Ken Borland

The Griffons were overpowered up front and had little hope against a Ford Pumas side that hammered them 43-12 (half-time 22-5) in their Vodacom Cup match in Welkom on Friday.

With their scrum being shoved backwards and their lineout not functioning, the Griffons were playing on a wing and a prayer, and, with such tremendous first-phase ball, the Pumas were able to breach their defences with ease, running in six tries.

Flank Jaco Bouwer scored two tries and revelled in the wonderful platform laid by his tight five, while flyhalf JC Roos collected 13 points via five conversions and a penalty.

That penalty came in the sixth minute and opened the scoring in the North Section encounter. But a storm then approached the North-West Stadium and referee Archie Sehlako took the players off the field due to lightning danger and play was interrupted for 20 minutes.

Upon their return, it took a while for the Pumas to regain their momentum, but the educated boot of fullback Coenie van Wyk set up the first try in the 25th minute. Van Wyk’s chip was perfectly placed for wing Wilhelm Loock, who returned the favour by passing back to Van Wyk to score with the tryline in front of them.

Roos converted and the Pumas led 10-0.

The one aspect of the Griffons’ play that the Pumas never really learnt to handle were the bullocking runs of stocky centre Japie Nel in midfield and, as he kept the visitors’ defence busy trying to bring him down, eighthman Nicky Steyn was on his shoulder to take the try-scoring pass (10-5).

But the Pumas were quickly back in Griffons’ territory and wing Deon Scholtz dashed over for a try as the home side’s defence napped after a penalty was awarded against them.

As half-time approached, the Pumas pack kept driving forward and the inspirational Bouwer was the one to dot down, with Roos converting. Thunder could still be heard in the distance, but the Griffons’ players’ ears were full of the ominous sound of an approaching hiding as the visitors went into the break 22-5 up.

Referee Sehlako had to order uncontested scrums shortly after half-time as the Griffons had no more props left, which gave the home side some respite. But Sehlako was still firm in policing the outmatched hosts, yellow carding replacement scrumhalf Tertius Carse and, towards the end of the match, red-carding fullback Tertius Maarman, who had moved to halfback, for stamping.

The second half sprung to life in the last 10 minutes, with Bouwer scoring his second try on the back of the Pumas’ forward dominance, with Roos kicking the extra two points (29-5).

The Pumas did pay the penalty for again not stopping Nel in the danger area as another blazing run by the powerhouse centre set up Steyn for his second try, but the final say would be the Pumas’ as Loock, who showed great passion and pace, and captain and centre JW Jonker crossed for tries.

The other Pumas player to shine was scrumhalf Shaun Venter, who maintained a cracking pace in terms of his distribution and linking play between forwards and backs.

With the odds so heavily stacked against him, Steyn led the Griffons pack with aplomb, performing miraculous deeds from the back of the scrum as he parted the Pumas defence on a number of occasions.

GRIFFONS– Tries: Nicky Steyn (2). Conversion: Reinhardt Erwee.

FORD PUMAS – Tries: Coenie van Wyk, Deon Scholtz, Jaco Bouwer (2), Wilhelm Loock, JW Jonker. Conversions: JC Roos (5). Penalty: Roos.

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/vodacom-cup/news/120323/Pumas_hammer_Griffons

An 80th-minute try by replacement scrumhalf Anrich Richter clinched a 31-28 victory for the Valke over the Leopards in an exciting Vodacom Cup match at the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park on Friday.

With the Valke trailing 28-26 in the last minute, the home forwards produced one last mighty effort and drove powerfully to within a couple of metres of the Leopards line. From the resulting ruck, a breakdown in the North-West defence presented the try on a tray for Richter, and he wasted no time in sniping over the match-winning points.

Flyhalf Juan Kotze missed the conversion, but it didn’t matter as replacement flyhalf Wilco de Wet had missed a potentially crucial penalty a few minutes earlier for the Leopards, after Springbok Andre Pretorius had limped off with an injury.

The Leopards had also lost concentration shortly before half time when, after easing into a 14-7 lead after 32 minutes, they allowed flank Bradley Fortuin to score after the hooter and lift the Valke to 12-14 at the break.

Despite the teams sharing nine tries, there was nothing lamb-to-the-slaughter about the defending nor the tight exchanges, with Leopards hooker BW van Dyk and Valke prop Zane Kilian being yellow-carded shortly after half-time as they allowed their emotions to overflow.

The Valke had dominated the early exchanges, but both fullback Arno Poley and Kotze failed with early penalty attempts in the first 15 minutes. The home side did get the first points on the board, however, in the 22nd minute, when flank Marco Kotze crossed for the opening try, which the flyhalf Kotze converted (7-0).

Perhaps relieved by the try, the Valke’s wall of defence lapsed soon afterwards, allowing Leopards centre Adriaan Engelbrecht to score the visitors’ first try. That was followed by a top-class try by wing Berty Visser, who rounded off a backline move with a powerful run. Pretorius, who had just missed a penalty, kicked his second conversion to put the Leopards 14-7 up.

The Valke loose forwards all had busy games, but Fortuin was the star performer and he scored in first-half injury time to put the Valke back within two points.

It took a while for both teams to settle after a fiery start to the second half, but Valke wing Kyle Hendricks then scored in the 50th minute, with Juan Kotze adding the extra two points (19-14).

But the Valke once again lost their concentration and the Leopards’ response was immediate as Engelbrecht, their most incisive player, cut through for his second try. Pretorius’s conversion gave the North-West team a two-point lead.

Despite Valke wing Sinovuyo Ganto scoring a fine try, converted by Juan Kotze (26-21), the Leopards must have thought they had done enough for the win after Engelbrecht completed his hat-trick and Pretorius kicked his fourth conversion.

But it was Richter and the Valke who had the last say.

VALKE – Tries: Marco Kotze, Bradley Fortuin, Kyle Hendricks, Sinovuyo Ganto, Anrich Richter. Conversions: Juan Kotze (3).

LEOPARDS – Tries: Adriaan Engelbrecht (3), Berty Visser. Conversions: Andre Pretorius (4).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/vodacom-cup/news/120323/Valke_beat_Leopards_in_thriller

South Africa’s Olympic Games prospects were boosted on Friday as the Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) received over R80 million [9 million euro] from government and the National Lotteries Board (NLB) for preparations for London 2012.

Sascoc has previously complained that it has lived on scraps, leading to a decline in South Africa’s Olympic performance. Having won six medals in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, South Africa managed just a single medal – Khotso Mokoena’s long jump silver – in Beijing four years later.

Sports minister Fikile Mbalula handed over a cheque for R34 240 000 [3 980 000 euro] to Sascoc from the Department of Sports and Recreation at a breakfast function in Johannesburg on Friday, as a token of government’s support for the Olympic athletes.

“We are here today to offer our unwavering support to all our athletes who have qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games. We do this to show our undivided support for the operational excellence of our athletes who are busy preparing for the London Games. This amount is an attempt to boost the morale and readiness of our team,” Mbalula told an audience of Sascoc executives, heads of federations, athletes and media.

Mbalula also used the occasion as an opportunity to invite corporate South Africa to support the Olympic effort.

“We believe that government cannot do this alone. We need all South Africans, especially our private sector, to come on board and contribute towards the success of our team in the Olympic Games. We hope the investment we make today will encourage the private sector to do likewise,” he said.

NLB chairman Alfred Nevhutanda said that, as an entity of the state, the lottery would support Mbalula’s initiative to ensure a winning Olympic team and donate R47.5 million [5.5 million euro] to Sascoc.

This is a steep increase from the NLB’s previous allocations of R14 million [1.6 million euro] in 2009/10 and R17 million [1.97 million euro] in 2010/11.

“We are humbled by this support  that will help achieve our athletes’ dreams of being Olympians. Minister Mbalula has been fully behind Sascoc and our Olympic effort since he came into office. I trust we will deliver and I’m confident that we can bring home 12 medals,” Sascoc first vice-president Hajera Kajee said.

The Nashua Titans scored a crucial bonus point as they won their MiWay T20 Challenge match against the Chevrolet Warriors by eight wickets with five balls to spare at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/domestic-t20/news/120321/Titans_win_get_home_playoff

The Titans were set a Duckworth/Lewis-adjusted target of 60 in 11 overs to win the match, but they needed to reach that total in 8.4 overs in order to earn a bonus point and a home playoff against the Central Knights.

With Martin van Jaarsveld scoring 23 off 18 balls and Faf du Plessis 22 not out off 18 balls, the Titans passed their target in just 7.5 overs.

With nothing to lose and so much to gain, it was a merry old bash for the Titans from the moment they came out to bat after a two-hour rain delay.

Henry Davids did not last long after a rather meek prod at a Rusty Theron in-swinger that trapped him lbw for a single, but Van Jaarsveld played some punishing strokes, collecting two fours and a six before off-spinner Johan Botha zipped a delivery past his shins and into off stump.

Du Plessis and Farhaan Behardien (13*) then finished the job without too much fuss.

It was the Titans bowlers who had opened the gate for them to snatch second place on the log, with the Warriors top-order floundering against an inspired seam attack.

The Titans attack had reduced the Warriors to a miserable 64 for six in 14 overs when rain ended the visitors’ innings, with Alfonso Thomas (2-0-11-2) and Albie Morkel (2-0-4-2) retiring to the changeroom with the most striking figures.

The Warriors had won the toss and elected to bat first, only for their top-order to disappoint, as they crashed from 35 without loss to 53 for six before Simon Harmer (9*) and Athenkosi Dyili (3*), the last two recognised batsmen, added 11 runs, the joint second-biggest partnership of the innings.

Openers Ashwell Prince (10) and Wayne Parnell (23) had staged the largest partnership of the innings as they put on 35 for the first wicket, but they were both dismissed in the space of three deliveries.

The Titans were somewhat under the cosh as the clean-striking Parnell rushed to his 23 runs off 16 balls, stroking four fours and a six, but the initially wayward Ethy Mbhalati made the breakthrough.

Having conceded eight runs from his first four balls, Mbhalati changed his line to over the wicket on to off stump and bowled a fuller, slower delivery at Parnell. The left-hander unfurled the big drive, but was hopelessly early on the shot, skying the ball high to deep mid-off, where Thomas took the catch.

Thomas himself removed Prince and Davey Jacobs for a duck in the next over, the fifth, as the Warriors crashed to 38 for three.

The delivery to remove Jacobs was particularly good. Pitching just outside off stump, the law of T20 states that the batsmen has to go for it and Jacobs pushed firmly, but bounce and away movement found the edge of the bat and Van Jaarsveld took the catch at slip.

International Morkel was the next to make his presence felt, trapping Colin Ingram (5) lbw with a delivery that looked to be going down the offside, and then zeroing in on the stumps of Botha (7) with a beauty that was angling in towards leg, before nipping away and hitting off stump.

The Warriors were stumbling like drunkards in a dark alley and it was only getting worse with the rain saving them from further misery.

The introduction of Roelof van der Merwe brought another wicket, the left-arm spinner zipping a delivery that also bounced appreciably on to the edge of Craig Thyssen’s bat, wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn comfortably taking the tricky catch.

Thyssen was yet another batsman who failed, scoring just three from seven balls.

The Titans were desperate to get back on to the field as, after several failed attempts to qualify for the Champions League, they were well-placed to earn a crucial bonus point against the Warriors and therefore host the qualifying playoff against the Central Knights.

The bonus point has indeed moved the Titans up to second on the final log.