DHL Western Province scored eight tries on their way to a 52-24 victory against Border in an entertaining SuperSport Rugby Challenge clash at False Bay RFC on Saturday.

The bonus-point win sees DHL Western Province maintain their unbeaten record in the competition this year in their title defence, having won every game last year.

Conditions were cloudy and cold, but the rain stayed away in Constantia, which allowed for an open game between two teams intent on attack.

DHL Western Province took the game to the opposition from the outset, sending the ball wide with wing Duncan Saal finishing in the corner for the first try.

Border hit back against the run of play, with an intercept deep in their own territory from centre Ntleki seeing them take a 7-5 lead.

The seesaw battle continued as DHL Western Province held on to the ball and reclaimed the lead with a sweeping movement which saw great interplay between forwards and backs, eventually resulting in No.8 Jaco Coetzee going over for their second try.

The visitors were back in front shortly afterwards as hooker Mpafi forced his way over from close range, but DHL Western Province had the final say in the first half, with centre Daniel du Plessis gliding over for a try which put them 17-12 up at the break.

DHL Western Province secured the bonus point shortly after half-time as scrumhalf Justin Phillips spun in the tackle to score, after a huge scrum from the forwards.

Border responded with a try from loose forward Dubase, but DHL Western Province took their lead out to 31-19 as some great interplay between fullback Craig Barry and Coetzee saw the No.8 score his second try.

The floodgates had opened by that stage and a fantastic team try which was sparked on their own 22 ended with replacement Cornel Smit diving over, before Saal grabbed a second try.

Border reponded with a fourth try to secure a deserved bonus point themselves, but they could not prevent DHL Western Province from bringing up their half-century as replacement scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies combined with Barry for a runaway try to seal a convincing win in the end.

The scorers:

For DHL WP:
Tries: Saal 2, Coetzee 2, Du Plessis, Phillips, Smit, Jantjies
Cons: Leyds 5, Swanepoel

For Border:
Tries: Ntleki 2, Mpafi, Dubase
Con: Manentsa

DHL Western Province: 15 Craig Barry, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Dan Kriel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Tristan Leyds, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Jaco Coetzee, 7 Chris Massyn, 6 Luke Stringer (captain), 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Michael Kumbirai, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Johan du Toit, 20 Herschel Jantjies, 21 Tiaan Swanepoel, 22 Cornel Smit.