Western Province Sets Currie Cup Pace

Western Province extended its perfect winning start in Currie Cup rugby to five games with a runaway 50-3 victory over the highly fancied Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.

Griquas, which had beaten Western Province in their two previous encounters in Kimberley, was ground into submission in a hard-fought first half, during which Western Province scored four penalties to the one of Griquas captain Naas Olivier.

But after the break, Western Province cut loose, scoring six unanswered tries and routing the home side which had hoped to build its campaign around making its home ground impregnable.

Springboks center Juan de Jong was instrumental in the dismantling of Griquas, his tackling in the first half leaving any attack foundering, and his scything runs in the second frequently freeing up runners outside him.

In Durban, the Sharks celebrated the arrival of the prodigious talent of Patrick Lambie, the 19-year-old flyhalf who scored 28 points with his team’s opening try, four conversions and five penalties in a 48-19 dismantling of the Golden Lions.

It was the space he created by his quick passing and inventive running which impressed, and big left wing Lwazi Mvovo benefited most with a brace of tries.

The Lions were better than they have been, thanks to the input of new coach John Mitchell, but there is a way to go before their own talented young flyhalf, Elton Jantjies, is able to control a game as Lambie did.

On Friday, the Blue Bulls had their normally partisan fans in Pretoria cheering for the Leopards in the final quarter as the visitors outscored the hosts 28-17 in the second half, though the Bulls prevailed 43-38.

The Bulls were soon 10-0 down, but set to their task and were justifiably 26-10 ahead at halftime.

And when they went 36-10 up in the first minute of the second half, it seemed a cruising victory was on the cards.

But the Leopards scored four of their five tries after that, and they were the ones pressing hardest in the final five minutes of the match for a try that would have leveled the scores.

The Free State Cheetahs were comfortable 45-30 winners over the Pumas in Bloemfontein, outscoring their opponents six tries to three.