Cheslin Kolbe
Western Province made it five from five in the Currie Cup with a convincing 49-14 win over the Eastern Province Kings at Newlands on Friday night.
The hosts, the only remaining unbeaten team in the Currie Cup, picked up their third bonus point win of the season in the process as they racked up seven tries whilst conceding just two, reports WP’s official website.
Skipper Juan de Jongh opened his team’s tally in the 11th minute when he snapped up a loose EP Kings pass, that after kickers Scott van Breda (Kings) and Demetri Catrakilis (WP) missed goal kicks inside the first ten minutes.
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Catrakilis made no mistake with the conversion of De Jongh’s try, however, and he repeated the treatment four more times as Province racked up the bonus point within 48 minutes of play – that after leading 21-7 at half-time.
De Jongh completed his try double in the 22nd minute, following on from a try (from a maul) by Siya Kolisi in the 17th minute, before that man Cheslin Kolbe sealed the four-try bonus point with a cheeky individual effort in the 48th minute.
Kolbe snapped up a hack-ahead from the Kings on his own 10-metre line – having been forced to back-track with his team on the attack, before switching on the after-burners and beating a host of defenders en route to the goalline.
Western Province are sweating over the availability of fullback Cheslin Kolbe who injured his knee in their win over the EP Kings at Newlands on Friday night.
However, coach Allister Coetzee revealed afterwards that Kolbe had injured his knee and they are hoping it’s not too serious. Scrumhalf Nic Groom also injured his shoulder.
“We had a bit of a scare with Cheslin Kolbe’s knee (he hyper-extended it) but we will see over the next 24-48 hours if there is any damage. Nic Groom took a knock to his shoulder late in the game, but, there too, we will have to see,” Coetzee was quoted as saying on WP’s official Facebook account.
A second-half yellow card to replacement forward Rynhardt Elstadt could have slowed things down for the hosts, but right-wing Kobus van Wyk snapped up a loose pass right-away and ran off for his fourth try in three matches, before Elstadt dotted down upon his return from the bin.
Kolisi completed his try-double shortly before full-time – much to the delight of the near-9 000 spectators at Newlands – with replacement flyhalf Kurt Coleman adding the extras on both occasions, as the Kings finished off, to their credit, with an excellent score by former Province man Tim Whitehead.
No 5 lock Ruan Botha was voted the official Man of the Match, after an all-action display in his first start of the Currie Cup, with Province due to travel to Johannesburg next weekend to take on the Xerox Golden Lions.
Scorers:
Western Province – 41:
- Tries: Juan de Jongh (2), Siya Kolisi (2), Cheslin Kolbe (1), Kobus van Wyk (1), Rynhardt Elstadt (1)
- Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (5), Kurt Coleman (2)
Eastern Province Kings – 14:
- Tries: Paul Schoeman (1), Tim Whitehead (1)
- Conversions: Scott van Breda (2)