MONDAY, 1.00PM:
FREE STATE collected muximum points when they beat Border 50-3 in a Currie Cup encounter at the Basil Kenyon Stadium in East London on Sunday. Free State led 28-3 at the break from four goals and a penalty.
After 13 minutes, Free State were leading 21-0 through tries by hooker Naka Drotske, left wing Jan Harm van Wyk and lock Ryno Oppernman. Flyhalf Jannie de Beer kicked the conversions. Free State’s flanker Rassie Erasmus was sent out in the 40th minute after he head-butted Border flyhalf Greg Miller in full view of referee Tape Henning.
FREE STATE: Tries by hooker Naka Drotske, left wing Jan-Harme van Wyk (2), Willie Opperman, right wing Chris Badenhorst (2), fullback MJ Smith. Flyhalf Jannie de Beer kicked six conversions and one penalty.
BORDER: Flyhalf Greg Miller one penalty.
Northern Transvaal beat Griqualand West 15-12 in a Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Bulls trailed 7-3 at half-time.
The Blues dominated the lineouts, rucks and mauls, but the backline never had the penetration to capitalise. Their three-quarters were at times shockingly bad, failing dismally in basics such as handling.
Schutte Bekker, Adriaan Richter, Jannie Brooks and Krynauw Otto played well and helped Northerns back to the game in which both sides scored two tries.
NORTHERN TRANSVAAL: Tries: Van der Westerhuizen and Roland de Marigny, Casper Steyn kicked a penalty and a conversion. GRIQUAS: Tries: Abrie Pretorius and replacment wing Robert Markram, Conversion: Franco Smith.
Bottom-of-the-log Mpumalanga Pumas beat Gauteng Falcons 35-29 in their Bankfin Currie Cup match at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan on Friday night after leading 25-20 at halftime.
Pumas and Springbok lock Elandre van den Berg had a great game in the lineouts, while flanker Francois Rossouw played a key role in the second-phase play, with fullback Andries Fourie managing to run in two good tries in the first half and converting a few kicks.
MPUMALANGA PUMAS: Tries: Andries Fourie (2), Riaan Potgieter, Gerhard Bouwer. Fourie scored three penalties and three conversions.
GAUTENG FALCONS: Tries: Len van Riet, Eugene Meyer. Gert Peens scored five penalties and two conversions.
Gauteng Lions thrashed Northern Free State 89-17 in their Bankfin Currie Cup match in Welkom on Friday. Lions, who led 35-17 at half time, scored 13 tries in all, with five coming in the first half, proving their overall dominance in the loose scrums. Thinus Delport scored a hat-trick.
Flyhalf Louis van Rensburg was the star of the Lions’ side and spearheaded the win with his fine play.
GAUTENG LIONS: Tries: Thinus Delport (3), Jannie van der Walt (2), Kobus Engelbrecht, Joe Gillingham, Louis van Rensburg, Andre Vos, Gerrie Theron, James Dalton, JP du Plooy, Warren Brosnihan. Conversions: Johan Roux (6), Engelbrecht (2), Gillingham (2), Van Rensburg.
NORTHERN FREE STATE: Tries: Henry Kershaw (2). Eric Herbert scored a penalty and two conversions.