No fewer than 24 tries were scored in the first four matches of the 2015 Vodacom Cup, with big wins for the Xerox Golden Lions, Steval Pumas, Vodacom Blue Bulls and Leopards XV.
Of course, DHL Western Province open their campaign on March 21 only (v Boland in Caledon) but they were in action this weekend, beating the SWD Eagles by 26-3 in a pre-season friendly at DHL Newlands. (See that report HERE.)
Hino Valke 13 Vodacom Blue Bulls 37
The Vodacom Blue Bulls got their Vodacom Cup campaign off to a great start with a 37-13 win (half-time 17-6) over the Hino Valke at Kempton Park on Friday.
The visitors scored five tries to one, but their errors, lack of execution and creaking scrum cost them a more emphatic win. Still, they will be satisfied with their bonus point, with room for improvement.
Scorers:
Hino Valke: Try: Andrew van Wyk. Conversion: Juan Kotze. Penalty goals: Kotze (2).
Vodacom Blue Bulls: Tries: Travis Ismaiel, Roelof Smit, Warrick Gelant, Marquit September, Arno van Wyk. Conversions: Kobus Marais (3). Penalty goals: Marais (2).
FNB Welwitschias 3 Xerox Golden Lions 53
Xerox Golden Lions No 8 Ruaan Lerm was deservedly named man of the match for his hat-trick of tries during his side’s 53-3 win over Namibia’s FNB Welwitschias in the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek on Friday night.
The Golden Lions, last year’s beaten finalists, opened their 2015 campaign with a convincing win over the Namibians who are returning to the Vodacom Cup in a bid to prepare their locally based club players to a higher level of competition ahead of the World Cup starting in September.
Scorers:
FNB Welwitschias: Penalty goal: Johann Tromp.
Xerox Golden Lions: Tries: Ruaan Lerm (3), Stephan de Wit, Bobby de Wee, Damian Engledoe, Alwyn Hollenbach (2). Conversions: Ashlon Davids (3), Engledoe (2). Penalty goal: Davids.
Steval Pumas 57 Down Touch Griffons 18
The Steval Pumas opened their 2015 Vodacom Cup campaign with an emphatic win of 57-18 over the Down Touch Griffons in the Mbombela Stadium on Friday evening.
The hosts ran in no less than eight tries on the day, with flanker Brian Shabangu bagging two five-pointers for the Pumas and flyhalf JC Roos contributing an impressive 20 points in his side’s victory.
Scorers:
Steval Pumas: Tries: Bernardo Botha, Wilmaure Louw, Stefan Watermeyer, JC Roos, Brian Shabangu (2), Marchello Sampson, Marnus Schoeman. Conversions: Roos (6), Justin van Staden. Penalty goal: Roos.
Down Touch Griffons: Tries: Vuyo Mboto, Johan van der Hoogt. Conversion: Wynand Pienaar. Penalty goals: Louis Strydom (2).
Leopards XV 22 Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls 9
The Leopards XV have recorded their first victory in this year’s Vodacom Cup competition by beating the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls 22-9 in their encounter at Profert Olen Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Leopards ran in four tries for the bonus point, while the Limpopo-based side could manage only three penalties, but they are nowhere near the whipping boys they were in the past.
Scorers:
Leopards XV: Tries: Alvino Montjies, Stephan Bezuidenhout, Jacobus Hayward, Sergio Torrens. Conversion: Warren Gilbert.
Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls: Penalty goals: Anton Beswick (3).