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Currie Cup Review: Round 9


Only points’ difference separate The Sharks and Vodacom Western Province at the top of the Absa Currie Cup log standings at the conclusion of round nine in this season’s competition.

The reigning champions moved back into pole position following their 48-3 victory over the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington on Friday afternoon.

While Vodacom Western Province, who dropped to second on the Absa Currie Cup log due to an inferior points’ difference to the Sharks, produced a stunning 25-19 win to defeat the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.

Province fullback Joe Pietersen added 20 points with the boot in this traditional north/ south derby and steered his side to their seventh victory in the 2009 Absa Currie Cup.

Pietersen kicked six penalties and a superb conversion after Luke Watson scored the only try of the match for the hosts in this fixture which boasted the biggest crowd attendance (43000) of the season to date.

For the Vodacom Blue Bulls, flyhalf Burton Francis kicked four penalties and converted their only try which was scored by centre Jaco Pretorius in the first half of the game. The visitors ended the weekend in fourth position on the log and gained a vital bonus point for finishing within seven points of the Cape side.

“I think it was a good game of rugby,” said Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke.

“In the second half, we couldn’t get the field position we needed, but it was still a great performance from our side as well. In the first half, we played in their half of the field and scored the points. Maybe in the second half we could’ve bounced back better, but that’s the nature of the game. We lost field position and they capitalised on that.

“Both teams played positively. It was a very tactical game, so that comes down to your kicking, set pieces, discipline and penalties, and Province used their opportunities a bit better than us.”

The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs continued their amazing run in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division and recorded their fifth consecutive victory in the competition following their 20-16 win over the Xerox Lions in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

WP Nel and Frans Viljoen were the only players to cross the try line for the hosts. Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter added the other points for Free State side by kicking two penalties and converting the tries scored by Nel and Viljoen.

Derick Minnie was the only Xerox Lions player to add his name to the try-scoring sheet, with his five-pointer being converted by flyhalf Herkie Kruger. Kruger also kicked three penalties.

Meanwhile on Friday afternoon, The Sharks were in rampant mood as they outclassed the Boland Cavaliers by 48-3 in Wellington. The reigning Absa Currie Cup champions scored eight tries and held their opponents try-less in this match.

Flanker Jacques Botes scored a hat trick of tries with the other five-pointers being scored by Keegan Daniel, Craig Burden, Charl McLeod, Lwazi Mvovo and Monty Dumond. Flyhalf Juan Hernandez kicked three conversions for the visitors while centre Riaan Swanepoel also converted one try.

The Boland Cavaliers’ only points came thanks to a penalty by flyhalf Elgar Watts.

At Olen Park in Potchefstroom, the GWK Griquas returned back to winning ways and defeated the Platinum Leopards by 34-33 on Friday night.

The Kimberley team, who are currently in third position on the log, bagged maximum points from this fixture and ran in four tries to edge out the Leopards which resulted in the hosts conceding their eighth defeat of the season.

Trompie Nontshinga, Ryno Barnes, Barry Geel and Bjorn Basson were the try-scorers for the GWK Griquas. Flyhalf Naas Olivier converted all four tries and kicked a conversion while fullback Riaan Viljoen also kicked a penalty.

For the Platinum Leopards, explosive winger Shuaib Samaai and Danie Dames scored tries for the hosts. Cecil Dumond kicked seven penalties and one conversion to end the game with a personal haul of 23 points.

Weekend Results:
Vodacom Western Province 25 Vodacom Blue Bulls 19

Scorers: Vodacom Western Province - Try: Luke Watson; Conversion: Joe Pietersen; Penalties: Pietersen (6). Vodacom Blue Bulls - Try: Jaco Pretorius; Conversion: Burton Francis; Penalties: Francis (4).

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 20 Xerox Lions 16

Scorers: Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Tries: WP Nel, Frans Viljoen; Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (2); Penalties: Potgieter (2). Xerox Lions – Try: Derick Minnie; Conversion: Herkie Kruger; Penalties: Kruger (3).
Boland Cavaliers 3 The Sharks 48

Scorers: Boland Cavaliers - Penalty: Elgar Watts. The Sharks - Tries: Jacques Botes (3), Keegan Daniel, Craig Burden, Charl McLeod, Lwazi Mvovo, Monty Dumond; Conversions: Juan Hernandez (3), Riaan Swanepoel.

Platinum Leopards 33 GWK Griquas 34

Scorers: Platinum Leopards – Tries: Shuaib Samaai, Danie Dames; Conversion: Cecil Dumond; Penalties: Dumond (7). GWK Griquas – Tries: Trompie Nontshinga, Ryno Barnes, Barry Geel, Bjorn Basson; Conversions: Naas Olivier (4); Penalties: Riaan Viljoen, Olivier.
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