OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Sunday. 1.00PM.
THE 1998 Currie Cup season seems intent on producing upsets and surprises with every match, and even relatively small sides are staking their claim to the trophy.
The Golden Lions’ competition woes continue after they were beaten 19-17 by the MTN Falcons at the Bosman stadium in Brakpan on Saturday. The latest defeat to a minnow union comes a week after the South-Western Districts Eagles beat the Lions at Ellispark.
The Lions led 17-7 at half-time, but the Falcons refused to let down and when skipper Eugene Meyer crossed the line five minutes before the end of the match it was all over for the Lions.
The match was a niggly one, characterised by lots of off-the-ball antics. Lions lock Bruce Thorne was particularly itchy and got yellow carded late in the second half for foul play in a ruck. Referee Mark Lawrence had his hands full for the entire match, and when Tommie Laubscher, the Lions’ tighthead prop, punched his opposite number Gundar Williamson, both were sent off with not even 20 minutes on the clock.
In another upset the Free State Cheetahs, who were runners up in the competition last year, were beaten 34-33 by their neighbours Northern Free State. The half-time score was 20-14 in favour of the Cheetahs.
Andre Joubert, Springbok fullback, scored two tries and kicked 13 points in the Natal Sharks’ 42-24 mauling of Eastern Province at Kings Park in Durban. The Eastern Province side must be praised for their attacking style, and they should be able to give many of the larger teams a headache later in the season.
South-Western Districts beat the Mpumalanga Pumas 44-16 in their Currie Cup match played in George. The half-time score at Outeniqua Park was 9-6 in favour of the Eagles.
Springbok flyhalf Gaffie du Toit did not pack his kicking boots for Griqualand West’s match against the Blue Bulls in Kimberley, so he instead ran in a try that sealed the match 18-15 for Griquas. The Bulls fell back into an old style kicking game after Du Toit’s try, and this left their elusive runners like Jacques Olivier and Casper Steyn with nothing to do.
North-West were massacred 57-7 by rampant defending champions Western Province at Olen Park in Potchefstroom.