The Border Bulldogs officially fell out of the running for the SuperSport Rugby Challenge knockouts after going down 24-17 in their penultimate game of the competition against the South Western District Eagles at the BCM Stadium on Friday.
The result means the Bulldogs cannot finish any higher than fourth on the log as both the Boland Cavaliers and Eagles sit eight points ahead of the Bulldogs on the south section log, while the Bulldogs have only one match left to play and the other sides each have two.
So the goal now will be for the Bulldogs to end off their campaign on a high when they play the EP Elephants in their final Challenge match of the season in Mdantsane this coming Sunday.
“The chances of playing in the quarters are dashed now, so we are looking forward to finishing on a high and trying to build towards the Currie Cup,” admitted Bulldogs coach Tiger Mangweni.
“It doesn’t matter where EP play us, they are our closest rivals and are always up for a big match.
“They will come at us and we can only fight fire with fire, we can’t hold back against them and we have to go for the win and at least try and finish the competition on a high note.”
This weekend’s festival will be the first held in Mdantsane since the two which were held last year.
In Friday’s match against the Eagles the Bulldogs will look back on an error-filled performance that ultimately handed the Eagles the win.
It was a close match with neither side giving an inch, but the Bulldogs still held a slight advantage in possession and territory and had a number of clear-cut chances, but mistakes in vital areas of the pitch cost them dearly.
An early penalty to Bulldogs flyhalf Aphiwe Stemele gave them a second-minute lead, but that was cancelled out just two minutes later as Eagles fullback Leighton Eksteen kicked one of his own to draw the teams level.
Bulldogs left wing Somila Jho then went over for the first try of the match in the 23rd minute, with Stemele adding the conversion, but the Eagles replied with a converted try of their own in the 31st through captain Marlou van Niekerk.
Despite a yellow card to Eagles lock Cornell Hess for a swinging arm, the Bulldogs were unable to capatalise during the last seven minute of the first half and first three of the second with having the advantage of an extra man on the pitch.
However, the home team managed to retake the lead in the 48th minute thanks to a superb solo try from right wing Siphosenkosi Nof- emele, which fullback Xolela Payi converted.
But that proved to be the last points of the game for the Bulldogs as the Eagles produced a late surge to score converted tries through scrumhalf Johan Steyn in the 67th minute and right wing Adri Jacobs in the 70th to seal a victory that keeps their play-off hopes alive...