Pumas U21 continue poor start to SA Rugby U21 Shield title defence
The young Pumas will be hoping for a change in fortunes in heir next encounter.
Two games into the new season, the Pumas U21 side have not begun their SA Rugby U21 Shield title defence well as they suffered their second consecutive loss at the hands of the Limpopo Blue Bulls U21 last Friday.
The two unions’ U21 outfits locked horns at the White River Rugby Club on September 27, the Pumas U21 in desperate need of a win, having narrowly lost to the Valke U21 in the first round of the SA Rugby Under-21 Shield.
Although they won the competition in 2023, the Pumas U21 do not have things going well for them in 2024.
In the encounter with the Limpopo Blue Bulls, the Pumas, hosting in White River, drew first blood with the first try of the game, but this momentum shifted rather quickly. The Limpopo Blue Bulls responded with a penalty and then three tries to soar to a 24-7 lead as the Pumas proved to be their own worst enemies.
A penalty try and a yellow card against the visitors from Limpopo opened the door a bit for the Pumas, but they failed to capitalise on the numerical advantage. Instead the Limpopo Blue Bulls only grew their lead in this time and held a 31-14 score at half-time.
The Pumas fared far better in the second half, scoring the first try, but not before the visitors had responded with one more of their own. Two more tries for the Pumas made things far more interesting, though, as the score stood at 36-33 in the Limpopo Blue Bulls’ favour.
However, this was as far as the Pumas would go as ill discipline, poor game management and decision-making made it easy for the Limpopo Blue Bulls to glide home to a 42-33 victory. The second successive loss means the Pumas are bottom of the log after the first two rounds. They face Griffons U21 next on October 5.
