournament so far – kicked two penalties, six conversions and a drop goal for a personal haul of 21 points in his team’s victory over Buffalo.

Pukke fullback Theuns Kotze was not to be outdone, kicking two conversions and a penalty to go with his two tries against Rawsonville.

Both semi-finals will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Fixtures for Thursday 24 September:

Premier semi-finals (LC de Villiers stadium):
16h00 College Rovers (KZN) v Hamilton (WP)
18h00 NWU-Pukke (Leopards) v Springs (Valke)

Plate semi-finals (LC de Villiers stadium):
13h00 Shimlas (Free State) v Kuruman (Griqualand West)
14h30 Great Brak River (SWD) v Pretoria Police (Blue Bulls)

Issued by SA Rugby