Boshoff kicks Xerox Golden Lions into Absa Currie Cup lead

XEROX Golden Lions swopped places with the Vodacom Blue Bulls at the top of the Absa Currie Cup standings after their comprehensive 41-11 win over the Steval Pumas on Friday, August 28, in Nelspruit.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls proved too strong for ORC Griquas in their clash on Saturday and although they won their match comfortably by 46-32, they slipped to second spot on the log after round four of the Premier Division.

On Saturday, the Cell C Sharks scored a close-fought 24-20 win over the Eastern Province Kings after they overturned a 7-13 halftime deficit in Port Elizabeth.

Despite a spirited rally in the second half the defending champions, the DHL Western Province, suffered their second successive away loss when the Toyota Cheetahs pipped them 28-21 in Bloemfontein on Friday evening.

The Lions now lead the log thanks to their 30-point win in Nelspruit, closely followed by the Bulls. The neighbours both have the maximum 20 points from four matches. WP and Cheetahs, both on ten points, are third and fourth whilst the Sharks are now fifth just one point behind them. Pumas have eight points, EP Kings three points and Griquas, one point.

Steval Pumas vs Xerox Golden Lions

On Friday evening Lions flyhalf, Marnitz Boshoff slotted 21 points as the Lions ran over the Pumas with 41-11 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. The Lions led 16-3 at halftime.

Boshoff kicked four penalties, three conversions and a monster drop-goal while flanker Kwagga Smith dotted down twice in a match that was error-ridden and filled with four yellow cards dished out by referee Pro Legoete to the home side.

Legoete first yellow-carded Pumas captain, Stefan Watermeyer, and later dished out another three cards to the home side in the space of 13 minutes with flankers Marnus Schoeman, Uzair Cassiem and prop Khwezi Mona all spending time in the sin bin. With the Pumas down to 13 men at times, the Lions pressed home the advantage and scored two tries through their forwards.

Scorers:

Pumas

Try: Faf de Klerk.

Penalties: JC Roos (2).

Xerox Golden Lions

Tries: Kwagga Smith (2), Jacques van Rooyen and a penalty try;

Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (3);

Penalties: Boshoff (4);

Drop-goal: Boshoff.

ORC Griquas vs Vodacom Blue Bulls

Bulls flyhalf Tian Schoeman kicked 16 points in his side’s 46-32 victory over the ORC Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday. He missed only once with his goal kicking, converted five tries and kicked two penalties.

The home side dominated the opening 20 minutes. They couldn’t have asked for a better start, claiming a penalty and try in the opening minutes by winger Ntabeni Dukisa. He scored in the seventh minute after Bulls flanker Lappies Labuschagne was sin-binned.

Dukisa slotted another penalty to put Griquas 11-0 ahead, however, a penalty by Schoeman ignited a productive passage of play which resulted in 31 unanswered points from the Bulls. Wing Travis Ismaiel, centres Dries Swanepoel and Burger Odendaal as well as winger Jamba Ulengo scored tries for the Bulls to secure the bonus point before the break. Schoeman converted all three tries to help make the halftime score 31-11.

The introduction of impact players at the start of the second half by Griquas worked as replacement eighthman Carel Greeff scored just after kickoff. Another five pointer by hooker AJ le Roux gave them a sniff at victory, but it was only a matter of time before the Bulls scored again via Ulengo.

Griquas went down fighting with fullback Riaan Viljoen scoring in the last couple of minutes but the Bulls replacement Louis Fouché sneaked another try as Griquas flanker Hilton Lobberts was yellow carded.

Scorers:

Vodacom Blue Bulls

Tries: Travis Ismaiel, Dries Swanepoel, Burger Odendaal, Jamba Ulengo (2) and Louis Fouché;

Conversions: Tian Schoeman (5);

Penalties: Schoeman (2).

ORC Griquas

Tries: Ntabeni Dukisa, Carel Greeff, AJ le Roux and Riaan Viljoen;

Conversions: Dukisa and Clinton Swart (2);

Penalties: Dukisa (2).

Eastern Province Kings vs Cell C Sharks

The Sharks claimed a double win over the Kings when they edged to a 24-20 win in their fixture at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

The Sharks beat the Kings 33-25 in Durban two weeks ago but were under huge pressure in the first half in the return leg after trailing 7-13 at the break. However, they dominated the majority of play in the second half to clinch only their second victory of the season. The Kings remain winless and will be under further pressure when they travel to face the Lions in Johannesburg next.

With five minutes remaining, the Kings were awarded a penalty try after Sharks winger S’bura Sithole high-tackled centre Ronnie Cooke. Scott van Breda added the conversion, leaving the Kings just four points behind and only a desperate defence by the Sharks secured a much needed win.

Scorers:

Eastern Province Kings

Tries: Thembelani Bholi and penalty try;

Conversion: Scott van Breda (2);

Penalties: Van Breda (2).

Cell C Sharks

Tries: Joe Pietersen, Francois Kleinhans and Daniel du Preez;

Conversion: Joe Pietersen (3);

Penalty: Pietersen.

Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs DHL Western Province

After losing 3-9 in Cape Town two weeks ago, the Cheetahs took revenge by winning 28-21 in an entertaining match on Friday in Bloemfontein. With WP having hauled their way back into game from 25-15 down after halftime to 25-21 after 59 minutes, a fortuitous hack-through took play back into the WP danger-zone.

Referee Stuart Berry awarded the hosts a penalty for hands in the ruck. Replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn pulled the kick wide. However, he was called back because Seabelo Senatla had charged too early. This time he made no mistake and at 28-21, the Cheetahs had the cushion to absorb what WP could throw at them.

Scorers:

Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Tries: Neill Jordaan, Shaun Venter and Ryno Benjamin;

Conversions: Fred Zeilinga (2);

Penalties: Zeilinga (2) and Sias Ebersohn.

DHL Western Province

Tries: Seabelo Senatla and Rynhardt Elstadt.

Conversion: Demetri Catrakilis.

Penalties: Catrakilis and Kurt Coleman (2)