Western Province left no doubt that they are back as a major force on the domestic rugby scene with a courageous 20-13 Currie Cup victory over the Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday.
As was the case the previous week against the Bulls, Luke Watson and company were given no chance of pulling off a victory, but again they defied the odds.
Province were pinned back in their half for long periods, but still managed to strike the decisive blows in the first half, with tries by flank Justin Melck and number eight Robbie Diack putting them in the driving seat.
The Cheetahs used the same game plan that had worked so well for them at Newlands in the recent past and immediately engaged in a tactical kicking battle.
However, this was a WP side with its wits about it, and they gave a strong statement of their intent when they went for touch instead of posts from an early penalty. The ball travelled out to centre Sarel Potgieter, who did well to set up Melck for the try.
It all threatened to go pear-shaped as WP lost one of their main attacking weapons in wing Joe Pietersen thanks to a disgraceful tackle from Gaffie du Toit, but Zhahier Ryland stepped up and brought his own brand of dazzling footwork to the stage.
They suffered an even bigger blow in the 20th minute when hooker Schalk Brits hobbled off to be replaced by Huia Edmonds.
However, they simply refused to buckle and thwarted attack after attack with courageous defence.
Watson led the way and fittingly started the counter-attack that sent Diack on his way for WP’s second try five minutes before halftime.
It was a big cushion to have on a wet day at Newlands, but the Cheetahs did manage to chip away, starting with a penalty by flyhalf Willem de Waal shortly before halftime.
Then the rain came down and WP were well-positioned with an 11-point lead. De Waal managed a good kick from the right-hand touchline to double the Cheetahs’ tally shortly after the restart, but Olivier answered from in front of the posts 10 minutes later.
With the rain continuing to pelt down, the match degenerated into a scrappy affair, with both sides struggling to put together sustained phases of play and turning over possession.
The onus was on the Cheetahs to make play and while they managed to breach WP’s first line of defence on a number of occasions, the home side scrambled brilliantly.
Inevitably, the ball also became difficult to handle, and it was always going to be a bridge too far to make up two scores chasing the game under such conditions.
Province weathered the assault and Olivier struck a crucial blow four minutes from time with a penalty that sent the crowd into raptures.
The game was won, but the Cheetahs managed to secure a bonus point when replacement hooker Richardt Strauss scored from a rolling maul and De Waal converted.
Diack was recognised as the man of the match, but this was a day that belonged the entire WP team as they walked off to a standing ovation. – Sapa