Ken Borland

The Regent Boland Cavaliers played some thrilling rugby as they thrashed the Valke 79-26 (half-time 34-19) in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match in Worcester on Saturday.

With the country’s head coach, Heyneke Meyer, in attendance for the Springbok squad announcement after the game, the Cavaliers used their backline to great effect, strolling through for 12 tries. It has to be admitted, however, that they were up against an exceptionally naive Valke defence.

Boland also used the rolling maul superbly to score four of their tries, two of them going to captain and flank Franzel September.

Impressive outside centre Senan van der Merwe pounced on a dropped pass to turn the opening three minutes of Valke pressure into counter-attack and a try to eighthman Zandre’ Jordaan in the corner.

September scored his first from a rolling maul in the seventh minute, with flyhalf Elgar Watts, who did much to spark his backline, adding the conversion and a penalty to stretch the lead to 15-0 after just 10 minutes.

The flags had barely gone down from that kick when hooker and man of the match Ashton Constant went on a bullocking run and then produced a lovely pop-pass inside for Watts to score and convert his own try (22-0).

Two tries provided some salve for the Valke, powerful centre Jaco Oosthuizen cutting back through some poor defending to score and prop Nico Pretorius going over from close range, but the visitors still could not solve their defensive problems and the Cavaliers scored two more tries before the break to keep the Gautengers at bay.

September used the rolling maul to grab his second, before fullback Eric Zana burst through, finding good support from flank Junior Bester, who passed back inside to scrumhalf Neil Papier, who dashed over.

Wing Cornal Hendricks, a constant threat, sped away to score to give Boland the ideal start to the second half and more faulty defending by the Valke allowed Papier to roar over for his second try after a half-break by Watts.

The Cavaliers were really starting to pull away with a 48-19 lead just six minutes into the second half and the half-century was up after 58 minutes as the home team were disallowed a try, but then won the ball from the Valke’s scrum feed, Hendricks wrong-footing the defence with ridiculous ease to score his second try.

The Valke were better with ball in hand and replacement wing JC Greyling scored their bonus-point try on the hour, after centre Willie Odendaal had broken straight through some poor midfield defence.

The Eastern Gautengers soon infringed, however, and replacement hooker Madoda Yoka picked up the ball from a ruck after the rolling maul from the penalty and dotted down.

The Valke were near-exhausted by then and the Cavaliers scored three more tries in the closing stages – wing Brendon April grabbing two and lock PJ van Zyl the other.

SCORERS

Regent Boland Cavaliers – Tries: Zandre’ Jordaan, Franzel September (2), Elgar Watts, Neil Papier (2), Cornal Hendricks (2), Madoda Yoka, Brendon April (2), PJ van Zyl. Conversions: Watts (5), Ricardo Croy (3). Penalty: Watts.

Valke – Tries: Jaco Oosthuizen (2), Nico Pretorius, JC Greyling. Conversions: Karlo Aspeling (2), Juan Kotze.

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120804/Cavaliers_romp_to_thrilling_win

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Fullback JC Roos kept his cool under immense pressure as he kicked a touchline conversion to salvage a 30-30 draw for the Ford Pumas in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match against the EP Kings at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday.

The Kings had dominated the first 50 minutes of the match in impressive fashion, making a compelling argument that they are a team on the rise, as they built a formidable 27-9 lead.

But they then suffered a dramatic fade-out in the last half-hour that certainly leaves more questions than answers about their ability to perform on bigger stages than the Currie Cup B Section.

The Pumas, playing in front of their home crowd – which looked sparse in the massive Mbombela Stadium – produced a rousing, passionate comeback and it was the boot of Roos that ensured they came away with a share of the spoils.

Roos kicked with authority throughout, succeeding with all six of his shots at goal, including the conversion from the touchline after the final hooter that secured the draw.

The crucial try came after the Pumas had put the Kings defence through a thorough examination, but the visitors managed to turn over the ball. They then decided to take it up from their own tryline, but were adjudged to have been sealing off at the ruck, giving the home side a penalty, which they kicked to touch.

The Pumas set up the rolling maul, but the Kings defended that well, so the ball was spread left and then back right, where outside centre Tiaan Marx found the space to dash over in the corner for the try.

The Kings had dominated the opening exchanges and grabbed the opening try when lock and captain Darron Nell soared high at the back of the lineout, flank Thabo Mamojele bounced out of tackles in midfield to give the visitors front-foot ball, and flyhalf George Whitehead then timed the inside-pass perfectly for wing Marcello Sampson to use his pace and capitalise on the space created for him.

Whitehead’s conversion made it 7-0, but he then hacked a penalty wide, before the Pumas had their first points on the board in the 16th minute via a Roos penalty, that came after the home side were finally able to hang on to the ball through several phases.

But it was a case of just a temporary relief of pressure on the Mpumalanga side as the Kings showed super ball-retention, prop Jaco Engels and centre Tiger Mangweni making good ground, to earn a penalty for Whitehead (10-3).

The strong ball-carrying of the Pumas forwards earned Roos another penalty five minutes later (6-10), but the superb interplay of the Kings forwards and backs brought another try Eastern Province’s way five minutes before the break as lock David Bulbring surged on to an inside ball and scored their second try.

Whitehead converted and, even though Roos closed the gap to 9-17 with a penalty, it was obvious which team had the momentum going into the second half.

The Pumas were punished by another try soon after the break as they did not look after their ball going into a ruck and the Kings struck from the turnover, hooker Hannes Franklin rounding off an 11-phase counter-attack that once again featured forwards and backs.

Whitehead converted and then added a penalty five minutes later after the Eastern Province forwards hit the ball up well and forced a ruck infringement.

The Pumas were 9-27 down, but it’s often out of desperation that teams eventually find their mojo and the home side hit back in spectacular fashion.

Mpumalanga’s comeback started with a try to flank Renaldo Bothma from the rolling maul that has been so kind to the Pumas.

But where the Pumas were so impressive was in their ability to vary their game.

The next time they kicked a penalty to touch and lock Rudi Matthee won the ball, they shaped to set up the rolling maul but instead spread the ball wide. They went left first and then came back right, where captain and wing JW Jonker squeezed over in the corner, Roos’s excellent conversion putting the Pumas in touching distance at 23-27 down.

The Pumas were suddenly all over the Kings and where the visitors managed to avoid defeat was in a scrum close to their line when Engels produced a massive shove that won them a penalty against the feed. From the resulting lineout, Eastern Province took the ball through 14 phases and it was Whitehead who kicked the penalty to give them some breathing space at 30-23 up.

But it was the Pumas who had the final say through Marx and Roos.

The Pumas’ strength was in their tight five and their never-say-die spirit, and their calmness under pressure was impressive, possibly because they are used to life in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division. Roos was also superb and, in the final movement that brought the try, he also gathered an awful pass that was flung at his feet.

The EP Kings will need to look into the reasons for their late fade, but they played some magnificent rugby to enliven the match. Their loose trio of Mamojele, Cornell du Preez and Wimpie van der Walt played superbly to provide a steady supply of good ball to their backs, who at times threatened to run riot.

Mangweni’s experience at inside centre also went a long way to getting the Kings backline running smoothly.

SCORERS

Ford Pumas – Tries: Renaldo Bothma, JW Jonker, Tiaan Marx. Conversions: JC Roos (3). Penalties: Roos (3).

EP Kings – Tries: Marcello Sampson, David Bulbring, Hannes Franklin. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalties: Whitehead (3).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120803/Roos_salvages_draw_for_Pumas

Regent Boland Cavaliers centre Elgar Watts kicked a penalty in the final minute to secure a 21-21 draw with the SWD Eagles to end the defending champions’ run of defeats in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match at Outeniqua Park in George on Friday.

The 26-year-old Watts, a key figure in the Cavaliers’ title triumph last year, enjoyed a top-class game all round, scoring a try and missing just a single kick at goal.

Having made a disastrous start – trailing 0-12 after just four minutes – it was a tremendous coup for the Cavaliers to come away with a share of the points, especially since they had lost their previous four matches in this year’s competition.

Boland conceded a try in the first minute of the match when Eagles scrumhalf Mzo Dantyi spotted a gap in the Cavaliers defence and scooted through to score.

SWD flyhalf Theuns Kotze converted to put the home side 7-0 in front and the situation only worsened for Boland a minute later when wing Vainon Willis was yellow-carded. During the time he was in the cooler, the Eagles scored another try as the pressure told and outside centre Stokkies Hanekom dashed over the tryline.

But Watts then inspired a gutsy comeback by the visitors, kicking a penalty after a SWD ruck infringement and then breaking through the Eagles defence for the Cavaliers’ opening try midway through the first half.

The conversion was good and the SWD lead was suddenly only two points. Kotze made it 15-10 with a 23rd-minute penalty, but the Cavaliers levelled the scores with their second try, lock Lungelo Payi being the man driven over the line from close range.

Both sides tested each other defences in the opening exchanges of the second half, but it was the Cavaliers who infringed first in a kickable position, Kotze kicking his second penalty to make the score 18-15 to the Eagles.

Six minutes later, SWD were also guilty of infringing and Watts levelled the scores again with his second penalty.

Kotze then missed penalties in the 64th and 77th minutes and, even though he did kick one in the 78th minute to give the Eagles a 21-18 lead, that proved crucial as their advantage was short-lived.

The Cavaliers, meek as lambs at the start of the match, came roaring back into SWD territory and forced a penalty, Watts showing steely nerves to slot it and earn the draw.

SCORERS

SWD Eagles – Tries: Mzo Dyantyi, Stokkies Hanekom. Conversion: Theuns Kotze. Penalties: Kotze (3).

Regent Boland Kavaliers – Tries: Elgar Watts, Lungelo Payi. Conversion: Watts. Penalties: Watts (3).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120727/Watts_penalty_ends_Bolands_losing_streak

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