WP break records

It was a tough match to watch if you were not an ardent rugby fan because after a while the game became a bit deformed as the home side broke records in beating Eastern Province 95-0 in the last match of the 52nd Craven week, hosted by Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch – a prestigious match in which the best two teams of the week are chosen to face each other, the winner coming to be regarded as the champion of the Craven Week – an unofficial position.

This match became the vogue in 1971 and since then there have been big scores in the past but the previous biggest was 52-3 when Free State beat Western Province in 2007. There had been two occasions since 1971 when a team failed to score in this match when Transvaal beat Eastern Province 3-0 in 1984 and when the Blue Bulls beat the Golden Lions 46-0 in 2012. Today's match surpassed all of those  and it is to be devoutly hoped that it never happens again.

The field for the match was cut up after heavy rains on Thursday night and all Friday. It suffered further at the beet of the curtainraiser, but it did no deter Western Province from handling far better than Eastern Province did and playing much faster.

By the first minute Western Province went ahead of the clock and they stayed ahead throughout.

Curwin Bosch kicked off for Eastern Province and Western Province caught the ball and marched a maul a long way downfield before Cornel Smit handed off an opponent and have to Damian Willemse who gave to Nico Leonard who scored a try which Jondré Williams converted and Western Province led 7-0 after a minute.

Western Province attacked again and Tyreeq February was stopped right at the line. From a five-metre scrum Willemse and Manuel Rass were close and then Williams goaled a penalty when Eastern Province were offside. 10-0 after.

Eastern Province then had its best passage of play as Bosch counterattacked and then launched a kick that had Western Province at their goal-line. Ayabonga Oliphant was twice involved in a close attack but Smit intercepted and Leonard chased his kick downfield but Eastern Province survived.

After Bosch's chip and catch, Western Province won a turnover – one of many – and Smit broke clean through and gave to Williams who scored the try which he converted. 17-0 after 12 minutes.

It was a break by Rass that set up the third try. He gave inside to Willemse who seemed to be drifting in search of somebody to pass. His drift took him 30 metres for a try. 24-0 after 20 minutes.

Rass got the next try when Eastern Province dropped the ball and Willemse kicked it through over the goal-line and Rass won the race for the try. 31-0 after 27 minutes.

Western Province counterattacked on the left and Smith broke and passed inside to Rass who got his second try. 38-0 after 33 minutes.

Bosch kicked, Western Province counterattacked, Joshua Vermeulen chipped, cuiagght and chipped again. Leonard won the ball near the line and lock Ruben de Villiers bashed over for the try. That made it 43-0  at half.

It took Western Province 10 minutes to start scoring again in the second half and it came when Vermeulen chipped and Leonard footed on over the line and dotted down. 50-0 after 45 minutes.

Western Province scored soon after the kick-off when George Lourens kicked a delicate diagonal kick with his left foot near the half-way line. Vermeulen ran onto the ball and passed to Leonard who passed inside to Rass who scored another excellent try. 57-0 after 47 minutes.

When Eastern Province's hands let them down again Lourens picked up, beat two opponents and flicked an underarm pass to Khanya Ncusane and the bib man set off on a 50-metre run to the left cornerflag. Bosch's tackle nearly prevented the try but the TMO confirmed the try which Williams converted from touch. 64-0 after 52 minutes.

From a scrum, Ncusane played to Zain Davids who was now on the flank. Davids gave to Smit who eventually passed to Ryan Muller who burst throw two feeble tackles to score. 71-0 after 55 minutes.

From the kick-off Tyreeq February scored in the right corner. 76-0 after 57 minutes and then raced 40 metres to make it 81-0.

The next try may have been the most memorable. Big Leo Kruger, a prop, got the ball in midfield about 12 metres inside his half. He started striding down the midfield with great concentration. For reasons best known to himself the Eastern Province defenders stood off him as he strode ahead, charioteer crossing the Red Seaz, and they stayed away as he scored under the posts. Lourens converted. 88-0.

Western Province attacked from the kick-off and tall De Villiers loped over for a try at the posts, which Lourens converted.

Eastern Province who had not looked like scoring anything in the whole of the match came close when Bosch chipped and chased. The ball bounced at the line where it looked that he would score, but he lost it.

The Western Province backs sparkled but it was their pack of forwards that provided the jewel-bearing opportunities to score as they dominated all aspects of play while Eastern Province got scraps of possession which they wasted as if waiting for Bosch to make the victory. The forwards laid the platform but the whol side played with skill, awareness and unbeatable confidence.

Man of the Match: Jondré Williams – quick and accurate service and great goal-kicking.

Scorers:

For Western Province:

Tries: Nico Leonard 2, Jondré Williams, Damian Willemse, Manuel Rass 3, Ruben de Villiers 2, Khanya Ncusane, Tyreeq February 2, Ryan Muller, Leo Kruger

Cons: Jondré Williams 7, George Lourens 4

Pen: Jondré Williams

Teams

Western Province: 15 Joshua Vermeulen, 14 Tyreeq February, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Nico Leonard, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jondré Williams, 8 Zain Davids, 7 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 6 Johan Visser, 5 Salmaan Moerat, 4 Ruben de Villiers, 3 Wikus Groenewald, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Carlu Sadie

Replacements: 16 Shane Farmer, 17 Ashwyn Adams, 18 Leo Kruger, 19 Khanya Ncusane, 20 Brandon Salomo, 21 George Lourens, 22 Ryan Muller

Eastern Province: 15 Riaan van Rensburg, 14 Lubabalo Dobela, 13 Heino Bezuidenhout, 12 Ayabonga Oliphant, 11 Mohamed Connelly, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Louis Strydom, 8 Kwezi Mafu, 7 Ruben Pretorius, 6 Malan Marais, 5 Michael de Marco (captain), 4 Ruben le Roux, 3 Zaci Sandi, 2 Arno le Roux, 1 Siwe Masosiwe

Replacements: 16 André Lategan, 17 CJ van Niekerk, 18 Pieter van Taak, 19 Kamva Dilima, 20 Sihle Njezula, 21 Denni Kleu, 22 Khanyo Mafunda.