Western Province’s (WP) Currie Cup aspirations were dealt a crushing blow when the Sharks XV beat them 31-23 at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
WP, who started the match in sixth position on the points table — seven points behind the fourth-placed Sharks — lost more ground in a defeat in which they were found wanting on several fronts.
They played with little cohesion and were frustrated by elementary errors throughout. They struggled to control the ball, making 13 handling errors, while their lineout failed to launch, winning just 10 of their 18 feeds.
The win will buoy the resurgent Sharks. Something is stirring in their camp after a poor start to the season.
WP held the early lead through a penalty but the Sharks gradually worked their way into the game. The Sharks enjoyed territorial advantage through their judicious use of the boot and the toil of their forwards, perhaps exemplified by the efforts of lock Reniel Hugo.
The Sharks looked slicker and more at ease in possession, and that ultimately took its toll on the stretched WP defence. At 21-3 down on the cusp of the break, WP appeared to be staring down the barrel.
The Sharks’ sense of adventure soon bit them in the back when they lost the ball trying to exit, allowing WP centre Kyle Smith to pounce. WP added a penalty in the 46th minute, while another by Jurie Mathee in the 64th got them back within touching distance of the Sharks.
However, it was opposite flyhalf Lionel Cronje who, soon after, burst through a gap and released wing Eduan Keyter down the left flank for a try.
Veronon Matongo was forced over the try line to keep WP’s hopes alive but the grizzled Cronje sealed the win with a drop goal in the 79th minute.
In Bloemfontein, the Lions firmed their grip on second place with a 38-21 win over the ill-disciplined Cheetahs.
Flank Renzo du Plessis got the Lions on the board with his seventh Currie Cup try when he barged over from a maul in the opening minutes. RF Schoeman scored from close range, handing the Lions a 14-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes, before captain Jaco Visagie added a third converted try in the 23rd minute.
The Lions also showed their claws in defence, repelling the Cheetahs in 17 phases after 15 minutes. The Cheetahs were, however, rewarded for their first-half dominance in the scrum when Corne Fourie crashed over after a tapped penalty just before half-time.
Tries by Daniel Kasende and Vernon Paulo confirmed the Cheetahs’ fightback but though the Lions were on the backfoot, their contestable kicking kept stinging the Cheetahs. Equally telling, the Lions’ substitutes helped stabilise their scrum, which helped them repel the hosts.
The Bulls cemented their place in the play-offs on Friday night when they surged to a 47-24 win over Griquas in Pretoria. The unbeaten Bulls moved to 36 points, which at the time left them 17 points clear of fifth place Pumas.
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