The Bulls Daisies were made to work hard for their top-of-the-table victory over the Sanlam Boland Dames in Pretoria on Saturday, but the bonus point win cemented their spot at the top of the Women’s Premier Division log, while the Border Ladies moved up to fourth with a tight win over DHL Western Province in East London.

Elsewhere, the Sharks Women and Free State Women were victorious on the road, winning their matches against the EP Queens in Gqeberha and Golden Lions Women in Johannesburg respectively.

The Daisies’ 24-12 win was their closest victory since the start of the league in 2023. Before Saturday’s game at Loftus Versfeld, their 24-10 win over the Bolanders in Wellington last season was the team from Pretoria’s smallest winning margin.

The Bulls Daises scored four tries – two of them going to Springbok Women speedster Unathi Mali – compared to the Dames’ two, and the home team led by 12-7 at the break, with both teams doubling their points tally in the second half.

Mali’s brace cemented her spot at the top of the try-scorers’ list with eight so far this season, two more than her teammate Patience Mokone.

In Gqeberha, the Sharks Women ensured they remain in the race to the semi-finals with an emphatic 40-14 victory over the EP Queens, with Phatheka Dzanibe scoring a brace of tries and Anesipho Malgas landing five conversions for the winning team.

The scores were tied at 14-14 at the break, but the visitors from KwaZulu-Natal pulled away in the second half and scored four unanswered tries for their second win of the season.

The Border Ladies also put in a massive shift after the break in their match against DHL WP at Baysville High School in East London, where they won 21-17 after the visitors from Cape Town held a narrow 5-0 lead at the break.

Both teams recorded three tries apiece, but the difference was Border’s experienced goal kicker Yandisa Nobanda, who converted all three five-pointers, while WP’s Anja le Roux was only successful with one after their first-choice kicker, Alicia Willams, had left the field.

The Free State Women laid the foundation for their 31-12 victory over the Golden Lions Women in the first half of their clash at Emirates Airline Park, where the visitors scored three tries without reply to lead by 19-0 at the break.

Four more tries were added in the second half – two apiece by each team – but by then it was too late for the Lions as the Free Staters moved up to fifth on the log.

Bernice Strydom again proved her worth for Free State, scoring two tries and adding a conversion, while Robyn Strydom also grabbed a brace with Anacadia Minnaar, who has played for the Springbok Women’s Sevens, also chipping in with two conversions.

At the conclusion of the fifth round, the Bulls Daisies are still “perfect” at the top of the log with 25 points, followed by the Sanlam Boland Dames (20), Border Ladies (16) and DHL WP (14) in the top four.

The chasing pack are made up of the Free State Women, who are fifth on 11 points, the Sharks Women in sixth, also on 11 points but with a worse points’ difference, while the Golden Lions Women (seventh on 5) and EP Queens (eighth on zero) bring up the rear.

Scorers:

Bulls Daisies 24 (12) Sanlam Boland Dames 14 (7)

Bulls –Tries: Xolelwa Diliza, Unathi Mali (2), Patience Mokone. Conversions: Zintle Nonkasana (2).

Boland – Tries: Buhle Sonamzi, Anita Tom. Conversions: Thanie Yeko (2).

EP Queens 14 (14) Sharks Women 40 (14)

EP –Tries: Mihlali Mgweba, Joanne Boesak. Conversions: Xenia Muller (2).

Sharks – Tries: Karthy Dludla, Phatheka Dzanibe (2), Owami Zikhali, Noluthando Mbambo, Mbali Bukhosini. Conversion: Anesipho Malgas (5).

Border Ladies 21 (0) DHL Western Province 17 (5)

Border –Tries: Mado Mdliki, Simangele Vula, Yolanda Ntibane. Conversions: Yandisa Nobanda (3).

WP – Tries: Thandile Mazwi, Voice Ndou, Anelisa Ndamase. Conversion: Anja le Roux.

Golden Lions Women 12 (0) Free State Women 31 (19)

Lions –Tries: Aviwe Hlongwana, Siyonela Macamba. Conversion: Provia Mashiane.

Free State – Tries: Bernice Strydom (2), Rivonia Leslie, Robyn Strydom (2). Conversions: Anacadia Minnaar (2), Bernice Strydom.