The MTN Golden Lions, the defending Absa Currie Cup champions, claimed a 22-9 win over DHL Western Province at DHL Newlands on Saturday.

The visitors showed great determination to turn a 6-3 half-time lead into a crucial away victory as they regained first place on the 2012 Absa Currie Cup log. WP, meanwhile, remain in third position and still very much in contention for a semifinal.

DHL Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee said afterwards: “It was a very disappointing loss for us – for obvious reasons – but credit must go to the Lions.

“I thought we scrummed really well, probably our biggest positive, but I think the unforced errors were very disappointing.

“We put pressure on ourselves, at times, and that cost us. I don’t want to blame anyone but it was untoward and the players will be disappointed.

“That said, it’s not the end of the world. We still have two games left and we will work hard to bounce back against the Bulls and the Cheetahs.”

Fullback Joe Pietersen kicked one first-half penalty for DHL WP, with flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis adding two three-pointers for the hosts in the second half.

The Lions defence, however, stood firm and when winger Deon Helberg snapped up a loose pass in the 65th minute – and sprinted home for a try – it gave the visitors enough of a lead going into the last ten minutes.

Veteran Lions flyhalf Butch James – who was sin-binned in the 47th minute for a high tackle on Marcel Brache – rubbed salt into WP’s wounds with his fourth penalty in the 71st minute to make it 22-9.

DHL WP pushed hard in those final eight minutes looking for a try, and perhaps a last-gasp win or losing bonus point, but it was not their day in the end at DHL Newlands in front of a crowd of 8,167.

WP will face the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria next Friday (19h10) in their next Absa Currie Cup encounter.

The scorers:

For DHL Western Province:

Pens: Pietersen, Catrakilis 2

For the MTN Golden Lions:

Try: Helberg

Con: James

Pens: James 4, Combrinck