Lions win leaves one team standing
The Boland Cavaliers won a nail-biting Vodacom Cup match against the Sharks XV in Malmesbury as only one team remains unbeaten this season, after the Golden Lions were too good for Griquas in Kimberley.
Unbeaten Western Province though had to work hard to beat the defending champions, the Pampas XV, in Stellenbosch on Saturday.
Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis kicked five penalty goals as the Capetonians won their fifth game of the season, by 20-16, at the Danie Craven Stadium.
In Malmesbury, the Boland Cavaliers beat the KwaZulu-Natalians by 21-19 thanks to a converted try by Brendon April five minutes from full-time.
The home team outscored their more fancied guests by two tries to one and the victory was just reward for a team that had promised a lot earlier in the season, but had not always delivered.
Griquas were dealt their first defeat of the 2012 Vodacom Cup season as the Golden Lions caused a minor upset to beat the unbeaten team from the Northern Cape by 35-30 on Saturday.
A converted try by Garth April with less than 15 minutes left in the game sealed it for the visitors, who outscored the home team by four tries to two.
The EP Kings had to fight very hard to beat neighbours SWD Eagles by 27-25 in George on Friday, with a last-gasp try by Frank Herne clinching the game for the visitors, a few minutes after the home team took the lead through a try by Clint Wagman.
The result could’ve been different had the Eagles not missed numerous penalty kicks at goal at Outeniqua Park during a game in which the lead changed hands a few times.
The Leopards recorded a 30-19 victory over the Griffons in Welkom on Friday, with former Springbok flyhalf André Pretorius kicking 15 points and midfielder Joubert Engelbrecht adding two tries for the visitors from Potchefstroom.
It was only their second win of the season as the Griffons slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat.
The Blue Bulls scored seven tries as they trashed the Falcons by 49-8 in Pretoria on Friday, with five of their tries coming in the first half. Jurgen Visser collected a hat-trick of tries, while his fellow speedsters, Sampie Mastriet and Clayton Blommetjies, also crossed for the home team.
On Saturday, a hat-trick of tries by Nico Scheepers helped the Free State XV to overcome a brave performance by the Border Bulldogs to beat the visitors from the Eastern Cape by 36-28.
The Bulldogs lead 21-10 at the break and played some of their best rugby of the season, but the Free Staters never gave up and score three quick tries midway through the second half to take command of the game.
All the scores and scorers:
Blue Bulls 49-8 Falcons:
The scorers:
For the Blue Bulls:
Tries: Jurgen Visser 3, Clayton Blommetjies, Robbie Coetzee, Willie du Plessis, Sampie Mastriet
Cons: Wesley Dunlop 5, Du Plessis 2
For the Falcons:
Try: John-Wessel Bell
Pen: Ruan Coetzee
Griffons 19-30 Leopards:
The scorers:
For the Griffons:
Tries: Nicky Steyn 2, Tertius Carse
Cons: Reinhardt Erwee 2
For the Leopards:
Tries: Joubert Engelbrecht 2, Berty Visser
Cons: Andre Pretorius 3
Pens: Pretorius 3
SWD Eagles 25-27 EP Kings:
The scorers:
For the SWD Eagles:
Tries: Kempie Rautenbach, Mzo Dyantyi, Clint Wagman
Cons: Raynor Becker 2
Pens: Becker 2
For the EP Kings:
Tries: Norman Nelson, Frank Herne
Con: Justin van Staden
Pens: Van Staden 5
Free State XV 36-28 Border Bulldogs:
The scorers:
For the Free State XV:
Tries: Nico Scheepers 3, Barry Geel 2
Cons: Scheepers 3, Riaan Smit
Pens: Smit
For the Border Bulldogs:
Tries: Logan Basson, Ntando Kebe, Lesley-Dean Luiters
Cons: Ntabeni Dukisa, Louis Kruger
Pens: Dukisa 3
Griquas 30-35 Golden Lions:
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Tries: Rynard Landman, Jannie Boshoff
Con: Rudi Vogt
Pens: Vogt 6
For the Golden Lions:
Tries: Anthony Volmink, Robert de Bruyn, Jaco Kriel, Garth April
Cons: Guy Cronje 3
Pens: Cronje 3
Boland Cavaliers 21-19 Sharks XV:
The scorers:
For the Boland Cavaliers:
Tries: Brendon April, Milroy Isaacs
Con: Ricardo Croy
Pens: Croy 3
For the Sharks XV:
Try: Sibusiso Sithole
Con: Gouws Prinsloo
Pens: Prinsloo 4
Western Province 20-16 Pampas XV:
The scorers:
Western Province:
Try: Danie Poolman
Pens: Demetri Catrakilis 5
Pampas XV:
Try: Facundo Barrera
Con: Benjamin Madero
Pens: Madero 3
Standings:
(Under headings games played, won and points)
North Section: Blue Bulls 5 3 16; Golden Lions 5 3 16; Griquas 4 3 15; Pumas 4 2 13; Leopards 4 2 6; Falcons 4 1 5; Griffons 4 0 0.
South Section: Western Province 5 5 22; Eastern Province Kings 5 4 20; Sharks XV 5 3 17; Pampas XV 5 3 15; Boland Cavaliers 5 3 15; Free State XV 5 2 13; SWD Eagles 5 0 5; Border Bulldogs 5 0 0.
