ANDY COLQUHOUN, Johannesburg | Monday 6.00pm.
Falcons 18, Free State 7
AH, the best laid plans of mice and men! Free State were supposed to win this at a canter and finish comfortably top of the log and earn a home semi-final. But someone should have told the Falcons.
Or rather, someone should have told Free State themselves who blew this one of their own volition. They were awful. Couldn’t put a lineout move together, couldn’t hold a pass and couldn’t get any decent continuity.
It allowed the Falcons to grow visibly in confidence and during the second half it was they who drove the game against an increasingly desperate Cheetahs. The Falcons led throughout. They didn’t play well, Dawie Du Toit kicked four penalties but missed another three and on any other day the Falcons might have been hammered.
But anyone could have beaten Cheetahs on this performance. Watch them come roaring back in an away semi-final when they discover their identity.
Scorers: Falcons – Try: Arno Barnard. Penalties: Dawie du Toit (4). Cheetahs – Try: Chris Badenhorst. Penalty: Andre Fourie.
Lions 27, SWD 0
THE Lions can almost begin to plan their Currie Cup final strategy after placing a psychological stranglehold on next week’s semi-final against these same opponents. Teh Lions whipped the Eagles 27-0.
Their four points from the win took them top of the log on points difference above the Sharks and left the Eagles facing the long trip to Johannesburg for their first appearanmce in the playoffs.
Even more daunting than that will be memories of this Lions performance. In cold and blustery conditions the visitors managed two feats beyond any other side this season – they won at Outeniqua Park and shut out the Eagles to boot. Three tries and and five successful kicks from six attempts by Kobus Engelbrecht who took his tally of points this season to 351.
Scorers: Lions – Tries: Kobus Engelbrecht, Walter Minnaar, Thinus Delport. Conversions: Engelbrecht (3). Penalties: Engelbrecht (2).
Griqualand West 31, Western Province 28
A storming second half comeback by Western Province was cancelled out by a nerveless injury time penalty from Edrich Lubbe to give Griquas a dramatic if meaningless victory at Absa Park in Kimberley.
Both sides’ hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals ended weeks ago but they managed to serve up a hum-dinger as Province came back from 18-0 down at the interval to level the scores at 28-28 in the final minute of normal time.
Eighthman Chean Roux scored in the left hand corner and with Braam van Straaten kicking his fourth conversion Province had parity for the first time in the match. As injury time ticked by Griquas broke out and found room on the left where replacement Altus Laubscher looked certain to score.
He crossed in the left hand corner but the touch judge ruled that Gus Theron’s tackle had taken him into touch by the corner flag. Replays appeared to contradict the official’s decision and, with a lineout feed, Province appeared to have averted the danger. But they were penalised by Tappe Henning at the lineout and Lubbe came up to land his fourth attempt from eight kicks at goal and win a famous victory.
Scorers: Griquas – Tries: Gaffie du Toit, Piet Krause, Dries Scholtz. Conversions: Edrich Lubbe (2). Penalties: Lubbe (2). Drop goals: Du Toit (2). Western Province – Tries: Charl Marais, Dirk Hanekom, Gus Theron, Chean Roux. Conversions: Braam van Straaten (4).