Western Province claim top spot
The WP beat Welwitschias, who were at the bottom of the qualifying table throughout the season, 71-17 on Saturday.
Western Province ended the season five points ahead of the second-placed Griquas after winning 13 of their 14 matches.
Griquas, Boland and the Pumas will join the six Super Rugby franchises – the Golden Lions, Blue Bulls, Free State Cheetahs, Sharks, Western Province and Eastern Province Kings – in the Currie Cup Premier Division next month.
In the other matches, Boland edge past Golden Lions XV 28-24 while the Pumas beat the Griffons 60-17.
Saturday's matches:
Western Province 71-7 Welwitschias
It was a season to forget for the men from Namibia as they lost all 14 of their games as they collected just a single bonus point to end last on the log.
Eighthman Kobus van Dyk and outside centre EW Viljoen both scored two tries apiece for the visitors as Western Province ran in 11 tries in total with the outgunned home team only able to answer with a converted try from flyhalf Macho Prinsloo in the first half.
Western Province made a fast start with flyhalf Dennis Cox and Van Dyk both scoring tries as the visitors eased to a 12-0 lead after just 10 minutes.
But the Welwitschias struck back in the 15th minute thanks to Prinsloo’s efforts but it was to be the last time the home team troubled the scorers.
Scrumhalf Justin Phillips sniped over for an unconverted score before the visitors wrapped up the bonus point for scoring four tries, in just the 21st minute, when Viljoen glided over for his first try before Van Wyk grabbed his second, two minutes before the break, Western Province went to halftime holding a comfortable 31-7 lead.
The second half was all one-way traffic as replacement flank Eital Bredenkamp, flank Christo van der Merwe, replacement scrumhalf Beyers de Villiers, replacement centre Scott van Breda, right wing Khanyo Ngcukana and Viljoen all running in second-half tries to bury the hosts.
The scorers:
For WP:
Tries: Cox, Van Dyk 2, Phillips, Viljoen 2, Ngcukana, Van der Merwe, Bredenkamp, Van Breda, De Villiers.
Cons: Hermanus 8.
For Welwitschias
Try: Prinsloo
Con: Nel.
Teams:
WP: 15 Grant Hermanus, 14 Khanyo Ngcukana, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Dennis Cox, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Christo van der Merwe, 6 Rikus Bothma, 5 Chris van Zyl (Captain), 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Chad Solomon, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Michael Willemse, 17 Denzel Riddles, 18 Jacques Vermeulen, 19 Eital Bredenkamp, 20 Beyers de Villiers, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Scott van Breda.
Welwitschias: 15 Justin Nel, 14 Phillip Nashikaku, 13 Handre Bezuidenhout, 12 Heinrich Smit, 11 Russell van Wyk, 10 Mahco Prinsloo, 9 JC Winkler, 8 Leneve Damens (Captain), 7 Morne Blom, 6 Johan Luttig, 5 Wikus Davis, 4 Munio Kasiringua, 3 Collen Smith, 2 Petri Burger, 1 Quintin Esterhuizen.
Replacements: 16 Daniel Van Vuuren, 17 Schalk Bergh, 18 Muharua Katjijeko, 19 Johann Wohler, 20 Camerol Klassen, 21 Lesley Klim, 22 Shaun Kaizemi.
Referee: Archie Sehlako
Boland 28 – 24 Golden Lions XV
Tries by centre Jacques Nel and flanker Victor Sekekete saw the Lions race out to a fourteen point lead. Hooker Chadley Wenn got the Boland on the scoreboard before a penalty by flyhalf Shaun Reynolds furthered the gap to ten points.
The Boland then dotted down twice to grab the lead, with winger Sergio Torrens and hardworking flanker Shaun McDonald both dotting down. The Cavaliers led 21-17 at the break and were looking to grab another major union scalp, with the Blue Bulls and Free State XV both having been conquered.
After the break Sekete grabbed his brace and the visitors had the lead at 24-21 with the majority of the second half remaining. Nearly a quarter of the match later centre Robbie Louw grabbed the bonus point try for his side and also seized the lead. Despite being reduced to fourteen men when winger Danwel Demas was yellow carded Boland still had two chances to extend their lead. Fullback Nico Scheepers missed both penalty attempts but Boland still walked away with the victory when referee Pierre Brousset blew the final whistle.
The scores:
For Boland:
Tries: Wenn, Louw, Torrens, McDonald
Cons: Scheepers 4
For Golden Lions XV:
Tries: Sekekete 2, Nel
Cons: Reynolds 3
Pen: Reynolds
Teams:
Boland: 15 Nico Scheepers, 14 Sergio Torrens, 13 Robert Louw, 12 Christopher Bosch, 11 Craig Pheiffer, 10 Adriaan Carelse, 9 Jovelian de Koker, 8 Zandre Jordaan (Captain), 7 Shaun McDonald, 6 Kenan Cronje, 5 Ockert van Zyl, 4 Hanno Kitshoff, 3 Francois Hanekom, 2 Chadley Wenn, 1 Niel Oelofse.
Replacements: 16 Clemen Lewis, 17 Linda Thwala, 18 Ferdie Horn, 19 Chaney Willemse, 20 Gerhard Jordaan, 21 Theuns Kotze, 22 Danwel Demas, 23 Marnus Hugo.
Golden Lions XV: 15 JW Bell, 14 Koch Marx, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Jarryd Sage, 11 Selom Gavor, 10 Shaun Reynolds, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Fabian Booysen, 7 Victor Sekekete, 6 Bobby De Wee, 5 Luvuyiso Lusaseni (Captain), 4 Jean-Pierre Du Preez, 3 Justin Ackerman, 2 Pieter Jansen, 1 Arnout Malherbe.
Replacements: 16 Johannes Snyman, 17 Clinton Theron, 18 Driaan Bester, 19 Wiehan Jacobs, 20 Ashlon Davids, 21 Siya Masuku, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi.
Referee: Pierre Brousset
Griffons 17 – 60 Pumas
The Pumas started the match all guns blazing as a swift early attacking move saw flyhalf Marlou van Niekerk over the try line in the first minute but after checking with the TMO no clear grounding was evident and the try not awarded.
The Pumas were then on the board in the sixth minute as their early dominance was rewarded with a penalty in front which fullback Justin van Staden slotted for a 3-0 lead.
The Griffons then hit back eight minutes later after working their way into the Pumas 22m, eighth man De Wet Kruger picked the ball up at a ruck and smashed his way over from close range with flyhalf George Whitehead's extras making it 7-3.
The Pumas then retook the lead in the 21st minute after a messy line out on the Griffons 5m saw the ball swung to inside centre Leighton van Wyk to scythe through and score next to the uprights, with the extras putting them 10-7 up.
A monster penalty from Whitehead evened the scores in the 30th minute, but five minutes later Mkhafu received his first yellow after repeated break down infringements and it all went down hill for the home side from there.
First Pumas hooker Swys du Toit went over the try line but again the TMO could not see a grounding, but from the resulting 5m scrum they attacked and prop Jacques Kotze crashed over for the score.
The Pumas then still had time to score another try from the kick off as the backs broke superbly and Fisher scored his first try, allowing them to go in 22-10 up.
The first 10 minutes of the second half was then a scrappy affair, but the Pumas then sealed the win with a three try blitz in seven minutes.
Van Niekerk first went over in the 54th minute after heavy Pumas pressure in the Griffons 22m made enough space and then two sparkling long range tries were finished off by JP Lewis as they stormed to a 41-10 lead.
Things then went from bad to worse as Mkhafu received his marching orders for a tip tackle in the 66th minute.
The Pumas then scored another three tries through subs, Frankie Herne, Damien Jansen van Rensburg and Fisher scored his second.
The Griffons then managed the final say as fullback Selvyn Davids scored under the post after some sparkling footwork saw him step through the defence but it was nothing more than a consolation with the match ending a few minutes later.
The scorers:
For Pumas:
Tries: Van Wyk, Kotze, Fisher 2, Van Niekerk,Lewis 2, Herne, Jansen van Rensburg
Cons: Van Staden 3, Van Niekerk, Van Wyk 2
Pen: Van Staden
Griffons:
Tries: Kruger, Davids
Cons: Whitehead 2
Pen: Whitehead
Teams:
Griffons: 15 Selvyn Davids, 14 Tertius Maarman, 13 Joubert Engelbrecht (Captain), 12 Japie Nel, 11 Sherwin Slater, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Oshwill Nortje, 8 De Wet Kruger, 7 Vincent Maruping, 6 Martin Sithole, 5 Gavin Annandale, 4 Samora Fihlani, 3 Heinrich Roelfse, 2 Khwezi Mkhafu, 1 Daniel van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Hennie Venter, 17 PW Botha, 18 Wayne Ludick, 19 Zingisa April, 20 Dirk Grobbelaar, 21 Boela Abrahams, 22 Duan Pretorius.
Pumas: 15 Justin van Staden, 14 Tyler Fisher, 13 Deon Helberg, 12 Leighton-Ray van Wyk, 11 JP Lewis, 10 Marlou van Niekerk, 9 Emile Temperman, 8 Dylan Peterson, 7 Lambert Groenewald, 6 Carel Greeff, 5 Hugo Kloppers (Captain), 4 Wiehan Hay, 3 Jacques Kotze, 2 Francois Du Toit, 1 Khwezi Mona.
Replacements: 16 Frankie Herne, 17 Sabelo Nhlapo, 18 Stephan Greeff, 19 Brian Shabangu, 20 Reynier van Rooyen, 21 Bernado Botha, 22 Damien Jansen van Rensburg.
Referee: Rodney Bonaparte
