DHL Western Province scored seven tries at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday to start their Carling Currie Cup campaign with a 48-24 win against the Vodacom Bulls.
Four tries in the first half and another three in the second half saw the visitors claim a comfortable win which puts them in second position on the standings.
DHL Western Province showed real intent from the kick-off, taking the game to the hosts and spreading the ball wide at every opportunity. However, the Vodacom Bulls scored first against the run of play as an intercept in the wide channels saw wing Kefentse Mahlo run away for the opening try.
DHL Western Province responded with a well-worked try of their own, with the forwards setting it up by winning a scrum penalty and a maul penalty before it went out to wing Sihle Njezula who finished well.
The visitors had the bonus point wrapped up by half-time thanks to a hat-trick on debut from hooker JJ Kotze.
His first try came from a powerful driving maul, which put DHL Western Province in the lead for the first time.
Kotze’s second saw him put the finishing touch on a relentless attack in the 22, which saw the DHL Western Province forwards crossing the gainline consistently before the hooker crashed over.
The Vodacom Bulls scored a second try through fullback Richard Kriel, but DHL Western Province had the final say in the first half, with Kotze crossing for his hat-trick try from a driving maul after Vodacom Bulls loosehead prop Simphiwe Matanzima had been shown a yellow card.
That gave the visitors a 28-12 lead at half-time after an entertaining first half which featured six tries in total.
Kotze added a fourth try off the back of another powerful maul 10 minutes into the second half as the forward pack started to find real dominance up front.
No.8 Evan Roos capped a flowing movement by bursting through in the 22 to surge over for the sixth try, which took the lead out to 38-12 heading into the last 25 minutes.
The first penalty of the match came on the hour mark, with Tim Swiel splitting the uprights after the Vodacom Bulls had strayed offside.
Centre Dan du Plessis scored the seventh try, with Paul de Wet who had moved from scumhalf to wing stepping through a gap to put him over.
Sergeal Petersen was shown a yellow card for a late charge with five minutes left and two late tries from the Vodacom Bulls saw them salvage a bonus point.
The scorers:
For DHL WP:
Tries: Njezula, Kotze 4, Roos, Du Plessis
Cons: Van Reenen 4, Swiel
Pen: Swiel
For Vodacom Bulls:
Tries: Mahlo, Kriel, Donald, Labuschagne
Cons: Du Plessis, Burger
DHL Western Province: 15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Sihle Njezula, 13 Rikus Pretorius, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Abner van Reenen, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Niel Otto, 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Sazi Sandi, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Justin Basson, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Tim Swiel, 23 Cornel Smit.
Vodacom Bulls: Richard Kriel, Sebastiaan Jobb, Sango Xamlashe (captain), Louritz van der Schyff, Kefentse Mahlo, Jandre Burger, Johan Mulder, Jaco Bezuidenhout, Jaco Labuschagne, Henco Beukes, Tiaan de Klerk, JJ Scheepers, Francois Klopper, Werner Fourie, Simphiwe Matanzima.
Replacements: Llewelyn Classen, Dewald Donald, Mhleli Dlamini, Adolph Visser, Eduan Lubbe, Tiaan Fourie, Kabelo Mokoena, Niel Beukes, Uzile Tele.