DHL Western Province retained their unbeaten run in the 2013 Absa Currie Cup tournament with a gutsy 20-19 victory over GWK Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.
Western Province made over 100 tackles in the match, yet they also scored the only two tries of the game – both wonderful individual efforts, the first by captain courageous Deon Fourie and the second from Springbok centre Juan de Jongh.
Fourie’s try could easily end up being one of the tries of the season, the flanker reacting well from a steal from teammate Juan de Jongh before racing almost the full length of the field and finishing in the corner like a seasoned winger.
Flyhalf Kurt Coleman kicked the incredibly tough conversion to put WP ahead by 7-0 after six minutes and Griquas were able to reply with a penalty goal by Nico Scheepers some nine minutes later.
Scheepers’ three-pointer was all that the home side had to show for their first-half efforts, with Coleman adding a three-pointer of his own shortly before half-time to put the visitors ahead by 10-3 at the break.
Scheepers opened the scoring in the second half with a 45th-minute penalty, with Coleman replying with a three-pointer eight minutes later.
Another Scheepers penalty goal made it 13-9 to WP and then the visitors looked to have secured the win in the 60th minute when starlet Cheslin Kolbe sped away from the defence following a smart kick-ahead by inside centre Damian de Allende.
The try, however, was disallowed due to an alleged dangerous tackle from Juan de Jongh, but the WP centre made up for that indiscretion when he dotted down in the 65th minute. Replacement hooker Tiaan Liebenberg made a crucial steal in the tackle, before flank Rynhardt Elstadt hacked the ball ahead from well inside his own half. De Jongh, back in the team from the Bok squad, chased smartly – and swiftly! – and controlled the bouncing ball for a valuable five-pointer.
Coleman converted to put WP ahead by 20-9 and not even a late penalty and converted try from the home side could spoil the WP party, as the defending champions remain unbeaten in the 2013 Absa Currie Cup with their second win, to go with a draw in Week One, of the season.
“We’re happy with the result, but not happy with how we played,” said DHL WP captain Deon Fourie afterwards.
“Our lack of discipline kept them in the game, but next week is another opportunity for us to rectify our errors.”
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Try: Vermeulen
Con: Gerber
Pens: Scheepers 4
For DHL Western Province:
Tries: Fourie, De Jongh
Cons: Coleman 2
Pens: Coleman 2
The teams:
Griquas: 15 PJ Vermeulen, 14 Nico Scheepers, 13 JP Nel, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Hilton Lobberts, 6 Carel Greeff, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Jonathan Adendorf, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Ryno Barnes (captain), 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Matt Dobson, 17 Brummer Badenhorst, 18 RJ Liebenberg, 19 Burger Schoeman, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Du Randt Gerber, 22 Richard Lawson.
DHL Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Gerbrandt Grobler, 19 Rohan Kitshoff, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Tim Swiel, 22 Ryan Nell.
Referee: Sindile Mayende
