The Bulls Daisies and DHL Western Province will contest the 2024 SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division final on Saturday in Pretoria after winning their respective semifinals against Border Ladies and Sanlam Boland Dames on Saturday, reports SA RUGBY.
The final is a rematch of the 2023 edition, which the Daisies won comfortably.
On Saturday, the Pretoria hosts had too many weapons in their arsenal for Border, winning 43-12 after leading 24-0 at the break. The home side’s pack of forwards were totally dominant in the game and their line-out drives worked to a tee. Hooker Xolelwa Diliza scored three tries off the back of those and in total, six of their seven tries were scored by the pack.
The Daisies took control early on and kept Border on the back foot throughout the match. The visitors managed to score twice in the second half, including a neat five pointer by Eloise Webb, but were no match for the Daisies on the day.
DHL Western Province replacement winger, Asiphe Mayaba, was the toast of the DHL Stadium faithful when she scored the match-winning try for her side at the death of their semifinal against the Dames. The try edged them to a 20-17 victory and into the finals in Pretoria next weekend.
It was a close match throughout, with both sides enjoying good spells. Boland will look at their scrum dominance and question why that did not yield better results and also ponder some weak defence on the perimetres, which not only allowed Mayaba her match-winner, but also got Voice Ndou her five pointer.
Scores were even at the break, but when Boland scored twice via Nompumelelo Mathe and Nomawethu Mabenge and took the lead with ten minutes left, they looked set for a trip up North, but it was not to be as WP responded with two scores of their own and Mayaba’s at the end being the decisive moment of the match.
Scorers —
Daisies
Tries: Xolelwa Diliza 3, Vainah Ubisi, Faith Tshauke, Jakkie Cilliers, Lebogang Ralebona 1
Conversions: Cilliers 4
Border
Tries: Eloise Webb, Owethu Nayiphi
Conversions: Webb
PICTURE: SA RUGBY