Got WP's first try: Ederies Arendse
Western Province responded to last week's defeat to the Sharks with a 25-20 victory over Griquas on Saturday.
Fighting back from 0-12 down after tries from Rynard Landman and Wilmaure Louw, Province showed their quality to earn a vital four points.
The visitors scores came via Ederies Arendse, JP du Plessis and Steven Kitshoff while fly-half Demetri Catrakilis knocked over ten points.
Griquas started at a ferocious pace and put together some useful phases of play, but lacked the clinical touch deep in the Western Province half.
The hosts maintained their attacking play and drew first blood after Landman crashed over in the corner with seven minutes played. The forward rounded-off after some good interplay between the pack and backs.
Full-back Francois Brummer failed to convert Landman's opener, but it wasn't long before Griquas again caught WP's defence napping, as winger Louw went in. Brummer was on target with his second attempt to give the Kimberley outfit an early advantage.
The visitors had their first real chance to get on the board when Catrakilis took a penalty shot at goal, but his attempt in a swirling wind drifted wide.
WP finally scored after Griquas were beaten in defence through a sustained period of attack. Winger Arendse ran 25 metres for the highlight of a very poor first half by the visitors, the score 12-7 at the break.
Brummer kicked a penalty early in the second period, but Province launched a comeback through centre Du Plessis, who scored after a quick tap to get his team within three points of Griquas.
Griquas were forced to defend their lead and made several crucial tackles, but their tired bodies showed in the last fifteen minutes as WP drove them back into their own area.
Province used it to their advantage and prop Kitshoff cruised over under the posts after some slack defence by the hosts.
Griquas tried to salvage a bonus point and succeeded when lock Jaco Nepgen burst over, but with two minutes on the clock and the conversion to come, the hosts narrowly missed out to their Western Cape counterparts.
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Tries: Landman, Louw, Nepgen
Con: Brummer
Pen: Brummer
For Western Province:
Tries: Arendse, Du Plessis, Kitshoff
Con: Catrakilis 2
Pen: Catrakilis 2
Griquas: 15 Francois Brummer, 14 Wilmaure Louw, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Jacques Coetzee, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Wesley Wilkins, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Ligtoring Landman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes (c), 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Matt Dobson, 17 Janro van Niekerk, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Jaco Nepgen, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 Walter Venter, 22 Richard Lawson.
Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Ederies Arendse, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Jebb Sinclair, 6 Tyrone Holmes, 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Don Armand, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Deon Fourie (c), 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Yaya Hartzenberg, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Damian de Allende.
Referee: Marius Jonker
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