Absa Currie Cup Review – Week Ten
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Hendro Scholtz scores in photo by Hilton Kotze
Vodacom Western Province ended their three week losing streak in the Absa Currie Cup on Saturday and resurrected their aspirations of qualifying for the competition’s semi-finals following their 59-17 victory over the Platinum Leopards at Newlands on Saturday.
Allister Coetzee’s men recently conceded defeats against the Xerox Lions (46-28), Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (29-24) and The Sharks (27-16). But on Saturday, the Cape side ended their lapse in form after they ran in nine tries before outclassing their opponents.
The victory for Vodacom WP ensured that they ended week 10 in second position with 33 points. They are still eight points behind The Sharks who are currently in pole position following their 30-14 win over the Barloworld Toyota Pumas in Witbank on Friday night.
Coetzee’s troops are now also one point clear of the third-placed Vodacom Free State Cheetahs who consigned the Vodacom Blue Bulls to their fifth defeat of the competition following their win 20-14 victory at Vodacom Park on Saturday.
The defeat for the defending champions ensured that they ended week 10 in fifth place on the Absa Currie Cup log with log with 29 points.
The Xerox Lions continued their progressive form in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup after they defeated the GWK Griquas 40-29 at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday afternoon. The hosts, who secured their fifth straight victory in this season’s competition in Johannesburg, are now in fourth position on the log with 30 points.
Vodacom WP who welcomed back their Springbok stars – Jean de Villiers, Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh, struggled initially to find their rhythm at Newlands before their kicked into gear against their struggling opponents.
The defeat for the Platinum Leopards was their 10th straight loss in the competition. Chaka Willlemse’s outfit are languishing in 8th position on the Absa Currie Cup and are already facing the impending task of battling it out in next month’s promotion/ relegation matches for survival in next year’s Premier Division competition.
Flanker Francois Louw scored a brace of tries while prop Brok Harris, hooker Deon Fourie, flanker Nick Koster, scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage, lock Anton van Zyl, centre De Jongh and reserve loose-forward Yaya Hartzenberg.
Flyhalf Lionel Cronje who enjoyed his first start in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup for Vodacom Western Province in place of regular No 10 Willem de Waal, kicked four conversions. De Waal though converted three five-pointers in the second half.
In Johannesburg, SA Under-20 utility back Jaco Taute scored a brace of tries as the youthful resurgence of the Xerox Lions continued at Coca-Cola Park.
Taute once again looked impressive on attack, as did his fellow Baby Boks and Xerox Lions teammate Elton Jantjies. The pivot dictated play and successfully kicked four penalties and four conversions to end the game with a personal points haul of 20.
GWK Griquas scored two tries which were added by wingers Rocco Jansen and Bjorn Basson (14) – who is the leading try-scorer in this season’s competition. The Kimberley side have now suffered five defeats in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup. They would now have to quickly regain their form that saw them topple The Sharks and the Xerox Lions earlier in the competition if they are to remain as genuine semi-final contenders in preparation of next month’s playoffs.
The Sharks bounced back to winning ways following their 40-34 defeat against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria last weekend when they secured maximum points from their trip to Witbank on Friday evening.
Wingers Lwazi Mvovo and Odwa Ndungane, flanker Jacques Botes and hooker Craig Burden all added tries for the visitors. SA Under-20 fullback Patrick Lambie kicked two conversions and two penalties for the Durban side.
Meanwhile the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ aspirations of defending their Absa Currie Cup suffered another blow in Bloemfontein on Saturday night after they were relegated to fifth position on the 2010 log.
The defending champions only managed to score one try which was thanks to the efforts of veteran Jaco van der Westhuyzen. The hosts to their credit played most of the rugby and were rewarded with two five-pointers which were scored by flanker Hendro Scholtz and talented flanker Philip van der Walt.
Vodacom Blue Bulls flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter kept the defending champions in the game with his reliable boot after he converted three penalty kicks. The Pretoria side though are back at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, but will have to tame a youthful Xerox Lions side who will be aiming to consign the defending champions to their sixth defeat of the 2010 competition.
In the Absa Under-21 Championship there were victories for the Vodacom Western Province who defeated the 59-17 Platinum Leopards at Newlands, and for the Vodacom Blue Bulls who edged the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (36-35) in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Xerox Lions U21s ran in nine tries and comprehensively defeated the Boland Cavaliers 57-11 in the other Absa Under-21 (A) Championship matches which was played in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Vodacom Western Province conceded their first defeat in the Absa Under-19 Championship following their 37-36 defeat against the Platinum Leopards at Newlands on Saturday afternoon. The Vodacom Blue Bulls continued their impressive run in this competition and secured a comfortable 49-21 victory over the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
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