WP book home semi-final after beating Sharks
Western Province claimed a 31-20 bonus-point victory over the Sharks in an entertaining Currie Cup clash in Durban on Saturday.
This win secured the away side a second place finish in the competition, and both sides are now guaranteed to have home semi-finals.
The home side scored the first try after five minutes when Marius Louw ran hard at an excellent angle from a few metres out to crash over. Curwin Bosch added the extras and extended the Sharks' lead to 10 when he slotted a penalty from almost 50 metres out.
Robert du Preez put the first points on the board for Western Province with a penalty of his own before Bosch landed a questionable drop-goal on the half-time hooter to give the home side a 13-3 lead at half-time.
Western Province opened the second-half scoring through a Du Preez seven-pointer when he sold an excellent dummy to dive in under the poles before converting his solo effort.
Du Preez scored seven points again after Jaco Coetzee broke and popped an inside ball back to the fly-half, who scored under the poles again to give himself another easy conversion.
After 68 minutes, Du Preez's halfback partner, Dewaldt Duvenage, went over the whitewash after sniping from the base of a breakdown without pillar defence.
JD Schickerling scored WP's bonus-point try moments later after taking a great pass from Nizaam Carr close to the try-line.
Sharks reserve back Kobus van Wyk scored in the left-hand corner after the final hooter had sounded but that could not deny WP victory.
The scorers:
For Sharks:
Tries: Louw, Van Wyk
Cons: Bosch 2
Pen: Bosch
Drop goal: Bosch
For Western Province:
Tries: Du Preez 2, Duvenage, Schickerling
Cons: Du Preez 4
Pen: Du Preez
Sharks: 15 Garth April, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 , 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Ruan Botha (captain), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Thomas du Toit
Replacements: 16 Mahlatse Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Jean Droste, 19 Jean-Luc du Preez, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Tristan Blewett, 22 Jacobus van Wyk
Western Province: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Ruhan Nel, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (c), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Jan de Klerk, 19 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 20 Justin Phillips, 21 Werner Kok, 22 EW Viljoen
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistent Referees: Stuart Berry and Archie Sehlako
TMO: Marius Jonker