WP stumble as Sharks and Lions build Currie Cup form
Currie Cup Premier Division log leaders, the Cell C Sharks, and the Xerox Golden Lions continued their winning ways in the competition – sponsored by DirectAxis and Nashua – this weekend as DHL Western Province stumbled against the Steval Pumas in a thrilling weekend of action.
The Cell C Sharks extended their lead at the top of the log table to a comfortable 14 points as they registered their eighth successive victory by defeating Tafel Lager Griquas 40-22 in Kimberley on Friday.
The hosts struck first with a try in the third minute, but the log-leaders hit back with three tries to take a 19-7 lead. They built on this in the second half to increase their total to six – with centres Marius Louw and Jeremy Ward each scoring a brace. Tafel Lager Griquas, in turn, were only able to add two tries to their tally, which saw them suffer their fifth defeat in a row.
The Xerox Golden Lions, meanwhile, earned their third win on the trot as they held their nerve in a thrilling clash against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Johannesburg for a narrow 36-33 victory. A strong second quarter steered the hosts to an encouraging 26-14 halftime lead, but by the fourth quarter the visitors forced way into a narrow lead.
The Xerox Golden Lions opted for a penalty goal to nudge their way back in front on the scoreboard, which resulted in a gripping finish in which each side scored their fifth try. In the end, however, the vital penalty goal by the Xerox Golden Lions proved to be the difference on the scoreboard.
The Steval Pumas, meanwhile, fought their way back from 12-3 down against DHL Western Province in Nelspruit on Friday to earn a rewarding 22-12 victory. The win ended their eight-year losing run against the Capetonians and bolstered their confidence after back-to-back defeats.
The visitors broke out of the blocks quickly and scored their two tries in the first 21 minutes, but handling errors throughout the match denied them from adding to their score. The Steval Pumas on the other hand did well to use their chances in the second half despite the determined DHL Western Province defensive effort, which earned them three tries to add to their first-half penalty goal to seal the victory.
| Top Point scorers after round 10 |
| George Whitehead (Tafel Lager Griquas) – 62 |
| Tony Jantjies (Vodacom Blue Bulls) – 58 |
| Andre Swarts (Tafel Lager Griquas) – 55 |
| Jaco van der Walt (Xerox Golden Lions) – 48 |
| Kobus Marais (Steval Pumas) – 43 |
| Top Try scorers after round 10 |
| Sbusiso Nkosi (Cell C Sharks ) – 7 |
| Seabelo Senatla (DHL Western Province) – 7 |
| Makazole Mapimpi (Toyota Free State Cheetahs) – 6 |
Currie Cup Premier Division round 10 results and scorers:
Xerox Golden Lions 36 (26) Vodacom Blue Bulls 33 (14)
Xerox Golden Lions – Tries: Jacques Van Rooyen, Robbie Coetzee, Rohan Janse Van Rensburg (2), Aphiwe Dyantyi. Conversions: Jaco Van der Walt (4). Penalty Goal: Jaco Van der Walt.
Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Ruben Van Heerden, Jano Venter, Warrick Gelant, Johan Grobbelaar, Johnny Kotze. Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (4).
Steval Pumas 22 (3) DHL Western Province 12 (12)
Steval Pumas – Tries: Kobus Marais, Jerome Pretorius, Frankie Herne. Conversions: Kobus Marais (2). Penalty Goal: Kobus Marais.
DHL Western Province – Tries: JD Schickerling, Seabelo Senatla. Conversion: Damian Willemse.
Tafel Lager Griquas 22 (7) Cell C Sharks 40 (19)
Tafel Lager Griquas – Tries: Enver Brandt, Steyno Steyn, Wilmar Arnoldi. Conversions: George Whitehead (2). Penalty Goal: George Whitehead.
Cell C Sharks – Tries: Ross Geldenhys, Keegan Daniel, Marius Louw (2), Jeremy Ward (2). Conversions: Curwin Bosch (5).
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