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DHL WP book top-of-the-log finish

PUBLISHED: October 4, 2014


DHL Western Province will finish in first position on the 2014 Absa Currie Cup log, after their pulsating 34-29 win over a spirited Free State Cheetahs outfit in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The 2012 Absa Currie Cup champions also topped the log last season but they will be looking to go one better in 2014 after again securing home-ground advantage ahead of the play-offs – only this time with a game in hand.

DHL WP went into today’s match with a number of injury disruptions, losing locks Jean Kleyn (AC Joint) and Ruan Botha (ankle) and fullback Cheslin Kolbe (back) after last weekend’s bruising encounter in Nelspruit.

However, the team – so ably led by captain Juan de Jongh (who scored two tries and set up the match-winning scored) – showed tremendous guts to seal the victory two minutes before full-time, the visitors having led by 24-14 at half-time.

The Cheetahs took an early 7-0 lead, before Absa Man of the Match De Jongh’s first try in the 17th minute levelled things at 7-7 after 18 minutes.

Joubert Engelbrecht hit back with the Cheetahs’ second try six minutes later but scores by Scarra Ntubeni (31st minute) and De Jongh (on the stroke of half-time), saw the visitors into a handy lead at the break.

The Cheetahs made things tough in the second half for DHL Western Province, as they rattled up two more tries, but the boot of Demetri Catrakilis (two penalty goals) and the WP defence, with De Jongh making one clear try-saving tackle, saw the visitors trail by just 27-29 as the Free State Stadium clock wound down.

Free State made one final dash down the short-side where they conceded a turnover and captain De Jongh did well to win the ball and his well-timed kick-ahead was brilliantly chased by Kobus van Wyk who evaded the cross-cover and dotted down under the uprights to secure the win.

“It was a tight tussle and a very tight game between two very good sides,” said DHL WP captain De Jongh afterwards.

“In the end we got the result with a bonus point so I am a very happy man. We still have the Sharks next weekend and for that game it was important that we keep building momentum.”

It was DHL WP’s eighth win of the season as they sealed a first-place finish on the log for the second successive season.

Province will face the Sharks at DHL Newlands next weekend, with the result having no bearing on who they will face in the semifinals on October 11, with one of the Blue Bulls, the Cheetahs and the Pumas vying for fourth place on the log.

The scorers:

For the Free State Cheetahs
Tries: W du Plessis, Engelbrecht, F Venter, Labuschagne
Cons: W du Plessis 3
Pen: W du Plessis

For DHL Western Province:
Tries: De Jongh 2, Ntubeni, Van Wyk
Cons: Catrakilis 3, Coleman
Pens: Catrakilis 2

The teams:

Toyota Free State Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 JP du Plessis, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Willie du Plessis, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Lappies Labuschagné, 7 Neil Claassen, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Werner Lourens, 3 George Marich, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Henco Venter, 19 Vincent Jobo, 20 Shaun Venter, 21 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 22 AJ Coertzen.

DHL Western Province: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Pat Howard, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Oli Kebble, 19 Jurie van Vuuren, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Michael van der Spuy.

Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Rodney Bonaparte
Television Match Official: Johan Greeff