Big scores dominate opening day at Northern APC tournament
The opening day of the Northern Amateur Provincial Championship was dominated by big scores on Monday with three of the four winners scoring 50 points or more at the Nelspruit Rugby Club.
The Blue Bulls secured the biggest score of the day as they defeated Pumas Highveld 85-3, while the Lions beat the Limpopo Blue Bulls 60-27 and Pumas Lowveld registered a 50-13 victory against the Valke.
Defending champions and overall 2014 Amateur Provincial Championship winners, the Leopards, also started their campaign on a high note with a 31-25 victory against the Blue Bulls Invitational XV.
The Blue Bulls were in fine form from the outset as they scored a total of 13 tries and 10 conversions for their 85 points. Such was their dominance they built up an encouraging 38-3 lead at the break and then added 47 points in the second half. Christiaan Burger and Damian van Wyk proved to be the team’s main attacking weapons as they each scored a hat-trick, while Steven Moir slotted over eight conversions and added a try for a personal tally of 21 points.
The Lions, meanwhile, delivered an equally strong performance against the Limpopo Blue Bulls in which they showed innovation on attack and produced a solid defensive effort, allowing them to dominate proceedings. The Johannesburg side took a 24-0 lead at the break and continued this form in the second half as they stretched their try tally to eight. The clash was particularly memorable for Chris Juries, who touched down an impressive four times. The Limpopo Blue Bulls, meanwhile, tried hard to force their way back into the match in the second half and earned three tries for their efforts, but this was too little too late as the Lions emerged 60-27 victors.
The Pumas Lowveld attack also proved too strong for the Valke, as they capitalised well on their point-scoring chances to secure a 31-6 halftime lead. They continued to apply pressure after the break and the rewards followed as they touched down seven times in total, while Tiaan Marx scored a try, six conversions and a penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking.
In stark contrast the match between the Leopards and Blue Bulls Invitational XV was tight from the start as both teams threw everything at one another. This resulted in the Leopards entering the break with a narrow 14-13 lead. Both teams stepped up their attack in the second half, but the Leopards made better use of their chances and managed to nudge their way into a 31-25 lead to secure the victory.
The Blue Bulls Invitational XV will meet Pumas Highveld in the opening match of the second round on Wednesday at 13h00, while the Limpopo Blue Bulls will go up against the Valke.
In the main matches, the Leopards take on the Blue Bulls at 17h00 and Pumas Lowveld will line up against the Lions at 19h00.
Northern Amateur Provincial Championship day 1 results, Monday 7 September:
Lions 60 – 27 Limpopo Blue Bulls
Leopards 31 – 25 Blue Bulls Invitational XV
Blue Bulls 85 – 3 Pumas Highveld
Pumas Lowveld 50 – 13 Valke
Northern Amateur Provincial Championship day 2 fixtures, Wednesday 9 September:
13h00 – Blue Bulls Invitational XV vs Pumas Highveld
15h00 – Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Valke
17h00 – Leopards vs Blue Bulls
19h00 – Pumas Lowveld vs Lions
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