The visitors led the game in the City of Roses 21-12 at halftime and looked set to put up another big score, but the defending Currie Cup champions hit their stride in the second half to make it a tight affair.

The eighth-man, James Culhane, scored a brace of tries for the visitors while the fullback, Chay Mullins and the flyhalf, Jake Flannery, also dotted down.

The Pumas centre, Sebastiaan de Klerk, ran in for a brace of outstanding tries while the eighth-man, André Fouché, and the hooker Eduan Swarts also scored tries.

The only thing separating the two teams following two hours of play was Flannery successfully converting all four tries. The Pumas captain Tinus de Beer managed to send just two conversions sailing through the uprights.

On Sunday at 13:00, the Pumas will lock horns with a Western Province XV in Bloemfontein.

The next game for Emerging Ireland will be on Sunday at 15:00 when they face the Toyota Cheetahs in their last match in South Africa.

Scorers:

Pumas: Tries - André Fouché, Eduan Swart, Sebastiaan de Klerk 2 Conv. – Tinus de Beer.

Emerging Ireland: Tries - Chay Mullins, James Culhane 2, Jake Flannery Conv. - Flannery 4