Home wins in Currie Cup qualifiers

 

The Griffons pipped the SWD Eagles 25-21 in a nail-biting encounter at HT Pelatona Projects Stadium in Welkom, while Griquas defeated the Boland Cavaliers 48-17 at Griquas Park and the Leopards smashed the Falcons 53-7 at Profert Olen Park in Potchefstroom.

 

The Leopards’ victory marked their second successive bonus-point win and earned them the status as the only unbeaten team in the competition after two rounds.

 

The Potchefstroom team is now four points ahead of the Griquas at the top of the log table with 10 points. 

 

 

The clash between the Griffons and SWD Eagles was a tight tussle as the teams threw everything at each other from the outset.

 

The SWD Eagles has the first say with a try in the seventh minute as flank Janneman Stander crossed the chalk. But the 2014 First Division champions hit back with a penalty followed by a try in the 27th minute to take a 10-7 lead.

 

Two tries by SWD wing Alshaun Bock in the 50th and 57th minutes, however, allowed them to take the lead, but this was cancelled out by the Griffons as Watts scored a converted try followed by another by Tertius Maarman in the 71st minute.

 

Franna du Toit added a second penalty for the hosts on the stroke of full-time to push them four points ahead on the scoreboard. The defeat for the SWD Eagles marked their second in the tournament. 

 

 

Tries: Watts, Steyn, Maarman

Cons: Watts 2

Pens: Watts, Du Toit

 

Tries: Bock 2, Stander

Cons: Smith 3

 

 

Griffons: 15 Tertius Maarman, 14 Norman Nelson, 13 Dewald Pretorius, 12 Japie Nel, 11 Vuyo Mbotho, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Boela Abrahams, 8 Nicky Steyn (captain), 7 Freddy Ngoza, 6 Erik le Roux, 5 Johan van der Hoogt, 4 Marco Kruger, 3 Rudi Britz, 2 Elandre Huggett, 1 Gerard Baard.

Replacements: 16 Khwezi Mkhafu, 17 Daniel van der Merwe, 18 Willem Serfontein, 19 Martin Sithole, 20 Oshwill Nortje, 21 Franna du Toit, 22 Wynand Pienaar.

 

SWD Eagles: 15 Gerrit Smith, 14 Clinton Wagman, 13 Kirsten Heyns, 12 Luzuko Vulindlu, 11 Alshaun Bock, 10 Martin du Toit, 9 Leighton Eksteen, 8 Christo Du Plessis (captain), 7 Andisa Ntsila, 6 Janneman Stander, 5 Mzwanele Zito, 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Dean Hopp, 2 Marius Fourie, 1 Layle Delo.

Replacements: 16 Wayne Khan, 17 Franco van der Merwe, 18 Alwyn Bester, 19 Buran Parks, 20 Dillin Snel, 21 Daniel Roberts, 22 Brian Skosana.

 

 

The Griquas found their rhythm against the Boland Cavaliers after their Round One defeat, and secured an encouraging 48-17 bonus-point victory at home.

 

Griquas No.8 Carel Greeff was the star of the match as he ran in a fantastic four tries to push the hosts into a commanding lead. Three of his tries were scored in the first 28 minutes.

 

The home team was dominant on attack as their forwards laid a solid platform up-front, which the backs fed off, and they supported this with a solid defensive effort. This set them up for a 26-3 halftime lead.

 

They picked up where they left off in the second half with prop Steph Roberts scoring their first five-pointer of the second half after only two minutes and the team eventually increased their try tally to eight.

 

Boland fought back and managed to score two tries thanks to Christian Rust and Hanno Kitshoff, but it was a case of too little too late for the Cavaliers. 

 

 

Tries: Greeff 4, Janse van Rensburg, Viljoen, Van Rooyen, Roberts

Cons: Brummer 4

 

Tries: Rust, Kitshoff

Cons: Zana

Pen: Zana

 

 

Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Rocco Jansen, 13 Jonathan Francke, 12 Clinton Swart, 11 PJ Vermeulen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Tian Meyer (captain), 8 Carel Greeff, 7 Jonathan Adendorf, 6 Nardus van der Walt, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Stephan Greeff, 3 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 2 AJ Le Roux, 1 Steph Roberts.

Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Stephan Kotze, 18 Hugo Kloppers, 19 Jono Janse van Rensburg, 20 Rudi van Rooyen, 21 AJ Coertzen, 22 Gouws Prinsloo.

 

Boland: 15 Eric Zana, 14 Senan Van Der Merwe, 13 Wilneth Engelbrecht, 12 Jos Malherbe, 11 Danwel Demas, 10 Christian Rust, 9 Jovelian de Koker, 8 Wayne Wilschut, 7 Chaney Willemse, 6 Freginald Africa, 5 Gavin Annandale (captain), 4 Hanno Kitshoff, 3 Deacon Chowles, 2 Clemen Lewis, 1 Stephanus Wessels.

Replacements: 16 Chadley Wenn, 17 Keenan Abrahams, 18 Yves Bashiya, 19 Nicolai Lubbe, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 Adriaan Carelse, 22 Ryno Conradie.

 

 

The Leopards were in fine form in their clash against the Falcons as they dominated proceedings completely and used their try-scoring chances well to secure the first 50-point score in the competition this season.

 

Such was their dominance they scored two converted tries in the first eight minutes, while flyhalf Adriaan Engelbrecht added a penalty and fullback Rhyno Smith a long-range drop goal to hand them a 20-0 lead at the break.

 

They continued to stamp their authority in the second half by adding another three tries in the first 11 minutes. Two of these tries were scored by in-form wing Adri Jacobs, which allowed him to secure his second hat-trick in as many matches.

 

Despite trailing far behind, the Falcons hit back with their first and only try in the 55th minute compliments of replacement back Jaco Oosthuizen, but the rest of their efforts to close in on the Leopards proved fruitless.

 

 

Tries: Jacobs 3, Vermeulen, Morrison, Smith, Kruger

Cons: Engelbrecht 6

DG: Smith

Pen: Engelbrecht

 

Try: Oosthuizen

Con: Kotze

 

 

Leopards: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Rowayne Beukman, 13 Adrian Vermeulen, 12 Johan Deysel, 11 Adri Jacobs, 10 Adriaan Engelbrecht, 9 Dillon Smit, 8 Juan Language (captain), 7 Henro-Pierre Swart, 6 Marno Redelinghuys, 5 Francois Robertse, 4 Robert Kruger, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 2 Wian Fourie, 1 Johan Smith.

Replacements: 16 Dane van der Westhuyzen, 17 Devon Martinus, 18 Walt Steenkamp, 19 Loftus Morrison, 20 Hanco Venter, 21 Sizo Maseko, 22 Damian Engledoe.

 

Falcons: 15 Arno Poley, 14 Coert Cronje, 13 Christopher Bosch, 12 Willie Odendaal, 11 Riaan Arends, 10 Jaun Kotze, 9 Anrich Richter, 8 Ernst Ladendorf, 7 JP Mostert (captain), 6 Jacques Verwey, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Thulani Ngidi, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Andries Schutte.

Replacements: 16 Stephan Hartman, 17 Nico Pretorius, 18 Friedle Olivier, 19 Andrew van Tonder, 20 Johan Pretorius, 21 Jaco Oosthuizen, 22 Grant Janke.

 

Currie Cup qualifier log (Under played, won, points)

 

1. Leopards (2, 2, 10)

2. Griquas (2, 1, 6)

3. Boland (2, 1, 5)

4. Border (1, 1, 4)

5. Griffons (2, 1, 4)

6. SWD Eagles (2, 0, 1)

7. Falcons (1, 0, 0)