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Narrow opening loss for WP Women

PUBLISHED: April 28, 2014


Defending SARU Women’s Interprovincial champions Border, the Blue Bulls and Eastern Province registered strong starts to the 2014 edition of the competition this weekend as they earned morale-boosting victories to stamp their authority early on.

Border secured a convincing 37-8 win against SWD at Outeniqua Park in George, while the Blue Bulls thumped KwaZulu-Natal 35-7 at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban, and Eastern Province pipped 2013 finalists, DHL Western Province, by 15-12 at the Central Grounds in Uitenhage.

Border had to contend with a competitive SWD outfit in the first half of their clash, as the hosts gave everything and managed to work their way into an 8-7 lead at the break. But the defending champions found their rhythm in the second half and ran riot on attack, which they supported with a fine defensive effort to deny SWD any further points in the match.

In total Border scored seven tries to only one by SWD, with Springbok Women’s captain and No8 Mandisa Williams, and her national team-mate, centre Ziyanda Tywaleni, leading the charge with hat-tricks. Flyhalf Zintle Mphupa, who is also in the 39-member Springbok Women’s preliminary Rugby World Cup squad, and replacement back Lusanda Dumke scored the team’s other two tries.

The Blue Bulls faced a similarly tough task in the first half against a determined KwaZulu-Natal outfit in Durban, which resulted in the visitors edging their way into a narrow 10-7 half-time lead.

The Pretoria team, however, stepped up their performance and gelled as unit and the rewards followed with tries by Springbok Women’s centre Shona-Leah Weston, Mahlatsi Nkhumishe and Veronica Malantswane to add to Judith Chauke’s first-half try for their 35-7 victory.

The clash between Eastern Province and Western Province in Uitenhage was much tighter as the teams found themselves in a thrilling battle until the final whistle.

The hosts started the clash strongly by scoring two first-half tries to force their way into an encouraging 15-5 lead.

But Western Province hit back in the second half with a solid performance on attack and defence, which allowed them to reduce the deficit to 15-12. To their disappointment Eastern Province’s defence shut them out, which forced them to settle for a narrow three-point defeat.

The Women’s Interprovincial A Division teams will have next weekend off, as the second round of matches takes place on May 10.

SARU Women’s Interprovincial results (Round One):
SWD 8 Border 37
KwaZulu-Natal 7 Blue Bulls 35
Eastern Province 15 DHL Western Province 12