The Eastern Province Kings survived a close call in Wellington on Friday as they beat the Regent Boland Cavaliers 25-20 (half-time 15-7) in their Absa Currie Cup First Division opener on Friday.

It needed the late intervention of fullback SP Marais and the accurate boot of replacement flyhalf Wesley Dunlop, called off the bench in the final quarter, to win the match for the EP Kings, as the Boland Cavaliers dominated the second half.

The Kings’ tactic of keeping Boland pinned in their own territory worked in the first half as they did not have the kicking game to relieve the pressure.

The Cavaliers were nowhere in the first quarter and Kings flyhalf George Whitehead was initially the star of the show as he scored the first 10 points.

His opposite number, Elgar Watts, struggled to kick the ball out and the Cavaliers lineout also seldom went as intended, giving the visitors great attacking platforms. Whitehead kicked a fifth-minute penalty and then, running off first phase, threw an outrageous dummy and strolled through for a try in the 13th minute, which he converted.

Boland finally made their way into Eastern Province territory in the 19th minute and were able to win a lineout, leading to a period of concerted pressure on the Kings’ line. That led to a penalty, which scrumhalf Bolla Conradie took quickly and passed to fullback Jacquin Jansen, who went through a defender on his way to scoring.

Watts converted to close the gap to 7-10, but the home side were unable to produce any other points despite their second-quarter dominance.

The Kings weathered the storm until the 33rd minute when their backs were able to produce a slick breakout, leading to an infringement at the ruck by Boland. The penalty was kicked to touch and loose forward Cornell du Preez then scored from an impressive rolling maul.

Eastern Province deserved their 15-7 half-time lead but they were given an almighty wake-up call in the second half as they produced some lacklustre rugby, with an inventive Cavaliers side only too happy to capitalise.

In the antithesis of modern rugby thinking, Boland ran the second-half kickoff from their own 22 and, with the Kings suddenly shying away from physical confrontation at the collisions, the home side were able to carry the ball through 11 phases before Jansen blazed through the close-in defence for his second try.

The try was the product of wonderful handling and support play by the Cavaliers, and their ball-in-hand approach meant they were smouldering on attack during the second half.

It was never-say-die rugby at its best and loosehead prop Ashton Constant, normally a hooker but shifted to the side of the scrum in an emergency, was a prominent feature in the tight-loose as well as scrumming manfully against experienced New Zealand giant Clint Newland.

Constant did however loose his bind to present Whitehead with a 53rd-minute penalty, but the star of the first quarter became the villain of the piece as he missed that kick and another penalty two minutes later that was practically in front of the poles.

Watts, who had succeeded with both conversions, then put Boland into the lead (17-15) for the first time in the 65th minute with a penalty kick that bounced over off the crossbar.

But with 10 minutes to go, Marais finally stepped up into the game. Boland couldn’t handle his booming kick downfield, turning over possession. Marais then made a break that set up a ruck close to the tryline, and the talented fullback then dived over the ruck to score the match-winning try.

Dunlop calmly slotted the conversion to put the visitors out of penalty reach (22-17), but there were nervous times ahead for the Kings as Boland came roaring back and once again looked dangerous on attack.

But replacement back Tiger Mangweni was on hand to support strong defence and steal the ball, allowing Eastern Province to go tearing back into Boland territory.

The Cavaliers would then go offsides, allowing Dunlop to kick a penalty to stretch the lead to 25-17.

The hooter had already gone when the Kings engaged early at a scrum and Boland were able to run the free-kick into the EP 22, winning a penalty which replacement flyhalf Ricardo Croy kicked to ensure they did not go away empty-handed, gaining a losing bonus point.

SCORERS

Regent Boland Cavaliers – Tries: Jacquin Jansen (2). Conversion: Elgar Watts (2). Penalties: Watts, Ricardo Croy.

Eastern Province Kings – Tries: George Whitehead, Cornell du Preez, SP Marais. Conversions: Whitehead, Wesley Dunlop. Penalties: Whitehead, Dunlop.

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120629/EP_Kings_survive_close_call

Martin Guptill led a top-class all-round performance by New Zealand as they whipped South Africa by six wickets with four balls to spare in the first T20 international at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday.

Guptill slammed a fiery 78 not out off just 55 balls to lead New Zealand to their target of 148, after a superb bowling and fielding effort by the hosts had restricted South Africa to a mediocre 147 for six.

Guptill was a shining light in the field with a superb run-out and a splendid catch, and was a deserved man of the match.

The in-form Guptill devastated the South African bowlers with his clean-hitting power, and his crossbat shots were particularly vicious as he collected five fours and four sixes.

Fellow opener Rob Nicol scored 13 as they put on 49 for the first wicket in seven overs before Brendon McCullum (16) joined Guptill in a second-wicket stand of 41 in 5.1 overs that all but sealed the contest.

South African captain AB de Villiers was celebrating his 28th birthday, but he wore the same bemused expression as Springbok captain John Smit has on many occasions at the Westpac Stadium, where South Africa’s rugby team were controversially knocked out of last year’s World Cup.

Morne Morkel was the one South African bowler to impress, taking one for 26 in his four overs, which included a maiden.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe was the biggest victim of Guptill’s onslaught, conceding 28 runs off his three overs, and the left-armer was hammered for one of the biggest sixes ever seen in New Zealand as the Aucklander launched a massive blow into the trusses of The Cake Tin’s roof.

South Africa were also unable to take wickets as Guptill and Kane Williamson, who was eventually run out by Albie Morkel for 24, did nothing silly in steering New Zealand to victory.

Contrasting innings by Justin Ontong and JP Duminy earlier took South Africa to 147 for six , giving them a total they could bowl to.

Clever bowling, backed by magnificent fielding, had given New Zealand another stranglehold over the South African batsmen after they had been sent in to bat and it needed an extraordinary over of hitting by Ontong to give the tourists a respectable total.

South Africa had been reduced to 52 for four after nine overs and Duminy and Ontong had struggled to find anything else but singles as they added 23 runs in the next five overs.

EXTRAORDINARY OVER

Ontong, who had seemingly edged a sweep off part-time spinner Rob Nicol to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum in the previous over, then laid into offspinner Kane Williamson, ending his second over with four successive sixes, three of them to deep midwicket and the fourth over long on.

The bristling Tim Southee returned to claim Ontong’s wicket for 32 off 17 balls, taking a magnificent low return catch, and Doug Bracewell, who recently skittled Australia in a shock test win for New Zealand, then bowled a superb penultimate over that cost just three runs, two of them being leg-byes.

Fifteen runs would come from the final over, however, as Johan Botha hit Kyle Mills for a four and a six.

Openers Hashim Amla (19) and Richard Levi (13) had started brightly for South Africa, adding 24 off 20 balls, but the brilliance of Martin Guptill in the field had much to do with the visitors’ top-order woes.

Guptill dashed in from mid off and slid into the stumps to run out Amla and then snapped up a wonderful low catch at short extra-cover to remove AB de Villiers for eight after the South African captain had slapped a delivery from left-arm spinner Roneel Hira with tremendous power and timing.

A top-class delivery from offspinner Nathan McCullum had removed Colin Ingram for a two-ball duck, brother Brendon completing a juggled stumping after a foray down the pitch by the left-hander.

Duminy gave himself time to settle and refused to let the pressure get to him as he accumulated an important 41 off 37 balls, although he was fortunate to survive an lbw appeal off Williamson on 21.

Southee (4-0-28-3) and Nathan McCullum (4-0-16-1 with the new ball) did much to unsettle the South African batsmen.