Boland skipper Marsh urges calm after Stormers rout keeps Currie Cup charge on track

Boland Cavaliers captain Thurlow Marsh insists his side must quickly move on from their crushing 41-3 victory over Stormers XXIII in Wellington, despite the win reinforcing their status as early Currie Cup contenders.

The result, achieved on Sunday, lifted Boland to second place on the Currie Cup log after two rounds. They sit on nine points, just one behind leaders Cheetahs, and have put themselves in a strong position to reach the play-offs for a second successive season with five fixtures still to play.

Crucially, the Cavaliers have combined attacking fluency with defensive steel in the opening fortnight. They have scored nine tries and conceded only one, underlining how difficult they have been to break down.

Marsh, though, was determined not to get carried away when he spoke after the emphatic win over their neighbours from the Cape.

“The Cheetahs and ourselves have a bit of an advantage, but there are still five games left,” he said in a post-match interview.

“It’s important that we put this game behind us.”

Pumas clash next as Marsh sounds warning

Boland’s next assignment is against the Pumas, who have lost both of their opening matches in the competition. While the log suggests the sides are heading in opposite directions, Marsh believes that makes the Mpumalanga outfit particularly dangerous.

“I told the guys the Pumas are in a dangerous position. They have their backs against the wall and will be desperate,” he said, warning against any drop in intensity.

The Cavaliers’ current form has strengthened hopes of a repeat appearance in the knockout stages, but Marsh’s message has remained consistent: any advantage over their rivals can quickly disappear if standards slip over the remaining five rounds.

Fast finish after missed first-half chances

Reflecting on the derby in Wellington, Marsh said the overall performance aligned with the game plan, even if Boland were frustrated not to turn first-half dominance into a more commanding interval lead.

Boland went into the break 13-3 ahead, a scoreline Marsh felt did not fully reflect their control.

“In the first half we had at least four opportunities we should have finished, so 13-3 at half-time wasn’t satisfying. The effort in the second half was much better,” he said.

The Cavaliers cut loose after the interval, adding further tries to transform a relatively tight contest into a one-sided affair, while maintaining their impressive defensive record.

“The conditions suited us. We didn’t concede any tries, and the defence coach will be happy with that.

“We knew if we made a fast start against our neighbours from the Cape, we would take the wind out of their sails.

“After that we kept building phases and, like a mamba, we got them and they slowly died afterwards.”

Those closing stages underlined the blend of physicality, accuracy and patience that has characterised Boland’s start to the campaign. Yet, with Cheetahs a point ahead and plenty of rugby still to be played, Marsh is adamant that the win over Stormers XXIII must serve as a platform rather than a conclusion to their early-season surge.