The SWD Eagles and Valke will host the Griffons and Leopards respectively in the Currie Cup First Division semi-finals.
The Eagles beat a resurgent EP Elephants side 36-7 in Despatch to finish top of the table, four points above the Valke, who finished second after a thrilling 41-35 victory against the Leopards.
A brace from SWD wing Adri Jacobs helped give the home side, who were also awarded two penalty tries, a bonus-point victory, while Elephants fullback Riaan Arends scored their only try in a much-improved effort after their 101-29 loss to the Valke last weekend.
Meanwhile, the Valke had a far tougher encounter in a 10-try showstopper against the Leopards in Potchefstroom. Leopards wing Dean Stokes scored a hat-trick, while flyhalf Schalk Hugo had a flawless day with the boot, converting all of the home side’s five tries.
However, it was not enough as a penalty from Valke scrumhalf Anrich Richter and drop goal from flyhalf Errol Jaggers proved to be the deciding factor between the two sides.
The Griffons managed to secure the final playoff place with a solid 40-7 win against the Border Bulldogs, who finished the season second-from-bottom, in East L0ndon.
It was a memorable match for Griffons hooker Anrich Alberts as he scored three of his side’s seven tries, but the visitors’ flyhalf, Duan Pretorius, kicked just one conversion.
Round 7 results:
Eastern Province (7) – Try: Riaan Arends. Conversion: Ruben De Vos.
SWD Eagles (36) – Tries: Ruben Schoeman, Adri Jacobs (2), Kirsten Heyns. Conversion: Divan Nel.
Border Bulldogs (7) – Try: Billy Dutton. Conversion: Aphiwe Stemele.
Griffons (40) – Tries: Anrich Alberts (3), Jean-Jacques Pretoruis, Duan Pretoruis, Nkululeko Marwana, Thato Mavundla. Conversion: Pretoruis. Penalty: Pretoruis.
Leopards (35) – Tries: Dean Stokes (3), Lungelo Gosa, Marius Stander. Conversions: Schalk Hugo (5).
Valke (41) – Tries: Friedle Olivier, Anrich Richter, Etienne Taljaard, Grant Donavon Janke, Lundi Ralarala. Conversions: Richter (5). Penalty: Richter. Drop Goal: Errol Jaggers.
Photo: Luke Walker/Gallo Images
