Absa Currie Cup WP fend off Sharks

VODACOM Western Province survived a ferocious second-half comeback from an otherwise disappointing Sharks side to win their Absa Currie Cup match 22-19 (halftime 16-6) at Newlands on Saturday.

Western Province came out of the blocks flying and made it hard for the favoured Sharks with their tremendous commitment and physical approach. The Sharks seemed to be taken by surprise by the passion of their hosts and responded by lapsing into several moments of rank ill-discipline.Flyhalf Brad Barritt put in a fine tackle on centre Peter Grant, but then tied up the ball without rolling away and Naas Olivier opened the Western Province account with a fifth-minute penalty.Lock Steven Sykes then lost focus twice in three minutes and Natal were made to pay.Western Province fullback Conrad Jantjes, who produced one of his crackers, kicked through a dropped pass in the Sharks midfield and would have been in the mix for a try had Sykes not shoved him over off the ball.Olivier kicked the penalty and Sykes then tackled Jantjes while he was in the air and he had to go, yellow-carded by referee Willie Roos.By the time Sykes returned, Western Province had built a formidable 11-0 lead as the whole city pulls for a late surge into the semi-finals.Breyton Paulse, one of Cape Town’s favourite sons, scored a try after a Robbie Diack charge had set up a massive overlap and a convincing victory over a decidedly ropey Sharks outfit looked nigh.The Natalians had a bit of a respite when Roos ruled the Western Province forwards had gone off their feet at a ruck and scrumhalf Rory Kockott kicked a penalty off the post.The slick WP backline soon had them back under the whip, however, when Jantjes set up another penalty, taken quickly by scrumhalf Paul Delport.A chain of quick recycles saw the ball go wide to outstanding flank Francois Louw, whose great offload in the tackle kept the ball alive, allowing Olivier to pass inside to powerful centre Corne Uys, who clattered over statue-like fullback Odwa Ndungane.But it was Ndungane who then silenced a passionate Newlands crowd with a try of stunning individual brilliance.The stand-in fullback sold a dummy in the tackle deep inside his own half, wriggled free and set off on a blazing run to the tryline, 60 metres away.He really had to stretch his legs after racing through the heart of the Western Province defence as Jantjes was closing in cover-defence, but Ndungane had awesome pace.Kockott added the conversion and a penalty and a stunning Sharks comeback was in full flow as they narrowed the gap to 19-16.Other results at the weekend were as follows: Vodacom Western Province 22-19 The Sharks, Golden Lions 27-22 Vodacom Blue Bulls, Wildeklawer Griquas 17-21 Vodacom Free State Cheetahs and Boland Kavaliers 24- 20 Valke.SuperrugbyThe Sharks seemed to be taken by surprise by the passion of their hosts and responded by lapsing into several moments of rank ill-discipline.Flyhalf Brad Barritt put in a fine tackle on centre Peter Grant, but then tied up the ball without rolling away and Naas Olivier opened the Western Province account with a fifth-minute penalty.Lock Steven Sykes then lost focus twice in three minutes and Natal were made to pay.Western Province fullback Conrad Jantjes, who produced one of his crackers, kicked through a dropped pass in the Sharks midfield and would have been in the mix for a try had Sykes not shoved him over off the ball.Olivier kicked the penalty and Sykes then tackled Jantjes while he was in the air and he had to go, yellow-carded by referee Willie Roos.By the time Sykes returned, Western Province had built a formidable 11-0 lead as the whole city pulls for a late surge into the semi-finals.Breyton Paulse, one of Cape Town’s favourite sons, scored a try after a Robbie Diack charge had set up a massive overlap and a convincing victory over a decidedly ropey Sharks outfit looked nigh.The Natalians had a bit of a respite when Roos ruled the Western Province forwards had gone off their feet at a ruck and scrumhalf Rory Kockott kicked a penalty off the post.The slick WP backline soon had them back under the whip, however, when Jantjes set up another penalty, taken quickly by scrumhalf Paul Delport.A chain of quick recycles saw the ball go wide to outstanding flank Francois Louw, whose great offload in the tackle kept the ball alive, allowing Olivier to pass inside to powerful centre Corne Uys, who clattered over statue-like fullback Odwa Ndungane.But it was Ndungane who then silenced a passionate Newlands crowd with a try of stunning individual brilliance.The stand-in fullback sold a dummy in the tackle deep inside his own half, wriggled free and set off on a blazing run to the tryline, 60 metres away.He really had to stretch his legs after racing through the heart of the Western Province defence as Jantjes was closing in cover-defence, but Ndungane had awesome pace.Kockott added the conversion and a penalty and a stunning Sharks comeback was in full flow as they narrowed the gap to 19-16.Other results at the weekend were as follows: Vodacom Western Province 22-19 The Sharks, Golden Lions 27-22 Vodacom Blue Bulls, Wildeklawer Griquas 17-21 Vodacom Free State Cheetahs and Boland Kavaliers 24- 20 Valke.Superrugby