DHL Western Province, the defending Absa Currie Cup champions, suffered a first tournament defeat of the 2015 season when they went down 29-47 to the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday night.
The visitors led 16-15 after a busy first half, but a costly yellow card to Dillyn Leyds inside the final quarter of the match cost DHL Western Province dearly – the Bulls scoring 12 unanswered points during his 10-minute spell in the naughty chair.
Leyds had earlier scored a brilliant intercept try to put his team up by 23-15 in the 46th minute, a Demetri Catrakilis penalty then extending the lead to 26-15 shortly before the 50-minute mark.
The Bulls scored straight from the restart, via inside centre Burger Odendaal, but Catrakilis again added three points to make it 29-22 – only for the Bulls to hit back straightaway from another restart, left-wing Jamba Ulengo crossing for a try.
The hosts then took the lead for the first time since the first half when left-wing Travis Ismaiel scored down the right-hand flank, but worse was to follow when Leyds was pinged for taking the man out in the air at the very next restart.
The Bulls targetted his vacant wing and scored two quick tries, through Ulengo and fullback Warrick Gelant – scores which knocked the stuffing out of DHL Western Province, who, being a man down, also had to chase the game at 29-41 down.
Province were not able to get the necessary rhythm into their game in the final ten minutes, despite being back to the full compliment of 15 players – but there is no doubt that the coaching staff will head back to the drawing board after this defeat, determined to hit back against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next Friday night.
The scorers:
For the Vodacom Blue Bulls:
Tries: Odendaal, Ulengo 2, Ismaiel, Gelant
Cons: Schoeman 2
Pens: Schoeman 6
For DHL Western Province:
Tries: Senatla, Leyds
Cons: Catrakilis 2
Pens: Catrakilis 5
The teams:
Blue Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Roelof Smit, 6 Lappies Labuschagne (captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 18 RG Snyman, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Ivan van Zyl, 21 Louis Fouché, 22 Dan Kriel.
DHL Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom (vice-captain), 8 Nizaam Carr (captain), 7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 Chris van Zyl, 19 Chris Cloete, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Huw Jones.
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Jaco Pretorius, Ricus van der Hoven
TMO: Willie Vos
