Ken Borland

The match was gone for the Valke by half-time as the EP Kings converted a 24-8 lead at the break into a 37-20 victory in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match at the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park on Saturday.

The Kings led 31-8 after 55 minutes, but the Valke did get some salve for their wounded pride as they scored two late tries to add some respectability to the scoreline.

On an icy day with a strong wind, the Kings adapted well to the conditions with their pack enjoying dominance and flyhalf George Whitehead kicking well.

Whitehead kicked an early penalty for the Kings and the Valke then paid a heavy price for an injury to tighthead prop Nico Engelbrecht.

He was replaced by Hannes Ludik, who earned himself a yellow card just five minutes after his arrival, the Kings taking advantage of the extra man as wing Michael Killian powered over for the opening try.

The visitors continued to reap the rewards of laying a solid platform up front as experienced tighthead prop Clint Newland scored their second try and, four minutes before half-time, wing Jongi Nokwe was able to use his pace and an overlap to score the third try.

Whitehead converted all three of the tries to leave the EP Kings in firm control at the break, even though Valke eighthman Reg Muller rumbled over in a maul in injury time for the home side’s first try.

Newland went off early in the second half and his replacement, Lizo Gqoboka, had been in action for just over a minute when he crossed the tryline to put Eastern Province 31-8 in front after Whitehead’s conversion.

The Valke, with nothing to lose, then began to up the pace and play more expansively and, after a wonderful exchange of passes in the backline, wing John-Wessel Bell crossed for their second try.

The yellow-carding of Kings hooker Hannes Franklin in the 62nd minute helped the Valke even more and the strength of replacement eighthman Uzair Cassiem carried him over the line soon afterwards.

The conversion of the try by flyhalf Karlo Aspeling closed the gap to 20-31, but the composure of the Kings shone through and they were never in any obvious danger of losing the match.

With the benefit of territorial advantage, replacement flyhalf Wesley Dunlop was able to kick two penalties in the closing stages to seal the win and continue the unbeaten run of the EP Kings.

SCORERS

VALKE – Tries: Reg Muller, John-Wessel Bell, Uzair Cassiem. Conversion: Karlo Aspeling. Penalty: Aspeling.

EP KINGS – Tries: Michael Killian, Clint Newland, Jongikhaya Nokwe, Lizo Gqoboka. Conversions: George Whitehead (4). Penalties: Whitehead, Wesley Dunlop (2).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120714/Kings_ease_past_Valke

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Talented young flyhalf Kurt Coleman led the way for the SWD Eagles with his boot as they beat the Ford Pumas 22-16 and wrecked their hopes for a second successive victory in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match at Outeniqua Park in George on Friday.

Coleman was in fine form with the boot as he succeeded with all five of his shots at goal – kicking four penalties and a conversion – while his tactical kicking was also instrumental in pinning the Pumas in their own territory and keeping them under pressure.

The Pumas had dominated the opening exchanges as flyhalf JC Roos kicked a penalty and flank RW Kember was driven over the line for the opening try, but the rest of the match was all about the Eagles as they overturned the 8-0 deficit and in fact led 22-11 until conceding a try on the final hooter.

The visitors’ discipline was not up to scratch and they granted Coleman shots at goal in the 16th, 23rd and 37th minutes, the 22-year-old’s three penalties giving SWD a 9-8 lead at half-time.

Coleman kicked another penalty in the 44th minute and then converted the try by livewire scrumhalf Johan Herbst that largely settled the contest, before retiring to the sideline on the hour mark on a miserably muddy and cold evening in George.

The replacement flyhalf, Theuns Kotze, then kicked a penalty in the 68th minute to stretch the lead to 22-11 and ensure victory, especially since the Pumas were down to 14 men with replacement centre Dewald Pretorius yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle.

The Pumas did close the gap on the final whistle with a try by replacement flank Renaldo Bothma, but they were outplayed on the night, the chief reason being a superb showing by the Eagles forwards in conditions they revelled in.

SCORERS

SWD Eagles – Try: Johan Herbst. Conversion: Kurt Coleman. Penalties: Coleman (4), Theuns Kotze.

Ford Pumas – Tries: RW Kember, Renaldo Bothma. Penalties: JC Roos (2).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120713/Coleman_kicks_Eagles_to_victory

The Lions claimed just their third victory of the season as flyhalf Elton Jantjies succeeded with all seven of his kicks at goal to give them a 37-32 victory over the Melbourne Rebels in their SuperRugby match at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Lions had to overcome a fantastic comeback by the Rebels, who scored three second-half tries to turn a 7-24 half-time deficit into a 32-27 lead.

But replacement flank Jaco Kriel then charged down the blindside to score an equalising try, which Jantjies converted from the touchline to give the Lions the lead, the young flyhalf then kicking a penalty on the final hooter to stretch the winning margin to five points.

The Lions, who have an interim coaching staff due to the suspension of former All Black mentor John Mitchell, played with enormous confidence and freedom in the first half as they ran in three tries and Jantjies kicked a penalty to give them a 24-0 lead after 36 minutes.

“We had a disappointing first 15/20 minutes, making simple, fundamental errors in good field positions, that gave the Lions lots of possession and, to their credit, they turned that into points,” Rebels coach Damian Hill told a news conference after the game.

The home side made a great start when right wing Lionel Mapoe stepped inside and sent outside centre Waylon Murray over for the opening try after just two minutes.

Nine minutes later, Mapoe and Murray again combined well down the right, the Lions then quickly swinging the ball to the left, where outstanding flanker Derick Minnie barged his way over the tryline.

The Rebels tried to stretch the Lions with clever attacking play, but they struggled to get on the front foot against an aggressive defence, and the Lions also ruled the breakdowns in the first half. The Australians went off their feet at a ruck in the 25th minute, allowing Jantjies to kick a penalty (17-0), and Minnie then read the situation perfectly as he burst from a rolling maul through a big gap in the defence to score his second try.

The Rebels finally had some points on the board on the half-time hooter as they protected the ball well in a rolling maul, hooker Ged Robinson emerging with the try, which was converted by fullback Julian Huxley.

Having dominated the opening 40 minutes, it was a case of losing focus in the second half for the Lions, who also lost their discipline at the breakdown and conceded a string of penalties to give the Rebels momentum and territory.

“There was a lack of concentration in the second half, especially defensively, with guys not manning up in the one-on-one tackles,” Lions captain Josh Strauss said. “If we can keep concentrating for 80 minutes and play like we did in the first 40 minutes, then we’ll be a very dangerous side. We’re still playing for pride and each other.”

Lock Hugh Pyle scored two tries in three minutes for the Rebels, crossing over in the 47th and 50th minutes.

His first try came after the visitors kept the ball in the forwards, tighthead prop Jono Owen also carrying strongly, while his second came after wing Mark Gerrard had sped back into the Lions’ half from the kick-off, scrumhalf Nick Phipps was up in support and Pyle was able to take advantage of a big overlap on the right.

Huxley converted Pyle’s first try and then brought the Rebels to within two points in the 58th minute as he kicked a penalty after the Lions failed to roll away in the ruck.

Jantjies replied with a penalty which stretched the Lions lead to 27-22, but then became the villain of the piece as his clearance kick was charged down by flyhalf Jimmy Hilgendorf to give the Rebels an equalising try which was confirmed by Television Match Official Johann Meuwesen.

Huxley converted to give the Rebels a 29-27 lead, before adding a penalty which stretched the lead to 32-27.

“There’s a good spirit and camaraderie in the group and we’ve consistently shown that when we’re down, we find a way back. But too often we let ourselves down first and we need to find a way to be better as a team, to be able to put pressure on the opposition from the start,” experienced Rebels captain Stirling Mortlock said.

But Lions scrumhalf Michael Bondesio then caught the Rebels defence napping with a pop-pass down the blindside to Kriel, who powered through the cover defence to score in the corner.

The 21-year-old Jantjies kept his calm to kick the conversion and give the crowd a happy ending to the Lions’ last home game of the season, and perhaps their last in SuperRugby as they are slated for relegation next year to make room for the Southern Kings.

Scorers

Lions – Tries: Waylon Murray, Derick Minnie (2), Jaco Kriel. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (4). Penalties: Jantjies (3).

Melbourne Rebels – Tries: Ged Robinson, Hugh Pyle (2), Jimmy Hilgendorf. Conversions: Julian Huxley (3). Penalties: Huxley (2).

The Ford Pumas used the rolling maul to great attacking effect as they hammered the Boland Cavaliers 33-10 (half-time 26-3) in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday.

The Cavaliers were at sixes and sevens trying to stop the powerful Pumas pack and it took just three minutes before flank Jaco Bouwer was at the back of a rolling maul to dot down for the opening try.

Flyhalf Carl Bezuidenhout converted for the home side, but his opposite number, Elgar Watts, brought Boland back within four points with a penalty in the eighth minute.

But the Pumas were in firm control by the end of the first quarter as Bezuidenhout used slick hands and quick feet to get in the gap and score their second try, followed soon afterwards by Bouwer once again dotting down in the maul.

Bezuidenhout converted both tries and the Pumas were 21-3 in front in 17 minutes.

Bouwer’s hat-trick try completed a hellish first half for the Cavaliers, the visitors going into the break 3-26 down.

Things would go better for the visitors in the second half as they made a host of substitutions, but Pumas captain and centre JW Jonker was able to go over in the 63rd minute to stretch the lead to 33-3 after Bezuidenhout’s conversion.

The Cavaliers were well and truly chasing the game in the final quarter and replacement centre Jonathan Francke sped over for their only try with 13 minutes remaining.

The Pumas, controversially relegated from the Premier Division, certainly made a bold statement as they go in chase of the title the Boland Cavaliers won last year.

SCORERS

Ford Pumas – Tries: Jaco Bouwer (3), Carl Bezuidenhout, JW Jonker. Conversions: Bezuidenhout (4).

Regent Boland Cavaliers – Try: Jonathan Francke. Conversion: Elgar Watts. Penalty: Watts.

– http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120707/Pumas_hammer_Cavaliers