No fewer than 24 tries were scored in the 1st 4 matches of the Vodacom Cup in 2015, with big wins for the Xerox Golden Lions, Steval Pumas, Vodacom Blue Bulls and Leopards XV.

• The Vodacom Blue Bulls easily overcame the Hino Valke in Kempton Park by 37 / 13.

• The Xerox Golden Lions trounced the Namibian FNB Welwitschias by 53 / 3 in Windhoek.

• The Steval Pumas romped over the Down Touch Griffons by 57 / 18 in Nelspruit.

• In the last game of Vodacom Cup action for the weekend, the Leopards XV beat a spirited Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls side by 22 / 9 in Potchefstroom.

Hino Valke (6) 13 / 37 (17) Vodacom Blue Bulls:

The Vodacom Blue Bulls got their Vodacom Cup campaign off to a great start with a 37 / 13 win (halftime 17 / 6) over the Hino Valke at Kempton Park on Friday.

The visitors scored 5 tries to 1, but their errors, lack of execution and creaking scrum cost them a more emphatic win. Still, they will be satisfied with their bonus point, with room for improvement.

Scorers:

Hino Valke:

• Tries: Andrew van Wyk (1)
• Conversions: Juan Kotze (1)
• Penalty goals: Juan Kotze (2)

Vodacom Blue Bulls:

• Tries: Travis Ismaiel (1), Roelof Smit (1), Warrick Gelant (1), Marquit September (1), Arno van Wyk (1)
• Conversions: Kobus Marais (3)
• Penalty goals: Kobus Marais (2)

FNB Welwitschias (3) 3 / 53 (34) Xerox Golden Lions:

Xerox Golden Lions No 8 Ruaan Lerm was deservedly named Man Of The Match for his hat-trick of tries during his side’s 53 / 3 win over Namibia’s FNB Welwitschias in the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek on Friday night.

The Golden Lions, last year’s beaten finalists, opened their 2015 campaign with a convincing win over the Namibians who are returning to the Vodacom Cup, in a bid to prepare their locally based club players to a higher level of competition ahead of the World Cup starting in September.

Scorers:

FNB Welwitschias:

• Penalty goals: Johann Tromp (1)

Xerox Golden Lions:

• Tries: Ruaan Lerm (3), Stephan de Wit (1), Bobby de Wee (1), Damian Engledoe (1), Alwyn Hollenbach (2)
• Conversions: Ashlon Davids (3), Damian Engledoe (2)
• Penalty goals: Ashlon Davids (1)

Steval Pumas (36) 57 / 18 (6) Down Touch Griffons:

The Steval Pumas opened their 2015 Vodacom Cup campaign with an emphatic win of 57 / 18 over the Down Touch Griffons in the Mbombela Stadium on Friday evening.

The hosts ran in no less than 8 tries on the day, with flanker Brian Shabangu bagging 2 five-pointers for the Pumas and flyhalf JC Roos contributing an impressive 20 points in his side’s victory.

Scorers:

Steval Pumas:

• Tries: Bernardo Botha (1), Wilmaure Louw (1), Stefan Watermeyer (1), JC Roos (1), Brian Shabangu (2), Marchello Sampson (1), Marnus Schoeman (1)
• Conversions: JC Roos (6), Justin van Staden (1)
• Penalty goals: JC Roos (1)

Down Touch Griffons:

• Tries: Vuyo Mboto (1), Johan van der Hoogt (1)
• Conversions: Wynand Pienaar (1)
• Penalty goals: Louis Strydom (2)

Leopards XV (17) 22 / 9 (9) Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls:

The Leopards XV have recorded their 1st victory in this year’s Vodacom Cup competition by beating the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls by 22 / 9 in their encounter at Profert Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Saturday afternoon.

The Leopards ran in 4 tries for the bonus point, while the Limpopo-based side could only manage 3 penalties, but they are nowhere near the whipping boys they were in the past.

Scorers:

Leopards XV:

• Tries: Alvino Montjies (1), Stephan Bezuidenhout (1), Jacobus Hayward (1), Sergio Torrens (1)
• Conversions: Warren Gilbert (1)

Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls:

• Penalty goals: Anton Beswick (3)