Western Province overturned a 22-7 deficit to run out 30-28 winners over the Lions in a scrappy Currie Cup match at Newlands on Saturday.
The teams were deadlocked 25-all after an eventful first half that featured seven tries.
Mistakes were made and there was some awful defence, but also some good rugby, especially the team tries scored by WP as they clawed their way back from 22-7 down after just 18 minutes.
Kobus van der Merwe’s side took the lead against the run of play in the third minute when centre Corne Uys intercepted an Andre Pretorius pass and scored under the posts. Naas Olivier’s conversion made it 7-0.
Province, however, were guilty of some untidy play and throughout the first half were unable to control the kick-offs that came their way.
On top of that they initially looked lethargic and a misdirected pass in their goal area by scrumhalf Bolla Conradie was pounced on by Lions centre Doppies la Grange. Pretorius converted and the visitors were level.
Province lock Francois van der Merwe was sin-binned in the 11th minute after he tripped Pretorius and the Lions exploited the one-man advantage.
Pretorius slotted the resultant penalty and they pulled further ahead when lock Anton van Zyl finished a good move started by a La Grange line break.
The assault continued as left wing Louis Ludik ran onto a chip kick by scrumhalf Jano Vermaak and Newlands was in collective shock as in-form WP found themselves 22-7 down.
Province, however, staged a strong fightback, with number eight Robbie Diack scoring after a beautifully floated pass by flank Luke Watson.
The WP skipper had another magnificent game and played his part in WP’s next two tries, by Olivier and left wing Zhahier Ryland. Newlands was on its feet for both tries as the ball was transferred impressively through the hands by the home side.
Olivier had also slotted a penalty after Diack’s try and WP suddenly found themselves 25-22 up.
However, they immediately fluffed their lines from the kick-off after Ryland’s touchdown and Pretorius’s penalty made it 25-25.
It didn’t take WP long to pick up from where they left off.
Lions skipper Wikus van Heerden was yellow-carded for a professional foul and Watson scored from a driving maul immediately afterwards. However, Olivier missed a fourth consecutive conversion attempt and they were only 30-25 up.
Pretorius reduced the deficit to two points with a drop goal and the game settled down considerably after that as WP crept into their shells.
Van der Merwe’s substitutions also beggared belief — in particular his decisions to replace Diack and Van der Merwe with Pieter Louw and Rob Linde respectively. Province lost some clout in their pack and it was no surprise that they lacked the punch to score from driving mauls during an attacking spell.
However, the Lions were equally sub-standard in the second half and both sides failed to make opportunities count.
Uys then made a crucial defensive tackle in the last minute on Wylie Human, who was penalised for holding on.
Olivier put the ball out on the hooter and the whistle sounded a fourth consecutive victory on the trot for the Cape side.
In another game played on Saturday, the Blue Bulls saw off Griquas. It was not quite blue murder but the Blue Bulls did enough, hardly breaking into a sweat to win this Currie Cup encounter 39-20.
It was never one of those performances that would long be spoken of in Currie Cup folklore but a win is a win for the Bulls who have suffered the misfortune of losing their last two home games to Western Province and the Sharks.
Griquas were never billed to give the Bulls a tough enough fight and it showed as they leaked through five tries.
The writing was on the wall by half-time as Griquas trailed by 24-5 with their only joy during a boring first half having come from a try by Vuyani Dlomo in the 18th minute.
But the damage had been done long before the half-time break as the Bulls had run in three tries, the first coming from Derick Kuun in the fourth minute, followed by Frikkie Welsh and JP Nel tries in the ninth and 39th minutes respectively.
In the second half, the Bulls took advantage of a disinterested Griquas unit, scoring two more tries.
Stefan Basson rounded off a brilliant Bulls move in the 53rd minute after Morne Steyn had thrown a pass on the inside for John Mametsa, who crossed the advantage line.
From quick first-phase ball Steyn threw a flat pass to Basson who tip-toed to the tryline.
In the 58th minute, Kuun emerged last from a pile of bodies after the Bulls had mauled the Griqua forwards into submission.
The final nail in Griquas’ coffin came in the 71st minute when substitute flyhalf Derick Hougaard sunk a 53m drop-goal.
Griquas’ saving grace from an embarrassing score was a penalty by Conrad Barnard in the 51st after Bulls centre JP Nel was yellow-carded.
In the 62nd minute Willie Wepener found himself at the bottom of the maul to score Griquas’ second try of the day and centre Brendell Brandt put a measure of respectability on the score as he broke through the Bulls defence on the hooter to score under the poles. — Sapa