Western Province crowned Currie Cup champions

Editor

Western Province finished their season on a high when they beat the Sharks 33-21 in the Currie Cup Final in Durban on Saturday.

The men from the Cape were under the cosh for most of the first half but came back strongly as the match progressed and scored 18 unanswered points in the second-half to claim an impressive victory away from home.

Province eventually outscored the Sharks four tries to two with Huw Jones leading the way with a deserved brace in his final match for the side before his departure to Glasgow Warriors.

The home side scored first through  Odwa Ndungane – who was playing in his final game before his retirement – after a fantastic break from Marius Louw.

WP hit back with a monster scrum. The ball went wide and Jones sold the dummy to score under the posts.

Curwin Bosch then landed a penalty for the Sharks before Dan du Preez went over after a solid bulid-up of phases from the home side.

Robert du Preez then slotted a penalty to make it a five-point game before Bosch stepped up again with another penalty and a huge, 49 meter drop-goal despye receiving the ball on the back-foot after the Sharks' scrum was put under pressure by their counterparts again.

Just before half-time, quick feet and a lob over the top from Damian Willemse released Dillyn Leyds to score in the corner and make the half-time score 21-15 to the Sharks.

A sensational break from Nizaam Carr, from the back of a scrum,saw him offload to Cobus Wiese for the first try of the second-half.

Blitzbok flyer Seabelo Senatla then showed great feet and an impressive offload to Jones who went in for his second try.

Du Preez landed another penalty to give the away side a nine-point lead before Dan du Preez went from hero to villian and was sin binned with 10 minutes remaining for cynical play at a driving maul.

Robert Du Preez extended WP's lead thanks to his brother and helped his side claim the Currie Cup crown with a 33-21 win.

The scorers:

For Sharks:
Tries: Ndungane, D du Preez
Con: Bosch
Pens: Bosch 2
Drop goal: Bosch 
Yellow card: D du Preez

For Western Province:
Tries: Jones 2, Leyds, Wiese
Cons: Du Preez 2
Pens: Du Preez 3

Sharks: 15 Garth April, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Odwa Ndungane, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Ruan Botha (c), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Thomas du Toit 
Replacements: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Jean Droste, 20 Jacques Vermeulen, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Tristan Blewett, 23 Rhyno Smith

Western Province: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 John Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (captain), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Jacobus Janse van Rensburg
Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Jan de Klerk, 20 Kobus van Dyk, 21 Jano Vermaak, 22 Werner Kok, 23 Dan Kriel

By: BRANDON YATES