Western Province (WP) boosted their confidence ahead of their home semifinal against Free State by beating the Lions 23-17 in their Currie Cup clash at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday evening.
It was hardly the stuff of champions, but WP ensured that they will have home advantage in the unlikely event of them meeting Frans Ludeke’s side again in the final on October 22.
The Lions started impressively enough, racing into a 10-0 lead in as many minutes, with a penalty by flyhalf Nel Fourie followed by an excellent Conrad Jantjes try.
They probed through a number of phases before the former Springbok fullback cut in from the blind side. Fourie converted and WP looked momentarily stunned.
However, their fightback was kick-started by flyhalf Peter Grant’s penalty in the 17th minute and six minutes later, left wing Zhahier Ryland scored in the corner after Joe van Niekerk tapped back an up-and-under. Grant’s sweetly struck low conversion raised the flags and the home side’s spirit considerably.
Grant struck again with a penalty in the 30th minute and there was almost an air of inevitability about the outcome.
Not that WP were hugely impressive by any means — they missed a number of scoring opportunities through some untidy play — but the Lions simply did not have the class to pose enough questions without a number of top Springboks out.
Still, they were unlucky not to finish the half on top, with the pass that had right wing Wylie Human out in the clear ruled forward.
Barring a late consolation try by Jantjes for the Lions, the second half was all about WP, and the 10 points that they added to their first-half tally did not do justice to their dominance.
Grant missed a penalty early in the half, but they broke the Lions’ back with flank Hendrik Gerber’s try in the 55th minute that came after long periods spent on attack. The kicking duties were handed to impressive fullback Earl Rose and he converted to make it 20-10.
The Lions brought on their heavy guns — Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius and centre Jaque Fourie — but it was too late for them to make enough of an impact.
In fact, Rose added to WP’s tally with a penalty seven minutes before the end.
Pretorius converted Jantjes’s 80th-minute try to reduce the deficit to six points, but the hooter went straight afterwards.
It was not a game that will be remembered for any length of time at Newlands, but apart from the victory, the home side would have been delighted by the form of Springboks Joe van Niekerk (number eight) and Hanyani Shimange (hooker) ahead of the play-offs.
Van Niekerk looked threatening on attack, while Shimange was outstanding in the loose.
The defeat would also not have broken the spirit of the Lions, who will be an altogether different proposition when they start with Pretorius, Fourie and another Bok centre, Wayne Julies, in their semifinal against the Blue Bulls.
Cheetahs beat Sharks
In Bloemfontein, the Free State Cheetahs put in a morale-boosting 17-3 win over the Sharks in a Currie Cup match played in a wet Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The conditions were ideal for rugby — if you live in Dunedin, New Zealand, that is — but here in South Africa, the players battled to keep the ball for longer than two phases, resulting in a boring match for the spectators.
The teams went into the break 3-3, after a Herman Bosman penalty was followed by that of Ruan Pienaar, his opposing flyhalf for the Sharks. Pienaar, son of Gysie, was schooled in Bloemfontein at Grey College, but even he must have been surprised at the strange, wet conditions.
With the Sharks out of the running, and the Cheetahs assured of a away semifinal to Western Province, there was not much to play for and Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus duly sent in an almost reserve team.
That they managed to win, courtesy of two second-half tries via lock Corniel van Zyl and wing Trompies Nontshinga, says much for the depth.
Not that the conditions allowed for much rugby. The Sharks can point to the heavens as an excuse for their shocking line-outs, but in fact they should point at themselves, losing three-quarters of this bread-and-butter phase of the game.
The Cheetahs just kicked for the corners and waited for the Sharks’ line-out to self-destruct.
The Cheetahs’ first try came after a messy free-for-all by the forwards with Van Zyl bursting through for a Bosman converted try.
As the game thankfully drew to a close, Bosman launched an English-type corner, destined up and under, ideal for these conditions, and Nontshinga collected for Bosman to convert from a tight angle. — Sapa