DHL Western Province scored six unanswered tries in their 39-3 bonus point win against Xerox Golden Lions at DHL Newlands on Friday.
It was the third consecutive home victory of the season for coach John Dobson’s team, backing up from their win against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at DHL Newlands last week.
The opening exchanges were intense as the visitors threw everything at the DHL Western Province defence but the hosts managed to absorb the pressure and would be first to score as a charge-down from Huw Jones turned into a spectacular catch which saw the centre go over for the opening try.
The Xerox Golden Lions got on the scoreboard with a penalty from flyhalf Jaco van der Walt, but DHL Western Province hit back with another try as a quick counter-attack saw flank Cobus Wiese stretch to score in the corner on his debut.
That was followed up by a penalty from flyhalf Damian Willemse, with the third try coming just before half-time as Dillyn Leyds made an electrifying break from the restart and got the ball away to Jones who raced over to make it 22-3 at the break.
The visitors had been reduced to 14 men at the end of the first half through a yellow card to wing Antony Volminck for a dangerous tackle on Leyds and DHL Western Province took full advantage with two quick tries at the start of the second half.
Seabelo Senatla got on the end of a perfectly weighted grubber from EW Viljoen to score the first and scrumhalf Jano Vermaak was on hand to round off a counter-attack down the left wing which also featured Nizaam Carr and Dan Kriel.
The visitors threw everything at DHL Western Province in a desperate attempt to get over the tryline, but it was not to be as the defence held firm time and again.
The hosts finished on a high with a second try from Senatla which sealed the emphatic victory.
The scorers:
For DHL Western Province:
Tries: Jones 2, Wiese, Senatla 2, Vermaak
Cons: Marais, Willemse 2
Pen: Willemse
For Xerox Golden Lions:
Pen: Van der Walt
DHL Western Province: 15 SP Marais, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese (DHL Western Province debut), 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 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 Ruben de Villiers, 20 Steph de Wit, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Dan Kriel.
Xerox Golden Lions: 15 Sylvian Mahuza, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Harold Vorster, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Antony Volmink, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Marco Janse van Vuuren, 8 Fabian Booysen, 7 Robert Kruger, 6 Cyle Brink, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Jacques van Rooyen (captain), 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Michael Willemse, 17 Johannes Jonker, 18 Rhyno Herbst, 19 Hacjivah Dayimani, 20 Jack Hart, 21 Siya Masuku, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi.
