Bonus-point win for unbeaten Province
Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:08
Paul Bosch: The bus is full. (c) Gallo
Western Province took their Currie Cup campaign to three wins in three matches when they scored a convincing 42-23 win over the Leopards in Potchefstroom on Friday.
The only unbeaten team in the competition after three rounds, Western Province consolidated their position at the top of the log by scoring six tries to three - in the process securing their first bonus point of the season.
The Leopards offered plenty of enthusiasm and did their best to provide stout resistance, but Province accumulated six tries at regular intervals and in the end had too much class for the home team.
Certainly there was no lack of endeavour from the Leopards, who look a well-coached team and deserve credit for their sterling effort to score points right to the end, but the bottom line for the Potchefstroom team is that with their comparative lack of top-class talent, they will continue to find winning games in the Currie Cup an uphill battle.
The visitors have lost six of their seven first-choice Super 14 backs plus three forwards, but they have already succeeded in bringing through their next level of talent and are developing into a formidable combination.
Their discipline was excellent for most of the game and their teamwork at times superb. Their set piece play was solid, they won a surfeit of possession and most collisions and for much of the game they played in the right areas of the field. Attacking penetration was convincing and their patience with ball in hand on attack was good.
The concerns for Province would be losing the ball in contact a few times, the lapse on defence nine minutes into the second half which allowed the Leopards to score a try from just inside their own half, and the lack of concentration in the last few minutes which cost them an entirely unnecessary 10 points.
Even discounting the disruption caused by their having cleared the bench, the two tries leaked in the last
two minutes was unworthy of a team which demands such high standards of themselves.
Province attacked from the kick-off and in the third minute Willem de Waal goaled a close-range penalty to take his kicking tally for the Currie Cup season to 14 out of 15.
The Leopards struck back almost immediately when Neill Jacobs goaled a neatly struck drop-goal (3-3).
It took 11 minutes for the visitors to score their first try. From a line out driving maul deep into Leopards territory Province launched one assault after another on the home team's goalline and eventually Brok Harris forced his way over for a try close to the posts. De Waal converted (10-3).
The Leopards defended with great enthusiasm, but not always legally, and in the 26th minute De Waal increased the lead to 13-3 with a penalty goal from just outside the 22.
Four minutes later, from a line out on the left Province moved the ball wide right and left wing Frikkie Welsh moved all the way across the field to score the visitors' second try. De Waal could not convert from close to the touchline but WP led 18-3.
With three minutes to go in the half Paul Bosch was penalised for late tackle and Jean Tiedt turned the indiscretion into three points with a straight-forward penalty for the Leopards to reduce the lead to 18-6.
But just ahead of the half-time hooter a concerted Province attack saw Bosch score in the corner. De Waal missed a rare second consecutive goalkick but the visitors went into the break 23-6 ahead.
It took three minutes of the second half for Province to score again when two consecutive penalties led to two consecutive driving mauls from line outs and Pieter Louw scored from the second potent drive. Province had gained a bonus point for scoring four tries and De Waal converted to stretch the lead to 30-3.
Six minutes later a lapse in the visitors' defensive concentration saw the Leopards score their first try of the game when Jovan Bowles raced through a wide gap 50 metres out and put Dumisane Matyeshana into space. Matyeshana finished well, Tiedt converted and the deficit was down to 30-13.
In the 54th minute Tiedt was sin-binned for a tip tackle on Tim Whitehead and Province immediately took advantage of the extra man when Conrad Hoffmann, on at fullback for Conrad Jantjes, scored close to the touchline. De Waal goaled (37-13).
Minutes later there was a delay in the match for Deon Fourie to be carried off the field on a stretcher after Leopards sub Reginald Kember may have been fortunate to escape a yellow card for sliding into Fourie - who was on the ground after collecting the bouncing ball - and thrusting what appeared to be a stiff arm around Fourie's neck.
When play resumed Pieter Myburgh, on as a replacement, scored from another Province drive. Lionel Cronje, on for De Waal, could not convert but the lead was 42-13 with 18 minutes to play.
With a minute to play an
ill-judged attempt at a long pass from Dewaldt Duvenage saw Jovan Bowles intercept and run a long way for a try and then a clever kick ahead from Michael Bondesio gave Deon Scholtz the chance to collect and score.
Bowles missed the first conversion and Jacobs the second, but the home team had reduced the margin of defeat to 42-23 - too little to late however and the visitors went home comfortable victors.
Man of the Match: Many of the Western Province players will be happy with their performances, with stalwart tighthead prop Brok Harris, lock Anton van Zyl - exemplary in his workrate - and classy outside centre Tim Whitehead among the standouts. The introduction of Conrad Hoffmann off the bench showed glimpses of what exciting attacking skill he offers. But our Man of the Match must be No.8 Duane Vermeulen. He is desperately unlucky not to be with the Springboks in Australasia after playing consistently outstandingly in the Super 14 and his form in the Currie Cup has been superb as well. Coach Allister Coetzee gave him a well-deserved rest after an hour but he was a real force on attack and defence in that hour.
The scorers:
For Western Province
Tries: Harris, Welsh, Bosch, Louw, Hoffmann, Myburgh
Cons: De Waal 3
Pens: De Waal 2
For the Leopards:
Tries: Matyeshana, Bowles, Scholtz
Con: Tiedt
Pen: Tiedt
DG: Jacobs
Yellow card(s): Jean Tiedt (Leopards, 54 - tip tackle)
The teams:
Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Fabian Juries, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Frikkie Welsh, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynardt Elstadt, 6 Pieter Louw, 5 Anton van Zyl (captain), 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2
Deon Fourie, 1 JD Moller.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 JC Kritzinger, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Yaya Hartzenberg, 20 Pieter Myburgh, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Lionel Cronjé.
Leopards: 15 Jean Tiedt, 14 Deon Scholtz, 13 Jovan Bowles, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Dumisane Matyeshana, 10 Neill Jacobs, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Riaan Swanepoel, 7 Wilhelm Koch, 6 Danie Crous, 5 Rynard Landman, 4 Anthonie Gronum, 3 Barend van der Walt, 2 Gavin Williams, 1 Divan Kotzé.
Replacements: 16 Marthinus van der Westhuizen, 17 Johan Coetzee, 18 Edrich Linde, 19 Reginald Kember, 20 Clayton Durand, 21 Shuaib Samaai, 22 Danie Dames.
Referee: Sandile Mayende (SARU)
Assistant referees: Francois Veldsman (Boland), Philip Bosch (EP)
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee (Free State)
By Len Kaplan
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