DHL Western Province recorded a hard-fought 37-23 Absa Currie Cup, Round Eight win over the Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday night.
The log-leading DHL WP team scored four tries in the process – their fifth bonus-point win of 2014 – but they found themselves up against a very determined home side who launched a spirited second-half fightback.
Province led by 20-6 at half-time – thanks to first-half tries by loose forwards Nizaam Carr and Sikhumbuzo Notshe – with an early second-half score by Michael van der Spuy (who came on for Cheslin Kolbe at the start of the second half) handing them a 27-6 lead after 45 minutes.
However, the Pumas scored two converted tries in the space of just three minutes – shortly after the 50-minute mark, as Van der Spuy picked up an injury in scoring his try – to close the gap to just 27-20, before kicking ace Demetri Catrakilis added a third penalty goal in the 57th minute to stretch his team’s lead to 30-20.
Replacement Pumas flyhalf Justin van Staden narrowed the gap almost soon after to 30-23, but the hosts continued their all-out attack on Province who, despite the pressure on them, did not allow their opponents to breach their watertight defence.
In the end, that pressure told for WP as they disrupted a Pumas line-out on their own 22. Pat Cilliers carried strongly around the fringes before finding Carr who sped away for his second try of the night and his team’s fourth (and bonus point!) try.
The victory, DHL WP’s seventh of the 2014 Absa Currie Cup, has seen them take a step closer to a second successive home semifinal, as they currently sit on 34 log points from eight games.
Flank Michael Rhodes (for his unrelenting carries and defence), No.8 Nizaam Carr (with ball in hand and two tries) and flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis were the big heroes for DHL WP on the night.
Catrakilis did not miss a single kick at goal, contributing 17 points, whilst he also had a hand in Carr’s first try, with a clever inside pass, and Van der Spuy’s five-pointer, with a great show and go. His kicking out of hand (off both feet and at crucial stages) was, again, excellent.
The scorers:
For the Pumas:
Tries: Watermeyer, Van Rooyen
Cons: Van Staden 2
Pens: Roos 3
For DHL Western Province:
Tries: Carr 2, Notshe, Van der Spuy
Cons: Catrakilis 4
Pens: Catrakilis 3
The teams:
Steval Pumas: 15 John-Wessel Bell, 14 Ruwellyn Isbell, 13 Jacobus Jonker, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Rosko Speckman, 10 JC Roos, 9 Reynier van Rooyen, 8 Renaldo Bothma, 7 Jaco Bouwer, 6 Corne Steenkamp (captain), 5 Giant Mtyanda, 4 Marius Coetzer, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Frankie Herne, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Francois du Toit, 17 DJ Terblanche, 18 Uzair Cassiem, 19 Reginald Kember, 20 Dylon Frylinck, 21 Justin van Staden, 22 Jerome Pretorius.
DHL Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Justin Geduld, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Manuel Carizza, 19 Rohan Kitshoff, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Michael van der Spuy.
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant referees: Christie du Preez, Stefan Breytenbach