DHL Western Province broke an 11-year drought on Saturday, their 25-18 win over the Sharks in Durban seeing them crowned as 2012 Absa Currie Cup champions.

The visitors produced an incredibly passionate and wise performance to edge out their opponents by one try to zero, with flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis slotting a handy 17 points on the night too

Centre Juan de Jongh danced through for a first-half try as DHL WP led 16-12 at half-time and they held on to record a famous Currie Cup victory and first since 2001, when, ironically, they beat the Sharks in Cape Town

Under the captaincy of all-action flanker Deon Fourie tonight, this young Western Province side – with an average age of just 23 in the matchday squad – wrote themselves into the history books away from home

Fourie – the official Absa Currie Cup Man of the Match – said afterwards: “Thanks to Keegan and their team, they showed their class the whole year

“Thanks to everyone in the coaching staff, everyone played their part, thanks to our family and friends, girlfriends and wives and thanks to my team – a true bunch of fighters

“

The scorers:

For the Sharks:

Pens: Lambie 6

For DHL Western Province:
Try: De Jongh
Con: Catrakilis
Pens: Catrakilis 3, Pietersen
DG: Catrakilis 2