DHL Western Province made sure of a semifinal place in the 2012 Absa Currie Cup, with a 36-15 bonus-point clinching win over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at DHL Newlands.
The home secured third place on the Currie Cup log, which will see them travel to Johannesburg next weekend for a semifinal meeting with the defending champion MTN Golden Lions who ended second, behind the Sharks, on the final standings.
It was vintage stuff from the home side in this virtual quarterfinal match which was played in front of a near-15,000 crowd at DHL Newlands, with the Men in Blue & White hoops racking up five tries to two.
Whilst the DHL WP attack was on fire – spearheaded by returning Springbok skipper Jean de Villiers – their defence was miserly and discipline superb, allowing the visitors just two penalty shots at goal.
Winger Nico Scheepers landed one of his two kicks – in the 20th minute – as WP kept them scoreless right up until the 77th minute and 80th minutes.
DHL WP secured the four-try bonus point in the 50th minute, when flanker Deon Fourie ran in almost unopposed under the uprights, putting the cherry on top of a satisfying performance.
Fourie ended up with two tries on the night, adding to scores by returning Springboks, De Villiers, Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen.
Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis had a good evening with the boot, meanwhile, slotting four conversions and a penalty for WP as they qualified for a fourth Currie Cup semifinal in succession, the DHL Stormers having won the South African Conference title in the Vodacom Super Rugby tournament earlier this year and WP also winning the Vodacom Cup title in May.
The scorers:
For DHL Western Province:
Tries: De Villiers, Bekker, Fourie 2, Vermeulen
Cons: Catrakilis 4
Pen: Catrakilis
For the Toyota Free State Cheetahs:
Tries: Uys, Snyman
Con: De Bruyn
Pen: Scheepers