DHL Western Province booked their place in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge semifinals with a 26-0 victory against Toyota Free State XV at Green Point Track on Sunday.
It was a convincing performance in slippery conditions from coach John Dobson’s team, to continue their unbeaten run in the competition.
Earlier in the day the crowd had been entertained by a club game between hosts SK Walmers and Belhar RFC, which the home side managed to win 19-13. That was followed by the SuperSport Rugby Challenge quarterfinal between Vodacom Blue Bulls and Cell C Sharks, which the Pretoria side won 23-18.
The DHL Western Province’s defence was immense, as they held the visitors scoreless in a physical encounter.
All of the points in the first half came from the boot of DHL Western Province flyhalf Kurt Coleman, who slotted three penalties to give them a 9-0 advantage at half-time.
Apart from their miserly defence, the DHL Western Province scrum was also particularly impressive, driving their opponents backwards regularly.
There were two tries in the second half, with the pressure eventually telling as DHL Western Province created some space out wide for outside centre Michal Hazner to burst over.
Following a penalty from replacement flyhalf Brandon Thomson, the second try saw wing Bjorn Basson cap a period of extended pressure to ghost through a gap and over the tryline.
The visitors threw everything at DHL Western Province in the final stages as they desperately looked for some consolation, but the commitment and organisation on defence saw that they would end the game without any points, as DHL Western Province claimed their ninth consecutive win.
The scorers:
For DHL WP:
Tries: Hazner, Basson
Cons: Thomson 2
Pens: Coleman 3, Thomson
DHL Western Province: 15 Craig Barry, 14 Marcello Sampson, 13 Michal Hazner, 12 Ruhan Nel, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Jaco Coetzee, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Eital Bredenkamp (captain), 5 Eduard Zandberg, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Michael Kumbirai, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Piet-Louw Strauss, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Luke Stringer, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Brandon Thomson.
Toyota Free State XV: 15 Cecil Africa, 14 JW Jonker (captain), 13 Stephan Janse van Rensburg, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Marco Mason, 10 Ryno Eksteen, 9 Zee Mkhabela, 8 Junior Pokomela, 7 Gerhard Olivier, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Dennis Visser, 4 Sibabalo Qoma, 3 Erich de Jager, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Johan Kotze.
Replacements: 16 Alex Jonker, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Nicolaas Immelman, 19 Ntokoza Vidima, 20 JP Smith, 21 Lihleli Xoli, 22 Luther Obi.
