Another superb performance from the Border Bulldogs’ Masixole Banda helped the team continue their great run of form with a fourth consecutive win in the Currie Cup First Division this past weekend.
The South Western Districts Eagles put up a stiff challenge against the high-flying home team, but in the end could not match them as Border emerged 31-24 victors to end their pool stage campaign on a high note.
Banda’s contribution of 16 points in the match, consisting of a try, four conversions and a penalty, was key to the win and he has now risen to the top of the First Division point standings on 86 points, five points ahead of Down Touch Griffons flyhalf George Whitehead.
“He’s a quality player, he has this X-factor that he brings to the team and it has benefited Border this season,” said Bulldogs coach Elliot Fana.
“On his day he can kick well, is a good distributor of the ball and can break the line at will, so he is a nightmare for opposition teams.”
His try was also his sixth in the competition, which sees him tied second on the try-scoring list with the Leopards Henro Pierre Swart, while his fellow Leopards teammate Gene Willemse tops the list with seven tries.
Banda, whether playing at fullback or flyhalf is a constant threat to opposition defences and his record of having scored against each team in the competition so far, five games in a row, shows that he has been able to break through each sides defence.
“With him at the top of the point and try-scoring charts it just goes to show how well he has been playing this season and how much he has contributed to the team,” said Fana.
“His consistency has also been amazing this season, you know class is permanent, but not form, so the fact that he has been so consistently on form is just great for the team.”
With the Bulldogs moving onto the semifinals now he may well be the key component in whether they can make the final.
The one aspect of Banda’s game which had plagued him was his erratic kicking, however he has turned it around immensely this season and is enjoying a much better success ratio with the boot of late, which has helped boost Border.
A home semifinal against the Griffons awaits the Bulldogs next weekend and the team should be very confident having triumphed 41-24 over them in the pool stages a few weeks ago.
Banda’s stats from that match mirrored this past weekend’s as he contributed 16 points through a try, penalty and four conversions and will be aiming for a similar performance in the semifinal.
This is uncharted territory for the Bulldogs however, as they have not played in knockouts for many years and it will be interesting to see if the players can step up to the occasion and put in a winning performance.
“I don’t want to be overconfident, but the amount of professionalism and commitment that has been shown by the players has shown me that they are ready for anything, but we are still taking it a game at a time, so our full focus is on the semifinal,” claimed Fana.
Red-hot Banda fires up Bulldogs bite
The South Western Districts Eagles put up a stiff challenge against the high-flying home team, but in the end could not match them as Border emerged 31-24 victors to end their pool stage campaign on a high note.
Banda’s contribution of 16 points in the match, consisting of a try, four conversions and a penalty, was key to the win and he has now risen to the top of the First Division point standings on 86 points, five points ahead of Down Touch Griffons flyhalf George Whitehead.
“He’s a quality player, he has this X-factor that he brings to the team and it has benefited Border this season,” said Bulldogs coach Elliot Fana.
“On his day he can kick well, is a good distributor of the ball and can break the line at will, so he is a nightmare for opposition teams.”
His try was also his sixth in the competition, which sees him tied second on the try-scoring list with the Leopards Henro Pierre Swart, while his fellow Leopards teammate Gene Willemse tops the list with seven tries.
Banda, whether playing at fullback or flyhalf is a constant threat to opposition defences and his record of having scored against each team in the competition so far, five games in a row, shows that he has been able to break through each sides defence.
“With him at the top of the point and try-scoring charts it just goes to show how well he has been playing this season and how much he has contributed to the team,” said Fana.
“His consistency has also been amazing this season, you know class is permanent, but not form, so the fact that he has been so consistently on form is just great for the team.”
With the Bulldogs moving onto the semifinals now he may well be the key component in whether they can make the final.
The one aspect of Banda’s game which had plagued him was his erratic kicking, however he has turned it around immensely this season and is enjoying a much better success ratio with the boot of late, which has helped boost Border.
A home semifinal against the Griffons awaits the Bulldogs next weekend and the team should be very confident having triumphed 41-24 over them in the pool stages a few weeks ago.
Banda’s stats from that match mirrored this past weekend’s as he contributed 16 points through a try, penalty and four conversions and will be aiming for a similar performance in the semifinal.
This is uncharted territory for the Bulldogs however, as they have not played in knockouts for many years and it will be interesting to see if the players can step up to the occasion and put in a winning performance.
“I don’t want to be overconfident, but the amount of professionalism and commitment that has been shown by the players has shown me that they are ready for anything, but we are still taking it a game at a time, so our full focus is on the semifinal,” claimed Fana.
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