The Regent Boland Kavaliers won a nail-biting Vodacom Cup match against the Sharks XV in Malmesbury as only one team remains unbeaten this season as the MTN Golden Lions were too good for GWK Griquas in Kimberley.

Unbeaten DHL Western Province though had to work hard to beat the defending champions, the Pampas XV, in Stellenbosch on Saturday evening. Demetri Catrakilis kicked five penalty goals as the Capetonians won their fifth game of the season, by 20-16, at the Danie Craven Stadium.

In Malmesbury, the Regent Boland Kavaliers beat the KwaZulu-Natalians by 21-19 thanks to a converted try by Brendon April five minutes from fulltime.

The home team outscored their more fancied guests by two tries to one and the victory was just reward for a team that had promised a lot earlier in the season, but had not always delivered.

GWK Griquas were dealt their first defeat of the 2012 Vodacom Cup season as the MTN Golden Lions caused a minor upset to beat the unbeaten team from the Northern Cape by 35-30 on Saturday afternoon.

A converted try by Garth April with less than 15 minutes left in the game sealed it for the visitors, who outscored the home team by four tries to two.

The EP Kings had to fight very hard to beat neighbours SWD Eagles by 27-25 in George on Friday evening, with a last-gasp try by Frank Herne clinching the game for the visitors, a few minutes after the home team took the lead through a try by Clint Wagman.

The result could’ve been different had the Eagles not missed numerous penalty kicks at goal at Outeniqua Park during a game in which the lead changed hands a few times.

The Leopards recorded a 30-19 victory over the Griffons in Welkom on Friday evening, with former Springbok flyhalf André Pretorius kicking 15 points and midfielder Joubert Engelbrecht adding two tries for the visitors from Potchefstroom.

It was only their second win of the season as the Griffons slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls scored seven tries as they trashed the Valke by 49-8 in Pretoria on Friday afternoon, with five of their tries coming in the first half. Jurgen Visser collected a hat-trick of tries, while his fellow speedsters, Sampie Mastriet and Clayton Blommetjies, also crossed for the home team.

On Saturday afternoon, a hat-trick of tries by Nico Scheepers helped the Toyota Free State XV to overcome a brave performance by the Border Bulldogs to beat the visitors from the Eastern Cape by 36-28.

The Bulldogs lead 21-10 at the break and played some of their best rugby of the season, but the Free Staters never gave up and score three quick tries midway through the second half to take command of the game.

All the scorers: 

Vodacom Blue Bulls 45 (35) Valke 8 (3)

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Jurgen Visser (3), Clayton Blommetjies, Robbie Coetzee, Willie du Plessis, Sampie Mastriet. Conversions: Wesley Dunlop (5), Du Plessis (2).

Valke – Try: John-Wessel Bell. Penalty goal: Ruan Coetzee.

Griffons 19 (14) Leopards 30 (23)

Griffons – Tries: Nicky Steyn (2), Tertius Carse. Conversions: Reinhardt Erwee (2).

Leopards – Tries: Joubert Engelbrecht (2), Berty Visser. Conversions: Andre Pretorius (3). Penalty goals: Pretorius (3).

SWD Eagles 25 EP Kings 27

SWD Eagles – Tries: Kempie Rautenbach, Mzo Dyantyi, Clint Wagman. Conversions: Raynor Becker (2). Penalty goals: Becker (2).

EP Kings – Tries: Norman Nelson, Frank Herne. Conversion: Justin van Staden. Penalty goals: Van Staden (5).

Toyota Free State XV 36 (10) Border Bulldogs 28 (21)

Toyota Free State XV – Tries: Nico Scheepers (3), Barry Geel (2); Conversions: Scheepers (3); Riaan Smit; Penalties: Smit.

Border Bulldogs – Tries: Logan Basson, Ntando Kebe, Lesley-Dean Luiter; Conversions: Ntabeni Dukisa, Louis Kruger; Penalties: Dukisa (3).

GWK Griquas 30 (17) MTN Golden Lions 35 (8)

GWK Griquas – Tries: Rynard Landman, Jannie Boshoff. Conversion: Rudi Vogt. Penalty goals: Vogt (6).

MTN Golden Lions – Tries: Anthony Volmink, Robert de Bruyn, Jaco Kriel, Garth April. Conversions: Guy Cronje (3). Penalty goals: Cronje (3).

Regent Boland Kavaliers 21 (8) Sharks XV 19 (16)

Regent Boland Kavaliers – Tries: Brendon April, Milroy Isaacs. Conversion: Ricardo Croy. Penalty goals: Croy (3).

Sharks XV – Try: Sibusiso Sithole. Conversion: Gouws Prinsloo. Penalty goals: Prinsloo (4).

DHL Western Province 20 (11) Pampas XV 16 (6)

DHL Western Province – Try: Danie Poolman. Penalty goals: Demetri Catrakilis (5).

Pampas XV – Try: Facundo Barrea. Conversion: Benjamin Madero. Penalty goals: Madero (3).