ABSA Currie Cup pacesetters the Xerox Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls continued with their unbeaten run over the weekend, while 2014 winners DHL Western Province returned to winning ways after suffering 2 losses in a row.
The Xerox Golden Lions are top of the Premier Division Log standings thanks to a 37 / 21 win over the embattled Eastern Province Kings.
Despite racing into a 19 / 0 lead very early on, the EP Kings rallied back with a spirited performance and the Golden Lions could only seal their success with a late surge on Saturday evening in Johannesburg.
Thanks to their bonus-point win at home, the Golden Lions now Top the log with 25 Log points, 1 more than the Vodacom Blue Bulls, who triumphed 24 / 17 over a resilient Toyota Free State Cheetahs on a cold and wet Friday evening in Pretoria.
Western Province turned on the style in the 2nd half to score a much needed bonus-point 33 / 15 victory over the ORC Griquas at DHL Newlands on Saturday after suffering 2 consecutive defeats. The Cape side have 15 points and remains in 3rd spot.
At Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban, the Cell C Sharks held off a tremendous effort from the Steval Pumas to make it 2 wins in a row thanks to their close-fought 27 / 26 win over the visitors. The Sharks are 4th on the Log and just 2 points behind DHL WP.
Xerox Golden Lions (27) 37 / 21 (14) Eastern Province Kings:
Playing at home in the late Saturday fixture, the lively Xerox Golden Lions stamped their authority on proceedings from the outset. A Penalty Try was followed by flanker Kwagga Smith’s 4th of the season and then another 5 pointer through centre Stokkies Hanekom gave them a 19 / 0 lead.
The EP Kings bounced back with tries from right wing Siyanda Grey and No 8 Paul Schoeman, who scored from a lineout drive. Minutes later, however, flank Stephan de Wit was on hand to take a pop pass from Lions captain, Howard Mnisi, for his side’s bonus point try on the half hour.
After halftime the EP Kings struck 1st when Schoeman scored his 2nd try from a driving maul. It then took the Golden Lions all of 30 minutes to score again – a penalty by replacement flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff. Right wing Ruan Combrinck scored their 5th try after the siren.
Scorers:
Xerox Golden Lions:
- Tries: Penalty Try (1), Kwagga Smith (1), Stokkies Hanekom (1), Stephan de Wit (1), Ruan Combrinck (1)
- Conversions: Jaco van der Walt (2), Marnitz Boshoff (1)
- Penalties: Jaco van der Walt (1), Marnitz Boshoff (1)
Eastern Province Kings:
- Tries: Siyanda Grey (1), Paul Schoeman (2)
- Conversions: Karlo Aspeling (3)
DHL Western Province (13) 33 / 15 (9) ORC Griquas:
Griquas suffered 2 Yellow Cards, 1 in each half, and Province took full advantage. Livewire No 8, Carel Greeff, was sin-binned midway through the 1st half for a dangerous high tackle on his counterpart, Nizaam Carr, who had to leave the field some minutes later.
Province defended aggressively and Griquas could only land 5 penalties via the boot of centre Clinton Swart. WP scored 4 tries through Nic Groom (scrumhalf), Rynhardt Elstadt (flank), Jaco Taute (centre) and Robert du Preez (replacement flyhalf). Flyhalf Kurt Coleman kicked 2 conversions and 3 penalties.
Coach John Dobson will be grateful for the full-house of points after suffering 2 defeats on the road to the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Vodacom Blue Bulls. The win moves the Capetonians into 3rd on the Log, with 15 points from 5 games while the ORC Griquas are still seeking their 1st Premier Division victory in 2015.
Scorers:
DHL Western Province:
- Tries: Nic Groom (1), Rynhardt Elstadt (1), Jaco Taute (1), Robert du Preez (1)
- Conversions: Kurt Coleman (2)
- Penalties: Kurt Coleman (3)
ORC Griquas:
- Penalties: Clinton Swart (5)
Cell C Sharks (10) 27 / 26 (13) Steval Pumas:
Winger Wandile Mjekevu played a key role in the Cell C Sharks’ narrow 27 / 26 victory over the Steval Pumas at Growthpoint Kings Park on Saturday afternoon in Durban. He scored 2 tries forced a penalty late in the game to help swing the result in the Sharks’ favour.
A clever break by Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach led to the 1st try of Mjekevu, with fullback Joe Pietersen converting. The Pumas levelled matters when lock Marius Coetzer crashed over for a converted try. That gave the Pumas good momentum and JC Roos put his side in front shortly thereafter as he kicked a penalty as a result of a Yellow Card to Reinach.
The 2nd half did not start well for the Pumas as hooker Jacques Momberg received a Yellow Card for a professional foul. The Cell C Sharks took advantage and centre Paul Jordaan burst over for his converted try, followed by a 2nd Mjekevu try.
Mjekevu then forced a penalty near the end that led to Pietersen kicking the winning goal. The Pumas came within striking distance in the dying minutes, but Van Staden missed a crucial kick at posts.
Scorers:
Cell C Sharks:
- Tries: Wandile Mjekevu (2), Paul Jordaan (1)
- Conversions: Joe Pietersen (3)
- Penalties: Joe Pietersen (2)
Steval Pumas:
- Tries: Marius Coetzer (1), JW Bell (1)
- Conversions: JC Roos (2)
- Penalties: JC Roos (1), Justin van Staden (2)
Vodacom Blue Bulls (11) 24 / 17 (7) Toyota Free State Cheetahs:
The inclement weather did not stop the 2 teams from trying an expansive game. The Toyota Free State Cheetahs had the upper hand in the 1st half as they had the majority of the possession. The decision by the Blue Bulls to include Springbok Marcel van der Merwe and debutant Pierre Schoeman in the front row paid dividends as their scrum held up well.
The teams scored a try on either side of the halftime break with the Blue Bulls going over 1st through centre Burger Odendaal. The visitors replied when centre Ryno Benjamin broke through to score. The scoreboard was only troubled again in the 66th minute when replacement flyhalf Louis Fouché slotted a penalty goal for the home side.
Centre Dries Swanepoel then scored the Blue Bulls’ 2nd try after a few deft offloads. Free State Cheetahs’ scrumhalf Shaun Venter was denied a try after he knocked on but replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn made no mistake moments later. Fullback Clayton Blommetjies converted to hand the visitors a vital bonus point.
Scorers:
Vodacom Blue Bulls:
- Tries: Burger Odendaal (1), Dries Swanepoel (1)
- Conversions: Louis Fouché (1)
- Penalties: Tian Schoeman (2), Louis Fouché (2)
Toyota Free State Cheetahs:
- Tries: Ryno Benjamin (1), Sias Ebersohn (1)
- Conversions: Fred Zeilinga (1), Clayton Blommetjies (1)
- Penalties: Fred Zeilinga (1)
Well for once I managed to watch all 4 of these games, and in all honesty all I cansay is “what a load of utter crap!”
The Rugby was of a piss poor quality generally, and frankly I’m damn glad I didn’t pay to watch any of the games at the ground.
The Lions showed they can lower their standards to just about anyone’s. They were woefull.
WP struggled to get past a team who haven’t won yet, and in the process leapt into 3rd on the log.
The Sharks were extremely lucky to hold out against the Pumas, and the Bulls were not exactly convincing against the FS Cheetahs.
In short the CC is wide open. Piss poor Rugby, but wide open.
1 @ Scrumdown:
For want of a better explanation, let’s write the whole weekend down to cold and wet weather.
Spectator numbers were worse than the games, if that was possible!
Weekend coming will be a BIGGGG one at Loftus!!
Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions…
Golden Lions should have too much in the front row for the Blue Bulls, both teams are playing very exciting attacking rugby, both teams seem nicely conditioned and fit, both teams missing a few players due to injury.
If I had to project how I see it going down, I recon the Lions will immediately go all out attack and might lead early on, then the Blue Bulls should work their way back into the game…. but it all depends how both sides approach the last 20 minutes, which will determine the eventual outcome.
3 @ grootblousmile:
How were the fixtures arrived at?
I know that there were 2 groups of 4 who played a home & away against each other, but thereafter?
Is it a straight single round against all of the teams from the “other” group, and if so how were the venues “decided”?
It’s all a mystery to me, the ways of SARU.
4 @ Scrumdown:
Hell, fark knows, Mr Kempies!
@ Scrumdown:Straight single round against the other “pool”. But not sure how they worked out the venues. I think the best game so far this year was Bulls vs WP. The Bulls dazzled in that match. The bounce of the ball favoured them and the ball seemed to stick, and the Bulls option taking was great.
The Lions seem to be able to pull out a good minute or two at a time to score their tries, but 10-20 minutes interspersed throughout a match is not good enough.
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