Major boost for unchanged Pumas as inspirational captain Kirkwood is declared fit for Cup final

The Pumas' bid to defend their Currie Cup title received a major boost following confirmation that skipper Shane Kirkwood is available for Saturday's final against the Cheetahs at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

The 32-year-old lock, who's been an outstanding if underrated presence in the Lowvelders' pack since being signed from the French third division, had been the only major injury worry after he finished last weekend's heroic semi-final victory over the Sharks with a leg injury, sustained while making the turnover that settled the match.

His recovery means coach Jimmy Stonehouse has the luxury of enlisting an unchanged match-day squad of 23 from the Kings Park excursion.

The occasion will be a poignant one for flyhalf Tinus de Beer, who's revived his career in Nelspruit to such an extent that he'll be playing in the URC next year for Cardiff, while the dynamic midfield pair of Diego Appollis and Ali Mgijima are also waving goodbye.

Appollis, a junior prodigy at the Bulls previously, wasted little time re-establishing himself and is off to the Sharks and his partner is, somewhat ironically, switching back to his opponents from next season having left Bloemfontein in 2020.

Despite another successful campaign, the Pumas do go into the match as underdogs, primarily because their late-season form hasn't been as consistent as the Cheetahs'.

That might represent an opportunity for Stonehouse's troops though he's not reading too much into such billings.

"It sometimes makes things easier when other teams underestimate us, but I think in the last six matches against the Cheetahs we've won four or five."I don't think the Cheetahs will underestimate us, Hawies Fourie is too smart for that. The last game in Nelspruit could've