Province denies Boland home semifinal

MATCH REPORT: Western Province bagged their first win of the season by defeating the Boland Cavaliers by 40-22 in the Currie Cup at the Cape Town Stadium.

The result denies Boland a home semifinal as the reinforcements from the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship squad proved to be too strong for the visiting side.

*To recap all the action, CLICK HERE!

Western Province started strong in the opening minute before a couple of errors started to creep in from both sides.

Despite the hosts showing some dangerous signs on attack, Boland found themselves in prime real estate after a Juan Mostert linebreak that led to an attacking scrum after a knock-on by the hosts.

Boland won a penalty and opted for the five-metre line-out, but the decision backfired as the hosts defended the Cavaliers’ maul successfully to save the day.

Boland came close to scoring when Domenic Smith set Marlyn Williams up, who went over, but the pass was forward, and Western Province got penalised for a high tackle.

Boland went to the corner, and once again their decision backfired as the line-out throw was deemed not to be straight.

The visitors sparked a brilliant counterattack, which was initiated by Donovan Don, who found David Britz, working themselves into Province’s 22 metre area.

Prop Dayan van der Westhuizen couldn’t be stopped close to the line, who scored the opening try of the match in the 18th minute. Mostert missed the conversion.

Western Province won a penalty and opted for the corner, winning another penalty in the process for offside.

They rolled the dice again and formed a strong maul, which Boland collapsed illegally to concede another penalty, which led to a team warning to the visitors.

The hosts went to the corner, and once again, Boland found themselves offside.

Prop Vernon Matongo scored the try, but Sauleigh Arendse was sent to the sin-bin at the same time on the 24-minute mark. Jurie Matthee converted the try.

Boland won a scrum penalty on a Western Province feed, and Juan Mostert slotted the kick to reclaim the lead in the 30th minute.

Western Province earned a penalty for offside seconds before the half-time whistle and opted for the line-out.

The hosts formed a powerful maul and earned a penalty advantage before breaking away, before they came back for the penalty.

They rolled the dice again and earned another penalty, which led to a warning to Boland.

Williams stole the line-out before a scuffle broke out, but referee Morné Ferreira deemed the hosts to be offside as Mostert tapped the ball and kicked it into touch as the teams headed to the sheds.

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Western Province earned a penalty in the 42nd minute and opted for the line-out.

The gamble paid off when Adre Smith barged over the line for the try in the 43rd minute. Matthee converted the try.

Dayan van der Westhuizen received a yellow card in the same instance after the team warning in the first half.

Western Province scored their third try after going wide off a scrum to Leolin Zas in the 48th minute as Matthee sliced the conversion to the left.

Xavier Mitchell received a beautiful ball on the inside and went over to score, but the pass was ruled to be forward.

The bonus point try came for Western Province in the 53rd minute when Jonathan Roche scored a brilliant try off the back of a scrum following some great hands and interplay by the forwards and backs as Matthee slotted the conversion.

The hosts won another penalty in Boland’s red zone and kicked to the corner.

They formed a powerful maul and went over the line through veteran Dewald Duvenage, but it was deemed to be short of the line, off which the hosts earned a five-metre attacking scrum and won another penalty.

They opted for the quick tap and scored their fifth try of the afternoon with Smith grabbing a brace, which Matthee converted.

Boland won a penalty for obstruction after the restart and went for the attacking five-metre line-out.

The visitors formed a powerful maul and earned a penalty for their efforts as they opted to roll the dice again, and it almost paid off as Sibusiso Sangweni barged over but lost the ball forward.

Boland struck back in the 66th minute through Donovan Don, who bagged his ninth try of the season after a solid run by Jayden Bantom, who broke the line. Bantom slotted the conversion.

More trouble stood on Boland’s doorstep when Bantom was deemed to have tripped Zas as he looked to snipe down the blindside, for which he was yellow-carded in the 68th minute.

Western Province opted for the line-out maul and put the nail in the coffin as Marcel Theunissen scored the try, which Mathee converted in the 70th minute.

More drama occurred as Western Province prop Cabous Eloff was sent to the sin bin for cynical play after a Boland linebreak in the 72nd minute.

Boland struck back immediately with a try through Llewellyn Claasen for their third try of the afternoon, which was converted by Erik Lambrecht on the 76-minute mark.

Western Province won a penalty on the full-time mark and opted for the corner.

Vokozela broke away from the maul but knocked the ball on to bring an end to the contest.

Scorers:

For Western Province:
Tries: Matongo, Smith 2, Zas, Roche, Theunissen
Cons: Matthee 5

For Boland Cavaliers:
Tries: Van der Westhuizen, Don, Classen
Cons: Bantom, Lambrecht
Pens: Mostert

Yellow cards: Sauliegh Arendse (Boland Cavaliers, 24′ – repeated infringements: offside), Dayan van der Westhuizen (Boland Cavaliers, 43′ – repeated infringements: offside), Jayden Bantom (Boland Cavaliers, 68′ – cynical player: tripping a player and preventing a linebreak), Cabous Eloff (Western Province, 72′ – cynical play: not releasing tackled player after linebreak)

Teams:

Western Province: 15 Luke Burger, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Vernon Matongo.
Replacements: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Oliver Reid, 18 Cabous Eloff, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Connor Evans, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Jurie Matthee, 23 Wandisile Simelane.

Boland: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Donavan Don, 13 David Brits, 12 Lunathi Nxele, 11 Xavier Mitchell, 10 Juan Mostert, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Thurlow Marsh (captain), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Sauliegh Arendse, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Michael Benadie, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Wayrin Losper
Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Lamla Nunu, 18 Mthokozisi Gumede, 19 Ameer Hendricks, 20 Jurie van Vuuren, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Erik Lambrecht, 23 Jayden Bantom

Referee: Morne Ferreira
Assistant referees: Sean Muller, Zoe Naude
TMO: Egon Seconds