Blue Bulls see off Sharks XV

In the other match on the night, the SWD Eagles shrugged off two yellow cards as they ran in five tries to romp to a 39-22 win over the Border Bulldogs in an entertaining at Outeniqua Park in George.

We look at Friday's scores and scorers!

Blue Bulls 22-18 Sharks XV

Inside centre Marquit September and right wing Kefentse Mahlo both scored a brace as the hosts outscored the Sharks XV four tries to two, as they came out on top in a scrappy affair.

The Sharks XV opened the scoring through a seventh-minute penalty from left wing Marcel Coetzee before the match became a kicking affair with both teams making liberal use of the boot to try and win the territory battle.

The Blue Bulls struck back in the 13th minute, when they made full use of an attacking scrum five metres from the Sharks' line – with September taking a flat ball to slip through a tackle to score between the posts for a converted try.

The visitors narrowed the gap to one point thanks to Coetzee's second penalty but both teams were battling to find continuity, as the contest was be-devilled by some poor handling – the teams offering up 18 handling errors during the first half.

But the Sharks XV finally put a few phases together before right wing Morné Joubert swapped passes with scrumhalf Hanco Venter before the wing went over in the corner for an unconverted try, as the visitors moved into an 11-7 lead after 26 minutes – a lead the Sharks XV would take to half-time.

The Blue Bulls were struggling to secure their own lineout ball and the Sharks XV had the better of the first 10 minutes of the second half. The visitors finally made their dominance count when a series of forward drives saw outside centre Sibusiso Sithole dive over from close range for a converted try, as the Sharks XV moved into an 18-7 lead after 53 minutes.

But the Blue Bulls struck back almost immediately when lock Abongile Nonkontwana charged down an attempted clearance with Mahlo on hand to score an unconverted try to narrow the gap to six points.

The Sharks XV were reduced to 14 men in the 61st minute when flank Christiaan de Bruin was yellow carded for illegally killing the ball and the Blue Bulls took immediate advantage when September barged his way over for an unconverted try, to leave the visitors clinging to a one-point lead.

The introduction of replacement flyhalf Tony Jantjies provided the Bulls with an injection of life and he sparked a sweeping backline move that saw the industrious flank Roelof Smit slip a pass to Mahlo, who dived over in the corner to secure the bonus-point try as the Bulls moved into a 22-18 lead.

The Sharks XV threw everything they had into attack and the Bulls were reduced to 14 men when lock Marvin Orie was yellow carded for entering a maul from the side entry with the hooter having already sounded. But the Bulls held on for the narrow win.

Scorers:

For Blue Bulls:

Tries: September 2, Mahlo 2

Con: Webster

For Sharks XV:

Tries: Joubert, Sithole

Con: Campbell

Pens: Coetzee 2

Yellow cards: Christiaan De Bruin (Sharks, 61), Marvin Orie (Blue Bulls, 82)

Teams:

Blue Bulls: 15 Divan Rossouw, 14 Kefentse Mahlo, 13 Dan Kriel, 12 Marquit September, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Kurt Webster, 9 Andre Warner, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Ruan Steenkamp, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Abongile Nonkontwana, 3 Entienne Swanepoel, 2 Jan van der Merwe, 1 Andrew Beerwinkel.

Replacements: 16 Alandré van Rooyen, 17 Neethling Fouché, 18 Ruben van Heerden, 19 Nic de Jager, 20 Theo Maree, 21 Tony Jantjies, 22 Alcino Izaacs.

Sharks XV: 15 Alrin Eksteen, 14 Morné Joubert, 13 Sibusiso Sithole, 12 Nkululeko Marwana, 11 Marcel Coetzee, 10 Duncan Campbell, 9 Hanco Venter, 8 Lubabalo Mthembu, 7 Christiaan de Bruin, 6 Khaya Majola, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Hyron Andrews, 3 Gerhard Engelbrecht, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Juan Schoeman.

Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Ruan Kramer, 19 David McDuling, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Dylan Marcus, 22 Kelvin Elder.

Referee: Egon Seconds

SWD Eagles 39-22 Border Bulldogs

The home side outscored their opponents five tries to four in a match that exploded into life in the second half, after SWD had gone to half-time holding a narrow 10-5 lead. Border came into the match holding a four-point lead over SWD on the log after winning four of their eight matches although SWD did have a game in hand.

The hosts opened the scoring thanks to a penalty from flyhalf Thomas Kean before Border took the lead in the 35th minute when fullback Masixole Bande went over for a try that he failed to convert.

But the home team regained the lead shortly before the break when flank Johannes Stander barged his way over for a converted score.

The start of the second half saw a flurry of scoring and it took the Eagles just two minutes after the restart to extend their lead when lock Andries van der Walt crashed over for a converted try before hooker Mark Pretorius dotted down seven minutes later, as SWD eased to a 22-5 lead.

But Border narrowed the gap when replacement flyhalf Logan Basson scored an unconverted try. SWD were in the ascendency though and extended their lead once again when replacement flank Christo du Plessis scored a converted try.

However, Border made the hosts sweat as they narrowed the gap to 29-22 thanks to tries from replacement hooker Mihlali Mpafi and left wing Michael Makase. But SWD made sure of the win thanks to a Kean penalty and a Daniel Roberts try with two minutes left in the match.

Scorers:

For SWD Eagles:

Tries: van der Walt, Pretorius, Stander, Roberts, du Plessis

Cons: Kean 4

Pens: Kean 2

For Border Bulldogs:

Tries: Mpafi, Makase, Banda, Basson

Con: Basson

Teams:

SWD Eagles: 15 Leighton Eksteen, 14 Hentzwill Pedro, 13 Kirsten Heyns, 12 Wilneth Engelbrecht, 11 Daniel Roberts, 10 Thomas Kean, 9 Johan Steyn, 8 Thor Halvorsen, 7 Lyndon Hartnick, 6 Janneman Stander, 5 Lodewyk Uys, 4 Peet van der Walt, 3 Dean Hopp, 2 Mark Pretorius (captain), 1 Layle Delo.

Replacements: 16 Kurt Haupt, 17 Nemo Roelofse, 18 Christo du Plessis, 19 Andisa Ntsila, 20 Mzo Dyantyi, 21 Jacquin Jansen, 22 Lenes Nomdo.

Border Bulldogs: 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Sipho Nofemele, 13 Lundi Ralarala, 12 Lunga Dumezweni, 11 Michael Makase, 10 Oliver Zono, 9 Bangi Kobese, 8 Nkosi Nofuma, 7 Siya Mdaka (captain), 6 Lukhanyo Nomzanga, 5 Wandile Putuma, 4 Lindokuhle Welemu, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Ludwe Booi, 1 Blake Kyd.

Replacements: 16 Mihlali Mpafi, 17 Yanga Xakalashe, 18 Athenkosi Khethani, 19 Billy Dutton, 20 Zukisani Tywaleni, 21 Makazole Mapimpi, 22 Logan Basson.

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen