A welcome return to the fold

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 33 VS 26 GWK Griquas

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen scored a hat trick of tries as the hosts secured their first home victory in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division on Friday night following their 33-26 win over the GWK Griquas at Vodacom Park.

The hosts scored five tries while their opponents from Kimberley, who defeated The Sharks at GWK Park last Saturday, managed to cross the try line on two occasions.

The GWK Griquas though managed to secure a bonus for losing within seven points when flyhalf Naas Olivier kicked a penalty in the final act of the game played in Bloemfontein.

Former Springbok Sevens star Robert Ebersohn and Springbok winger Jongi Nokwe were the other players to score tries for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs. Flyhalf Louis Strydom added the other points by kicking four conversions.

Springbok winger Bjorn Basson and scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius were the try-scorers for the GWK Griquas. Olivier converted both tries and kicked two penalties before his final three-pointer of the game which saw the visitors gain a valuable bonus point. Fullback Riaan Viljoen also added one penalty.

2010 Absa Currie Cup – Round 2: Cheetahs 33 VS 26 Griquas [WRNRugbynews]

Scorecard:

Cheetahs:

  • Tries: R Ebersohn, Oosthuizen 3, Nokwe
  • Conversions: Strydom 4

Griquas:

  • Tries: Basson, Pretorius
  • Conversions: Olivier 2
  • Penalties: Olivier 3, Viljoen

Vodacom Western Province 32 – 0 Xerox Lions

In Cape Town, Vodacom Western Province kept the Xerox Lions scoreless during their 32-0 victory over their Johannesburg opponents at Newlands on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts dominated this game in almost every facet of play and had the game virtually wrapped up at half time after they managed to boast a 19-0 lead at the break.

WP flyhalf Willem de Waal racked up 17 points with the boot after kicking five penalties and also converted one of his side’s three tries which was scored by flanker Pieter Louw. Fullback Conrad Jantjes and reserve flanker Pieter Myburgh added the hosts’ other tries in this match.

The Xerox Lions though denied the Cape side a valuable bonus for scoring four tries thanks to their tigerish defence at crucial periods in the match when WP launched attacking plays.

2010 Absa Currie Cup – Round 2: Western Province 32 VS 0 Lions [WRNRugbynews]

Scorecard:

Western Province:

  • Tries: Louw, Jantjes, Myburgh
  • Conversions: De Waal
  • Penalties: De Waal 5

Lions: 0

Pumas 37 VS 32 Platinum Leopards

Former Boland Kavaliers flyhalf Elgar Watts, now with the Pumas, ran in a hat trick of tries as his side edged the Platinum Leopards 37-32 in Witbank on Saturday afternoon.

The newly promoted side to the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division achieved their first five-point result of the competition after they ran in five tries against their opponents.

While Watts starred by scoring three five-pointers, he also kicked three conversions and two penalties to end the game with a personal points haul of 27. The Pumas winger duo of Shaun Venter and Allistair Kettledas were the other try scorers for the hosts.

The Platinum Leopards though managed to achieve two log points from this fixture – one for scoring five tries and the other point – for losing within seven points of the Pumas.

Winger Deon Scholtz scored a brace of tries while fellow winger Dumisani Matyeshana, scrumhalf Michael Bondesio and centre Jovan Bowles added the other five-pointers for the visitors. Flyhalf Clayton Durand kicked two conversions and one penalty.

Scorecard:

Pumas:

  • Tries: Watts 3, Alistair Kettledas 2
  • Conversions: Watts 3
  • Penalties: Watts 2

Leopards:

  • Tries: Deon Schultz 2, Dumisani Matyeshana, Michael Bondes
  • Conversions: Clayton du Rand 2
  • Penalties: Clayton du Rand 3

Sharks 34 VS 28 Vodacom Blue Bulls

The Vodacom Blue Bulls conceded their first defeat in the 2010 edition of the Absa Currie Cup on Saturday evening following their 34-28 loss to The Sharks in Durban.

The hosts fully deserved the result which also them achieve maximum points from this fixture for scoring five tries. The defending champions though managed to snatch a log point for losing the game within seven points of The Sharks.

Man of the match Lwazi Mvovo and flanker Keegan Daniel both added two tries each while hooker Craig Burden scored the Durban side’s fifth try. Patrick Lambie converted three tries.

Lambie, who represented the SA Under-20s at fullback during last month’s IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina, and playing at centre for his provincial team, also added one penalty.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls who were missing several of their international stars who are currently doing duty for the Springboks in the 2010 Vodacom Tri-Nations, managed to break The Sharks defensive systems on a few occasions and were rewarded for their efforts with three five-pointers.

No 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, prop Dean Greyling and former Baby Boks winger Gerhard van den Heever added their names to the try-scoring sheet for the defending champions. Jacques-Louis Potgieter kicked two conversions and three penalties.

2010 Absa Currie Cup – Round 2: Sharks 34 VS 28 Blue Bulls [WRNRugbynews]

Scorecard:

Sharks:

  • Tries: Burden, Daniel 2,  Mvovo 2
  • Conversions: Lambie 3
  • Penalties: Lambie

Blue Bulls:

  • Tries: Greyling, Van Velze, Van den Heever
  • Conversions: Potgieter 2
  • Penalties: Potgieter 3