In-form Griffons march on

The Griffons remain the surprise early front-runners in the expanded First Division competition, after picking up their third successive five-point haul in a 29-24 victory over the Border Bulldogs in Welkom at the weekend.

In what is rapidly developing into an intriguing competition, defending champions the Boland Cavaliers slipped to their third defeat on the trot, going down 21-23 to the Leopards in Malmesbury.

Friday's other match saw the SWD Eagles move to third on the eight-team log following an encouraging 22-16 win in George against the Pumas, while the EP Kings retained their unbeaten record with a 37-20 away win over the Falcons in Kempton Park that moves the men from Port Elizabeth to second place.

The weekend's scores and scorers:

Griffons 29-24 Border Bulldogs:

The Griffons continued their unbeaten run when they overcame a gutsy Bulldogs team at the North West Stadium, with the competition's top point-scorer, left wing Reinhardt Erwee, scoring two tries and kicking three conversions and a penalty to give the men from Welkom a full house of 15 log points after three matches.

The Bulldogs scored three good tries, which gave the East London side a bonus point, but they nevertheless slumped to a third straight defeat and Border fans look set for yet another long season propping up the table.

Both sides showed enterprise in less-than-ideal conditions and produced seven tries between them, with Erwee joined on the Griffons' team sheet by barnstorming centre Japie Nel and his twinkle-toed midfield partner Werner Griesel.

For the Bulldogs, who trailed 10-0 early on and spent most of the first half tackling their opponents, livewire replacement scrumhalf Sinovuyo Nyoka scored a try on the hour that kept his side in the game, while late tries from fullback Thembani Mkokeli and right wing Chrislyn van Schalkwyk at least ensured that the visitors would not return to the Eastern Cape empty-handed.

The corers:

For the Griffons:

Tries: Werner Griesel, Reinhardt Erwee 2, Japie Nel

Cons: Erwee 3

Pen: Erwee

For the Bulldogs:

Tries: Thembani Mkokeli, Sinovuyo Nyoka, Chrislyn van Schalkwyk

Cons: Louis Kruger 2, Ntabeni Dukisa

Pen: Dukisa

Boland Cavaliers 21-23 Leopards

Malmesbury proved to be an unhappy hunting ground for the Boland Cavaliers who, despite finishing strongly against the visiting Leopards, slumped to their third defeat of the season.

Things could have been very different however, as home flyhalf Elgar Watts missed an injury-time penalty from the touchline that would have given the Bolanders victory.

Both sides scored three tries, but it was replacement flank Milroy Isaacs' late effort for the Cavaliers which brought the biggest cheer of the afternoon from the 1,300-strong crowd, who sensed a famous come-from-behind win victory.

But it was not to be as the Leopards defended manfully for the last 10 minutes to take the spoils. The visitors enjoyed a perfect start, going 7-0 up after just five minutes thanks to a try from second-rower Siyanda Ndlovu and a conversion by veteran Springbok flyhalf André Pretorius.

Watts brought the Cavaliers to within three points of the Leopards at the break when he darted through for a try he converted himself. The home side took the lead after halftime with a converted try to flank Franzel September, but a 13-point spree by the Leopards gave them a lead that, in the final analysis, proved to be just enough.

The scorers:

For the Cavaliers:

Tries: Milroy Isaacs, Franzel September, Elgar Watts

Cons: Watts 3

For the Leopards:

Tries: Siyanda Ndlovu, Hoffman Maritz, Edgar Marutlulle

Con: André Pretorius

Pens: Adriaan Engelbrecht 2

SWD Eagles 22-16 Pumas

Former WP and Stormers flyhalf Kurt Coleman was the hero for the SWD Eagles at Outeniqua Park in George as his faultless personal haul of 14 points made all the difference in a hard-fought victory over the Pumas.

The visitors raced to an early 8-0 lead thanks to a try from flank RW Kember and a penalty from flyhalf JC Roos, but any fears the home supporters had that their side would be outmuscled were allayed as the Eagles slowly but surely fought their way back.

Such was SWD's turnaround that they actually led 22-11 until an injury-time try from the Pumas gave the men from Mpumalanga, whose indiscipline was telling in the final outcome, a losing bonus point.

Coleman capitalised on the Pumas' indiscretions with four well-taken penalties, while the pivot also converted his halfback partner Johan Herbst's 44th-minute try on a cold and wet Southern Cape evening.

The scorers:

For the Eagles:

Try: Johan Herbst

Con: Kurt Coleman

Pens: Coleman 4, Theuns Kotze

For the Pumas:

Tries: RW Kember, Renaldo Bothma

Pens: JC Roos 2

Falcons 20-37 EP Kings

The EP Kings picked up their third win in a row with a convincing away victory over the Falcons at an icy Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park.

The visitors had the match virtually sewn up by halftime as they led 24-8 thanks to tries from prodigal son Michael Killian – who has returned to Port Elizabeth after a successful spell at the Lions – Kiwi prop Clint Newland and former Springbok wing Jongi Nokwe.

The Falcons were dealt an early blow when tighthead prop Nico Engelbrecht was injured and his replacement, Hannes Ludik, was sin-binned shortly afterwards to give the Kings a one-man advantage that Killian took advantage of.

Tireless Falcons eighthman Reg Muller scored his team's first try just before the break, but the Kings responded after halftime with a try to replacement prop Lizo Gqoboka that made it 31-8.

The Falcons fought back strongly with tries to wing JW Bell and replacement loose forward Uzair Cassiem to cut the deficit to 11 points, but the Kings, showing good composure, closed out the game with two penalties from the boot of replacement flyhalf Wesley Dunlop.

The scorers:

For the Falcons:

Tries: JW Bell, Reg Muller, Uzair Cassiem

Con: Karlo Aspeling

Pen: Aspeling

For the Kings:

Tries: Michael Killian, Lizo Gqoboka, Jongi Nokwe, Clint Newland

Cons: George Whitehead 4

Pens: Whitehead, Wesley Dunlop 2

Standings (under headings games played, won and points): Griffons 3 3 15; EP Kings 3 3 14; SWD Eagles 3 2 9; Leopards 3 2 9; Pumas 3 1 6; Falcons 3 1 6; Boland Cavaliers 3 0 2; Border Bulldogs 3 0 1.

Leading points-scorers:

45 – Reinhardt Erwee (Griffons – three tries, six conversions, six penalties)

44 – George Whitehead (Eastern Province Kings – two tries, eight cons, six pens)

35 – Kurt Coleman (SWD Eagles – sevens cons, seven pens)