A late try from hooker Andre-Hugo Venter saw DHL Western Province claim a 35-13 bonus-point win against the Sigma Lions at Newlands on Wednesday.
The four-try performance in their last home game of the regular season saw them move up to third place on the Carling Currie Cup standings ahead of away games in Kimberley and Durban before the play-offs.
The home side started with real intent and opened the scoring with a Tim Swiel penalty, although the visitrs were level soon afterwards with a penalty of their own.
Flank set up the opening try, having made a break into the 22 and putting Johan du Toit in space before he found scrumhalf Godlen Masimla in support to score.
The Sigma Lions were level again when they got over for a try of their own from fullback EW Viljoen.
The teams traded penalties once more to make it 13-13, before Swiel kicked his third penalty, which saw DHL Western Province go into the half-time break with a 16-13 lead.
DHL Western Province extended that lead early in the second half, with Evan Roos powering over to cap a good attacking sequence.
Roos made it two tries on the night with 15 minutes left, after a series of powerful mauls put him in perfect position to storm over from close range.
That gave them a 17-point lead heading into the final stages, but they were reduced to 14 men soon afterwards when prop Neethling Fouche was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.
However, that did not stop them from getting the bonus-point try with the last movement of the match as hooker Andre-Hugo Venter went over from a maul to secure the five log points.
The scorers:
For DHL WP:
Tries: Masimla, Roos 2, Venter
Cons: Swiel 3
Pens: Swiel 3
For Sigma Lions:
Try: Viljoen
Con: Hendrikse
Pen: Hendrikse
DHL Western Province: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Dian Bleuler.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Nama Xaba, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Cornel Smit, 23 Tristan Leyds.
Sigma Lions: EW Viljoen; Stean Pienaar, Wandisile Simelane, Burger Odendaal (captain), Rabz Maxwane; Jordan Hendrikse, Andre Warner; Travis Gordon, Sibusiso Sangweni, MJ Pelser, Ruben Schoeman, PJ Steenkamp, Chergin Fillies, Jaco Visagie, Nathan McBeth.
Replacements: Morne Brandon, Sti Sithole, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Emmanuel Tshituka, Mandisi Mthiyane, Ross Cronje, Dan Kriel, Manuel Rass
