SWD defy the odds to beat WP

Possession is not everything, it seems, nor is the wind. What matters is running and passing and catching. Those things count. Western Province had possession and wind and South Western Districts  won 38-23.

Western Province led 6-5 at the end of the first half. Then with the wind they lost the second half 33-17 to a wonderfully resilient South Western Districts side. South Western Districts were full of life, determination and cohesion. They were crisp in everything that they did. Western Province on the other hand seemed lethargic and without direction or any cohesion, seeming to wait for a miracle from an individual. No individual was forthcoming to make up for the absence of teamwork.

Mind you, at the start it seemed that the big Western Province pack would crush their opponents. At one stage they had nearly 80% of possession and South Western Districts had been forced to make 49 tackles to their 10. But there was a difference in the tackling – South Western Districts did not miss theirs.

Both sides started well, looking sharp, and Western Province came close to scoring  after a penalty produced a line-out which produced a maul and Saud Abrahams and massive Jaco Willemse were close. Edrich Venter actually got over but was held up. Even under that pressure the South Western Districts defence was excellent. Western Province ran and attacked and then South Western Districts let themselves down.

Western Province were penalised but an South Western Districts player had things to say and the penalty was reversed. Aidynn Cupido, the lanky son of the great Wilfred, goaled. 3-0 after 10 minutes, But then Western Province missed tackles.

After JT Jackson missed with a penalty attempt Western Province dropped out a long way, down into the South Western Districts half on their right. There tiny scrumhalf Niven Langdown started running, at an angle to his left and he shot past  several groping  Western Province players till he gave to his left and Curtley Prins dropped the ball onto his right boot and chipped infield where Niven Langdon ran onto the ball and had a straight run to the line. 5-3 to South Western Districts after 15 minutes. It was an electric moment in the match.

From a line-out Saud Abrahams took a short pass from Edrich Venter and burst through the middle of the field passing to Zain Davids on his left and Davids was over but the referee referred to the TMO who saw that the pass to Saud Abrahams had been forward.

Still  Jondré Williams kicked a penalty and at the break Western Province led 6-5.

With the wind Aidynn Cupido goaled a penalty to make the score 9-5 after 41 minutes and it was generally expected that Western Province were on the winning path. Then came 11 glorious minutes for South Western Districts. They scored four tries to one and on 54 minutes the score was 31-16 to boys from the land of ostriches and hops.

First they won a ruck near the half-way line and suddenly JT Jackson received a brilliant pass to race through the gap. Well down the field Duncan Saals tackled the centre but JT Jackson popped a pass to hooker Le Roux Baard who ploughed on carrying two Western Province defenders over for the try. 12-9 to South Western Districts after 43 minutes.

Western Province passed into touch and South Western Districts had a line-out on their left. They went right and then back left where JT Jackson stepped between two Western Province forwards and raced downfield swerving past a defender to score at the posts. 19-9.

There was an interlude in the South Western Districts scoring as Western Province attacked down the left. Ryan Miller, always energetic and elusive, had a run and gave to strong flank Mervano da Silva who forced his way over  for a try which substitute Tiaan Swanepoel converted. 19-16 and Western Province were back in the game – or so it was thought.

That thought evaporated quickly for South Western Districts kicked off. The catcher missed the ball which went over his head where Levuju Ndevu grabbed the bouncing ball and ran and passed to Shadward Fillies who scored. 24-16 after 50 minutes. Maar nog was dit het einde niet.

Western Province got the ball back from a tackle and the scrumhalf floated a pass out to his right where Shadward Fillies easily intercepted the ball and raced 53 metres for a try at the posts, celebrating it with the most extravagant dive of the week. 31-16 after 54 minutes.

Western Province were not going to win this one.

Not that they did not try. But South Western Districts tried harder and more efficiently.

Western Province attacked but South Western Districts defended and won a turnover. Five metres from the South Western Districts line Western Province tapped a penalty but South Western Districts defended and won a turnover. True Western Province got a try when JT Jackson chipped  and tall Aidynn Cupido leapt to catch the ball and race a long way for a try at the posts. 31-16 with 7 minutes to play.

As time ebbed away Western Province threw a long, looping pass from their right across to where there were no Western Province [players but two South Western Districts players and JT Jackson picked up and ran 40 metres to score under the posts.

The final score was 38-23.

See South Western Districts on Saturday!

Man of the Match:  JT Jackson of South Western Districts who scored a hat-trick of tries in his 23 points.

Scorers:

For South Western Districts:

Tries: JT Jackson  3, Shadward Fillies 2, Le Roux Baard

Cons: JT Jackson  4

For Western Province:

Tries: Aidynn Cupido, Mervano Da Silva

Cons: Tiaan Swanepoel  2

Pens: Jondre Williams, Aidynn Cupido  2

Teams

South Western Districts: 15 Ruan Barnard (Oakdale), 13 Curtley Prins (Outeniqua), 22 Manie Libbok (Outeniqua), 12 JT Jackson (Oakdale), 11 Shadward Fillies (Sao Bras), 10 Boeta Hamman (Oakdale), 21 Niven Langdown (Outeniqua), 8 Nevada Jacobs (Langenhoven Gimnasium), 7 Armand Heunis (Oakdale), 20 Levuju Ndevu (Outeniqua), 5 Eduan Zandberg (Outeniqua), 19 André Smith (Oakdale), 18 Roux Swart (Outeniqua),  2 Le Roux Baard (Outeniqua),, 17 Andrew Kuhn (Outeniqua).

Replacements: 16 Vogien Talmaggies (Oakdale), 3 Wynand de Necker (Outeniqua), 1 SW Odendaal (Outeniqua), , 4 Anton Smit (Outeniqua), 6 Christopher Roelofse (Outeniqua), 9 Domenic Smit (Oudtshoorn), 14 Corné de Klerk (Outeniqua)

Western Province: 15 Gerard Pieterse (Bishops), 22 Ryan Muller (Bellville), 14 Duncan Saals (Kasselsvlei), 12 Edrich Venter (captain) (Paul Roos), 11 Edwill van der Merwe (Paul Roos), 21 Aidynn Cupido (Paul Roos), 20 Jondré Williams (Boland Landbou), 8 Saud Abrahams (Bishops), 7 Zain Davids (Rondebosch), 6 Mervano da Silva (Bishops), 19 Charl-Francois du Toit (Paarl Boys' High), 4 Jaco Willemse (Paarl Gim), 18 Jerome Korf (Paul Roos), 16 Shane Farmer (Tygerberg), 17 Wikus Groenewald (Paarl Boys' High)

Replacements: 2 Jacques van Zyl (Paul Roos), 1 Gavin van der Berg (Paarl Gim), 3 JP Smith (Bishops), 5 Ruben de Villiers (Paarl Boys' High), 9 Herschell Jantjies (Paul Roos), 13 Justin Heunis (Bishops), 10 Tiaan Swanepoel

Referee: Oregopotse Rametsi

Assistant referees: Francois Pretorius, Jaco Pretorius

Assessor: Pierre Oelofse

Television match official: Jason Jaftha/Rodney Bonaparte