Load shedding hit the Mbombela Stadium on Friday night at the end of Western Province’s 23-17 win over the Pumas.
With the hosts having a penalty with 40 seconds remaining on the clock, Eskom had its say and the game had to be halted for a dramatic end.
When play finally resumed, the Pumas could not turn the penalty into seven points and Province bagged only their second win of the campaign.
A relieved captain and Man of the Match Nama Xaba said afterwards: “[The result is a] huge relief, it’s just a testament of the work we’ve been putting in between those long breaks.With the dramatic end, the loadshedding, I am very relieved.”
With three games to play, Province are in sixth place on the log - 11 points behind the fourth-placed Griquas and basically with no hope of reaching the playoffs.
Xaba adds: “We live and die for the hoops, it’s been a tough campaign for us. The semis are probably out of reach - but a result like this just restores some pride.”
Province started the match gevaarlik, with flyhalf Tim Swiel chipping back a counterattack before collecting the ball and offloading it to scrumhalf Godlen Masimla for the first try in the ninth minute.
Tighthead prop Neethling Fouche darted over from close quarters in the 15th minute to make it 12-0, before the Pumas hit back with two rolling maul tries.
Sergeal Petersen then crashed over after a switch with Masimla for a 20-10 half-time buffer.
WP’s ill-discipline again got the better of them, with both locks Ben-Jason Dixon and Ernst van Rhyn getting yellow carded, with Pumas No.9 Chriswill September scoring after a blindside break from a scrum (20-17). With 20 minutes to go, Swiel added a penalty conversion as the two teams slogged it out, before Eskom switched the lights off.