A late try from Cell C Sharks fullback Innocent Radebe saw DHL Western Province go down 21-20 at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
The home side looked to have secured a tough win, but it was not to be as it took a touchline conversion five minutes from the end to deny them a fourth straight victory at DHL Newlands.
The visitors were first to strike when they were awarded a penalty try following a driving maul in the opening minutes.
DHL Western Province got on the scoreboard with a penalty from flyhalf Damian Willemse and then took control of the game with two quick tries.
The first was a spectacular team effort which saw then run the ball out of their own 22. Huw Jones chipped over the defence and collected before a string of slick passes up the left saw the inside centre on hand to finish it off.
The next try was a brilliant individual effort as flank Jaco Coetzee broke a number of tackles to score under the poles.
The Cell C Sharks hit back with a second try of their own just before half-time, with hooker Franco Marais scoring to reduce DHL Western Province’s advantage to 17-14 at the break.
DHL Western Province struck first in the second half with a Willemse penalty to take their lead out to 20-14.
The home side were showing incredible heart on defence to keep out waves of Cell C Sharks attacks, but with 10 minutes to go they were down a man when replacement flank Steph de Wit was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements.
The pressure finally told as Radebe scored out wide and the conversion from replacement Rhyno Smith gave the Cell C Sharks a slender victory.
The scorers:
For DHL Western Province:
Tries: Jones, Coetzee
Cons: Willemse 2
Pens: Willemse 2
For Cell C Sharks:
Tries: Penalty try, Marais, Radebe
Cons: Radebe 2, Smith
DHL Western Province: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Ruhan Nel, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (captain), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Michael Kumbirai, 18 Eddie Zandberg, 19 Steph de Wit, 20 Justin Phillips, 21 Rob du Preez, 22 Dan Kriel.
Cell C Sharks: 15 Inny Radebe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Jeremy Ward, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 11 S’bu Nkosi, 10 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Tera Mtembu, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Jean Droste, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Wian Vosloo, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Rhyno Smith, 22 Odwa Ndungane.