Kobus van Wyk scored two tries in Western Province's 27-14 win over the Golden Lions on Saturday. JON CARDINELLI reports.
Province landed a couple of telling blows during the first quarter. A sustained period on attack culminated in Van Wyk crashing over in the 11th minute. The WP winger grabbed his second try five minutes later, after a botched Demetri Catrakilis clearance landed in his hands and he ran 80m to score.
Catrakilis's accurate goal-kicking ensured that WP built on their commanding lead. However, the Lions endeavoured to fight back, and trailed by just 14-8 at half-time thanks to a penalty by winger Ruan Combrinck and a try by Andries Coetzee.
While Combrinck did well in the absence of regular goal-kickers Marnitz Boshoff and Jaco van der Walt, kicking two more goals in the second period to reduce the deficit, the Lions didn't ask enough questions of the WP defence. They were also outplayed at the breakdown, and Catrakilis made the visitors pay for their transgressions with two penalties of his own.
The Lions would come to regret a decision to kick for touch instead of for goal in the 68th minute. They trailed by 20-14 at that stage, and Combrinck should have added three more points to their total. As it was, they opted for the lineout, and proceeded to lose possession.
WP then made the telling play, with replacement flyhalf Kurt Coleman scything through the Lions defence. Combrinck attempted to block a pass by Juan de Jongh, but only succeeded in knocking it backwards towards his own goalline. An alert Jaco Taute scooped up the ball and scored what would be the game-clinching try.
The result sees WP powering to the top of the Currie Cup log, and maintaining their unbeaten record.
Western Province – Tries: Kobus van Wyk (2), Jaco Taute. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (2), Kurt Coleman. Penalties: Catrakilis (2).
Lions – Try: Andries Coetzee. Penalties: Ruan Combrinck (3).
Western Province – 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (c), 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Stephan Coetzee, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Subs: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Ruan Botha, 19 Rynhardt Elstadt, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Jaco Taute.
Golden Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Ruan Combrinck, 10 Stokkies Hanekom, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Derick Minnie (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 MB Lusaseni, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Schalk van der Merwe.
Subs: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Jaco Kriel, 20 Guy Cronje, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Howard Mnisi.
Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images
