THE only consistency in this weekend's four Absa Currie Cup Premier Division rugby matches came from Western Province with their win over the Sharks in Durban. In all three other matches the first-round results were not only reversed but done so in emphatic fashion.
THE only consistency in this weekend's four Absa Currie Cup Premier Division rugby matches came from Western Province with their win over the Sharks in Durban. In all three other matches the first-round results were not only reversed but done so in emphatic fashion.
WP's away win in Durban showed that they really have aspirations this season.
They have now leap-frogged the Sharks to become log leaders, but victories by Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, and the losses of Griquas and Blue Bulls have made the run-in to the semi-finals a six-horse race.
WP added to their win in the first round at Newlands and there can be few who would dispute the merit of their 21-9 win, though it really wasn't a match that should be used as an example how to play the game.
The Lions, who had a healthy lead at Loftus nearly two months ago only to see the Blue Bulls turn that around, this time did virtually everything right. They won 20-13, but the Bulls will admit that they were lucky to get 10 of their 13 points in the last two minutes to at least salvage a bonus point from their scrappy display. It was a comprehensive Lions victory.
And in Kimberley Free State Cheetahs not only took revenge for their unexpected loss to Griquas in the first round, but with their 58-13 win showed that they are still very much alive in the competition. In the process, they must have shaken Griquas' already brittle confidence, which now reads as a record of five won and three lost, with the losses on successive weekends.
On Friday night bottom of the log Leopards became better as the night wore on and gave the second-last team,Boland Cavaliers, a 50-16 hiding in Kimberley after leading only 17-9 at half-time.
Weekend Results: Sharks 9, Western Province 21. Scorers: Sharks - Penalties: Rory Kockott (2); Drop goal: Juan Hernandez.
Western Province: - Tries: Tonderai Chavhanga, Chris Jack; Conversion: Joe Pietersen; Penalties: Pietersen (2); Drop Goal: Pietersen.
Lions 20, Blue Bulls 13. Scorers: Lions - Tries: Alwyn Hollenbach, Jano Vermaak; Conversions: Herkie Kruger (2); Penalties: Kruger (2).
Blue Bulls - Try: Jaco Pretorius; Conversion: Burton Francis; Penalties: Francis, Brummer.
Free State Cheetahs 58, Griquas 13. Scorers: Griquas - Tries: Bjorn Basson, Rohan Kitshoff; Penalty: Riaan Viljoen.
Free State Cheetahs - Tries: Jongi Nokwe (3), WP Nel, Nico Breedt, Frans Viljoen (2); Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (6), Louis Strydom; Penalties: Potgieter (3).
Leopards 50, Boland Cavaliers 16. Scorers: Leopards - Tries: Shuaib Samaai (2), Christo van Niekerk (2), Michael Bondesio, Cecil Dumond; Conversions: Dumond (4); Penalties: Dumond (3); Drop goal: Dumond. -Sapa
WP leap-frog Sharks to top of the log
THE only consistency in this weekend's four Absa Currie Cup Premier Division rugby matches came from Western Province with their win over the Sharks in Durban. In all three other matches the first-round results were not only reversed but done so in emphatic fashion.
THE only consistency in this weekend's four Absa Currie Cup Premier Division rugby matches came from Western Province with their win over the Sharks in Durban. In all three other matches the first-round results were not only reversed but done so in emphatic fashion.
WP's away win in Durban showed that they really have aspirations this season.
They have now leap-frogged the Sharks to become log leaders, but victories by Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, and the losses of Griquas and Blue Bulls have made the run-in to the semi-finals a six-horse race.
WP added to their win in the first round at Newlands and there can be few who would dispute the merit of their 21-9 win, though it really wasn't a match that should be used as an example how to play the game.
The Lions, who had a healthy lead at Loftus nearly two months ago only to see the Blue Bulls turn that around, this time did virtually everything right. They won 20-13, but the Bulls will admit that they were lucky to get 10 of their 13 points in the last two minutes to at least salvage a bonus point from their scrappy display. It was a comprehensive Lions victory.
And in Kimberley Free State Cheetahs not only took revenge for their unexpected loss to Griquas in the first round, but with their 58-13 win showed that they are still very much alive in the competition. In the process, they must have shaken Griquas' already brittle confidence, which now reads as a record of five won and three lost, with the losses on successive weekends.
On Friday night bottom of the log Leopards became better as the night wore on and gave the second-last team,Boland Cavaliers, a 50-16 hiding in Kimberley after leading only 17-9 at half-time.
Weekend Results: Sharks 9, Western Province 21. Scorers: Sharks - Penalties: Rory Kockott (2); Drop goal: Juan Hernandez.
Western Province: - Tries: Tonderai Chavhanga, Chris Jack; Conversion: Joe Pietersen; Penalties: Pietersen (2); Drop Goal: Pietersen.
Lions 20, Blue Bulls 13. Scorers: Lions - Tries: Alwyn Hollenbach, Jano Vermaak; Conversions: Herkie Kruger (2); Penalties: Kruger (2).
Blue Bulls - Try: Jaco Pretorius; Conversion: Burton Francis; Penalties: Francis, Brummer.
Free State Cheetahs 58, Griquas 13. Scorers: Griquas - Tries: Bjorn Basson, Rohan Kitshoff; Penalty: Riaan Viljoen.
Free State Cheetahs - Tries: Jongi Nokwe (3), WP Nel, Nico Breedt, Frans Viljoen (2); Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (6), Louis Strydom; Penalties: Potgieter (3).
Leopards 50, Boland Cavaliers 16. Scorers: Leopards - Tries: Shuaib Samaai (2), Christo van Niekerk (2), Michael Bondesio, Cecil Dumond; Conversions: Dumond (4); Penalties: Dumond (3); Drop goal: Dumond. -Sapa
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