Currie Cup wrap

Golden Lions 41 (20) Griquas 25 (6)

After a total of nine tries and three yellow cards in 80 minutes, the Golden Lions remained at the top of the Absa Currie Cup pile thanks to a 41-25 victory over Griquas in Johannesburg on Friday evening.

The Golden Lions were not afraid to throw the ball around and used their backline to full effect, in the process causing Griquas grey hair with their all-out attacking play.

Four of the home team’s six tries were scored by their outside backs, with winger Deon van Rensburg bagging a brace, while his fellow wing Michael Killian and Jaco Taute (fullback) also crossed Griquas’ try-line.

Earl Rose, a former Lion, now playing for Griquas, was yellow carded in the first half. The home team’s Taute and Doppies la Grange spent time in the sin bin in the second half.

Scorers:

Golden Lions – Tries: Deon van Rensburg (2), Pat Cilliers, Michael Killian, Alwyn Hollenbach, Jaco Taute. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (4). Penalty: Jantjies.

Griquas – Tries: Jonathan Mokuena, Ryno Barnes, Earl Rose. Conversions: Rudi Vogt (2). Penalties: Vogt (2).

Sharks 33 (14) Pumas 20 (17)

For an hour at Kings Park on Saturday, The Sharks were made to sweat by the Pumas, but two late tries by replacement flanker Jacques Botes helped the home team clinch a 33-20 victory.

Botes, a former Puma and one of the more experienced players in the Sharks team, replaced Marcell Coetzee midway through the second half. He made an immediate impact with his first try a mere five minutes after appearing on the field.

The visitors led at the break (17-14) and extended their lead early in the second half when flyhalf Coenie van Wyk, who scored both their tries, added another penalty goal to their tally.

After that penalty and trailing 14-20, The Sharks knuckled down as they scored three tries in the final half hour of the match. The victory on the score board, however, looked far more comfortable than on the field.

All five The Sharks’ tries were scored by forwards, while Van Wyk contributed 17 of the Ford Pumas’ 20 points.

In the end the Mpumalangans were left to rue a number of instances of bad discipline and lapses on defence as they continued their winless season with yet another solid performance against a much more fancied team.

Scorers:

Sharks – Tries: Craig Burden, Jean Deysel, Anton Bresler, Jacques Botes (2). Conversions: Fred Michalak (4).

Pumas – Tries: Coenie van Wyk (2). Conversions: Van Wyk (2). Penalties: Tiaan Marx, Van Wyk.

Western Province 49 (16) Leopards 21 (14)

For 20 minutes the Leopards make life difficult for Western, before the home team cut loose to comfortably win this encounter by 49-21.

The visitors scored two tries in the opening 20 minutes, by scrumhalf Whestley Moolman and centre Joubert Engelbrecht, to lead by 14-3. But WP kept their composure and answered with a converted try by Tertius Daniller and three penalty goals by Isma-eel Dollie to lead 16-14 at the break.

The home team recovered from their slow start and dominated the second half, scoring a further five tries to win easily in the end.

Scorers:

Western Province – Tries: Tertius Daniller, Nick Fenton-Wells, Danie Poolman, Nick Groom, Brok Harris, Siya Kolisi. Conversions: Isma-eel Dollie (3), Dewaldt Duvenage (2). Penalties: Dollie (3).

Leopards – Tries: Whestley Moolman, Joubert Engelbrecht, Hoffman Maritz. Conversions: Clayton Durand (2), Wesley Dunlop.

Free State 22 (12) Blue Bulls 22 (9)

Ten points in the final five minutes, including a long range penalty goal, helped the Blue Bulls to a 22-22 draw in their against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

With five minutes to go in this entertaining encounter, the Free Staters were leading by 22-12, thanks to a superb kicking performance by their SA U20 flyhalf Johan Goosen and a try by the former Bulls lock Wilhelm Steenkamp.

But then Goosen’s SA U20 team mate Francois Venter scored the Blue Bulls’ only try before flyhalf Louis Fouché, who is still U21, added the conversion and a penalty goal of over 50m on the angle after the hooter had sounded to draw the game for the team from Pretoria.

The Cheetahs looked sharp on the attack but the Voacom Blue Bulls defended well. The visitors also played some enterprising rugby at stages, but were their own worst enemies with bad discipline and handling costing them valuable points.

Of 44 points scored in this absorbing game, 39 were scored by players that are still Under-21 – Fouché, Goosen and Venter. This included a penalty goal of more than 60m by the impressive Goosen in the first half.

Scorers:

FS Cheetahs – Try: Wilhelm Steenkamp. Conversion: Johan Goosen. Penalties: Goosen (5).

Blue Bulls – Try: Francois Venter. Conversion: Louis Fouché. Penalties: Fouché (5).

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Log

Absa Currie Cup First Division

Border 19 (16) SWD 16 (9)

Border – Try: Ntabeni Dukisa. Conversion: Dukisa. Penalties: Dukisa (3). Drop-goal: Dale Sabbagh.
SWD – Try: Martin Ferreira. Conversion: Elric van Vuuren. Penalties: Van Vuuren (3).

Valke 28 (14) Boland 55 (21)

Valke – Tries: Warren Perkins, Juan Kotze, Anrich Richter, Chris-Erich Ehlers. Conversions: Kotze (4).
Boland – Tries: Danwel Demas, Cornal Hendricks (2), Willie le Roux (2), Alwyn Bester, Ligtoring Landman. Conversions: Elgar Watts (4). Penalties: Watts (4).

Griffons 19 (16) EP Kings 21 (11)

Griffons – Try: Willie Britz. Conversion: Tiaan van Wyk. Penalties: Van Wyk (3). Drop goal: Van Wyk.
EP Kings – Tries: Marcello Sampson, Joe Breytenbach. Conversion: Louis Strydom. Penalties: Strydom (3).

Absa Currie Cup First Division Log