Thirty seven tries were scored during a high action weekend of Currie Cup Premier Division action as Western Province, The Sharks, the Golden Lions and Griquas all recorded bonus point victories.

Adding the 33 tries scored in the three Currie Cup First Division matches on Friday, a total of 70 tries were scored across the country this weekend, amounting to an average of a staggering 10 tries per match.

In the North/South-derby at Newlands, the Capetonians simply had too much fire power for the Blue Bulls as they won this one-sided encounter by 35-7 on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday in Durban, The Sharks stunned the Free State Cheetahs with a four-try blitz in the opening 20 minutes of their encounter before the visitors launched a fight-back, but it was not enough as the KwaZulu-Natalians won 43-34.

In Johannesburg, The Golden Lions had to dig deep against a spirited Leopards, who drew level in the second half before the home team scored three late tries to win by 53-36.

On Friday evening, Griquas won their first game of the season when they defeated the Pumas by 40-33 in an exciting game in Nelspruit.

Pumas v Griquas

Five tries in the last 25 minutes of the first half were enough for Griquas to put away the Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, despite the home team never giving up in a thrilling match on Friday evening. The team from Kimberley won by 40-33.

In total 10 tries were scored in this match, which Griquas all but sealed before the break, when they lead by 34-7. It was a first victory of the season for the team from the Northern Cape, following their draw against Western Province in the first round and heavy defeat to the Golden Lions in Kimberley last weekend.

With midfielder Jean Stemmet grabbing a brace of tries, Griquas showed they wanted to get their Currie Cup campaign back on track. An early try by Pumas flyhalf Coenie van Wyk might have had fans of the Peacock Blues frowning, but after that, the men from Kimberley blitzed their opponents.

The Pumas never gave up though and got two bonus points from the game – for scoring more than four tries and for losing with seven points or less.

Final Score Pumas 33 (7) Griquas 40 (34)

Scorers:

Pumas
Tries: Coenie van Wyk, JW Jonker, Corne Steenkamp, Hendrik van der Nest (2).
Conversions: Tiaan Marx (3), Van Wyk.

Griquas
Tries: Richard Lawson, Jean Stemmet (2), Dusty Noble, Barry Geel.
Conversions: Earl Rose, Rudi Vogt (2)
Penalty goals: Riaan Viljoen, Vogt (2).

Teams:

Pumas: 15 MJ Mentz, 14 Deon Scholtz, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Tiaan Marx, 11 Shandre Frolick, 10 Coenie van Wyk, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Christo le Roux, 7 Jaco Bouwer, 6 Corne Steenkamp (captain), 5 Marius Coetzer, 4 Willem Serfontein, 3 Ashley Buys, 2 Marthinus van der Westhuizen, 1 Dawie Steyn.

Replacements: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 De-Jay Terblanche, 18 Eduan van der Walt, 19 Reginald Kember, 20 Hendrik van der Nest, 21 Dewald Pretorius, 22 Carl Bezuidenhout.

Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Richard Lawson, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Dusty Noble, 10 Earl Rose, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Jonathan Mokuena (captain), 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Justin Downey, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Steph Roberts.

Replacements: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Jean Botha, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Burger Schoeman, 20 Warren Malgas, 21 Matthew Rosslee, 22 Rudi Vogt.

The Sharks v Free State Cheetahs

A bonus point try in the 21st minute by Springbok Sevens speedster Sibusiso Sithole gave the impression The Sharks were going to run away with their Currie Cup encounter against the Free State Cheetahs at Kings Park in Durban, but the Free Staters never gave up and pushed the KwaZulu-Natalians all the way as they eventually won by 43-34.

It was one of the quickest bonus points for four tries seen in Currie Cup in a while and threatened to see The Sharks run away with the game, but the Cheetahs deserve credit for the way in which they kept on fighting back even though they trialled by 26-3 after the first quarter.

In this time The Sharks fed off mistakes made by the visitors, but when the Free Staters found their stride, they played much better and made the home team work hard until the final whistle, with the boot of flyhalf Fred Michalak keeping the scoreboard ticking over for the KwaZulu-Natalians with four penalty goals in the second half.

The Free State Cheetahs scored two tries in each half and got a try scoring bonus point, but missed out on a second bonus point when Michalak slotted his fourth penalty goal in the 78th minute before Sias Ebersohn missed in the final seconds.

Final Score The Sharks 43 (31) Free State Cheetahs 34 (17)

Scorers:

The Sharks
Tries: Mark Richards, Louis Ludik, Jacques Botes (2), Sibusiso Sithole
Conversions: Fred Michalak (3)
Penalty goals: Michalak (4).

FS Cheetahs
Tries: Riaan Smit, Boom Prinsloo, WP Nel, Corne Uys
Conversions: Sias Ebersohn (4)
Penalty goals: Ebersohn (2).

Teams:

The Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Mark Richards, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick.

Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Jan Andre Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Jacobus Reinach, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Marius Joubert.

Free State Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Riaan Smit, 13 Corne Uys, 12 Andries Strauss (captain), 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Michael van Vuuren, 1 Marcel van der Merwe.

Replacements: 16 Herkie Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Pieter Myburgh, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Philip Snyman, 22 Philip Burger.

Golden Lions v Leopards

With 10 minutes to go in this Currie Cup encounter at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg, the scores were tied at 36-36. But then the Golden Lions cut loose and scored 17 unanswered points to win comfortably in the end, by 53-36.

The Golden Lions stared strongly and lead by 29-15 at the break, but the Leopards deserve credit for never giving up in this cat-fight between two neighbouring unions north of the Vaal River.

In the end the Lions just asked too many questions of the Leopards’ defence and ended up crossing the visitors’ try line eight times, while conceding five tries to stay at the top of the Currie Cup log.

Final Score Golden Lions 53 (29) Leopards 36 (15)

Scorers:

Golden Lions
Tries: Jano Vermaak, Dylan Des Fountain, Deon van Rensburg (2), Cobus Grobbelaar, Wikus van Heerden, Jacobie Adriaanse, Michael Rhodes
Conversions: Burton Francis (4)
Penalty goal: Francis.

Leopards
Tries: Philip de Wet (2), Vainon Willis, Danie Dames, Whestley Moolman
Conversions: Clayton Durand, Wesley Dunlop (3)
Penalty goal: Durand.

Teams:

Golden Lions: 15 Michael Killian, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Dylan Des Fountain, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Josh Strauss (captain), 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Patric Cilliers.

Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Michael Bondesio, 21 Hein Cronje, 22 Jannie Boshoff.

Leopards: 15 George Tossel, 14 Danie Dames, 13 Charl Weideman, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht, 11 Vainon Willis, 10 Clayton Durand (captain), 9 Whestley Moolman, 8 Morne Hanekom, 7 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 6 Philip de Wet, 5 Brendon Snyman, 4 Roelof van Heerden, 3 Stephan Bezuidenhout, 2 Stoffel Duvenhage, 1 Bennie Uys.

Replacements: 16 Berend Botha, 17 Gavin Williamson, 18 Christo van Niekerk, 19 Juan Pretorius, 20 Theo van Wyk, 21 Wesley Dunlop, 22 Walter Venter.

Western Province v Blue Bulls

The Blue Bulls were comprehensively beaten by 35-7 by Western Province at Newlands on Saturday evening and were the only team in the third round of Currie Cup that did not collect a try-scoring bonus point.

The home team were simply too good and physical up front as they raced to a 21-7 lead at the break, thanks to fine tries by their captain Tiaan Liebenberg (hooker) and Danie Poolman (wing). They did not loosen their grip in the second half, with Nick Koster (No 8) and Dewaldt Duvenage (scrumhalf) adding tries for WP.

It was a performance the Blue Bulls would like to forget as quickly as possible as they slumped to their second defeat in three matches, having already taken on 2010’s Currie Cup finalists in away matches.

It was a second successive bonus point victory for WP after they drew in the first round with Griquas. They occupy third position on the Currie Cup log behind the Golden Lions and The Sharks.

Final Score Western Province 35 (21) Blue Bulls 7 (7)

Scorers:

Western Province
Tries: Tiaan Liebenberg, Danie Poolman, Nick Koster, Dewaldt Duvenage
Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (3)
Penalty goals: Catrakilis (3).

Blue Bulls
Try: Stefan Watermeyer.
Conversion: Francois Brummer.

Teams:

Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Danie Poolman, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Rohan Kitshoff, 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg (captain), 1 Wicus Blaauw.

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Adriaan Fondse, 19 Nick Fenton-Wells, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Berton Klaasen, 22 Marcel Brache.

Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Gerhard van den Heever, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Corne Fourie.

Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Warwick Tecklenburg, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter.