Currie Cup Round One dished up a surprise result, as well as some refreshing running rugby from most teams. Here is a quick summary of all the games played this weekend.
ORC Griquas vs DHL Western Province
DHL Western Province 43: Tries: Nizaam Carr, Seabelo Senatla (2), Dillon Leyds, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Juan de Jongh. Conversions: Demitri Catrakilis (5). Penalty: Catrakilis
ORC Griquas 19: Tries: AJ le Roux, Riaan Viljoen, Ruhan Nel. Conversions: Gouws Prinsloo, Ntabeni Dukisa
A trip to Kimberley to face the Griquas is never an easy challenge and many highly rated teams have come short against the hard tackling and always combative home team. Western Province did not make that mistake this time around and ran out deserved winners, taking away a full complement of 5 points. They were possibly a little guilty of trying to spread the ball around a little too early in the game and their handling let them down at critical moments.
The Griquas game plan of attempting to impose forward domination along with kicking possession back at Western Province was inadequate against a team that was prepared to run back at them, with Seabelo Senatla putting in a man of the match performance.
Western Province Head Coach John Dobson will need to work on the team’s discipline after conceding two yellow cards, the first for a professional foul and the second for continuous ruck infringements.
Steval Pumas vs Cell C Sharks
Steval Pumas 33 Tries: Marnus Schoeman (2), Stefan Watermeyer; Conversions: JC Roos (3); Penalties: Roos (4)
Cell C Sharks 24 Tries: Lionel Cronje, Heimar Williams, Daniel du Preez; Conversions: Joe Pietersen (3): Penalty: Pietersen
The Pumas claimed their first big scalp of the season, defeating a Sharks combination that looked out of sorts for a large part of the game. The Pumas were dominant in most areas of the game, including on the ground and it came as no surprise that open-side flank Marnus Schoeman was awarded the man of the match award.
The Pumas first half performance set the win up for them and the Sharks would have seen the writing on the all at halftime, being down 27 to 7. Sharks Head Coach Gary Gold made a raft of changes at the break, which had the desired effect as the Pumas scoring was restricted to two penalties in the second half, with the the Sharks scoring 13 points of their own. The deficit at half time turned out to be decisive though.
EP Kings vs Xerox Lions
EP Kings 14 – Tries: Sylvain Mahuza, Simon Kerrod; Conversions: Scott van Breda (2)
Xerox Golden Lions 51 – Tries: Kwagga Smith (3), Courtnell Skosan (2), Howard Mnisi; Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (6); Penalties: Marnitz Boshoff (3)
The Lions romped away to an expected comfortable win against a Kings side still trying to find their feet at that top level of South African rugby.
They were simply run off their feet in the first quarter, with the Lions earning the four try bonus point within the first twenty minutes and with that is was pretty much game, set and match and the Lions did what was required of them, which was to take the 5 points back to Johannesburg with them. Another tough Currie Cup campaign awaits the Kings in the 2015 season, but the PE faithful will hope that their team shows continual improvement through the season under new coach Brent Janse van Rensburg.
Toyota Cheetahs vs Vodacom Bulls
Toyota Free State Cheetahs 19 – Tries: Prinsloo, S. Venter, Blommetjies Conversions: Marais 2
Vodacom Blue Bulls 57 – Tries: Jamba Ulengo, Deon Stegmann, Francois Hougaard 2, Warrick Gelant, Travis Ismaiel Conversions: Tian Schoeman 6 Pens: Schoeman 4, Louis Fouche
If someone told me at the beginning of this year that the Bulls would put 50 points on the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein using an expansive game plan, I would have recommended a checkup from the neck up, but this is exactly what they did. Gone was the dull forward dominated, one-off runner game plan that has been the staple of Bulls teams for the last two decades and in was an appetite to move the ball around.
The Cheetahs had the Bulls under pressure in the first ten minutes and scored the opening try, but after the Bulls had settled down they turned on the razzle-dazzle and blew the Cheetahs away. Francois Hougaard had his best game in a very long time and deservedly walked away with the man of the match award. He tested the Cheetahs defense with his pace and also turned in a rather good kicking game – something which had cost him his Springbok spot due to some very average kicking performances. A timely reminder to Heyneke Meyer just before the Rugby World Cup that he is not a spent force.
Cheetahs Head Coach Franco Smith used the opportunity to bring through a number of the Shimlas team that had coached to the 2015 Varsity Cup, but many of these players seemed to struggle with the significant step up in pace and quality.
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