Province Claim Derby Honours – Featured Durban Blog

The Cell C Sharks’ unbeaten run came to an end when they went down 34-27 to Western Province at Newlands in Cape Town in a pulsating Currie Cup match on Saturday.

The match, played in cloudy and cool conditions with a swirling wind, was hugely physical, intense and competitive, with both sides smashing each other, but Province taking better advantage of their opportunities.

The first try of the game went the way of the home side, the wind having an effect on the high ball, proving elusive to the defence and leading to turnover possession which Province made no mistake with to take the early lead, within five minutes of the start.

Curwin Bosch kicked the first of many penalties a few minutes later to get his side’s score rolling, but Province struck back.

Turnover ball is always the most dangerous to defend against, which the Cell C Sharks found to their dismay, losing possession on attack and conceding a second try. This blow, with the conversions to the two tries, meant the visitors were trailing 14-3 after 10 minutes of play and ominous signs that things could really go very badly – if composure wasn’t maintained.

The Cell C Sharks scrum, so dominant all campaign, continued to provide them with a massive platform from which to attack, and particularly pressure Province. A second Bosch penalty, following on from scrum dominance doubled his team’s score, but it was nullified when Head Coach Robert du Preez’s flyhalf son, Robert junior, kicked his first penalty for Province.

Bosch added a third penalty after Province were pinging for illegally pulling down a strong maul and then came a defining moment as quick thinking from scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer to take a tap penalty from a second scrum penalty, the ball was spread wide and du Preez’s other son featuring in the match, Jean-Luc, went over in the corner.

The Cell C Sharks were back in the game and with less than five minutes of the half remaining, Province conceded yet another penalty, this time on the halfway line and Bosch, with his massive boot, had absolutely no trouble in bisecting the posts to level matters, having fought from back a perilous situation to level-pegging.

A fantastic attack took the Cell C Sharks back into the Province 22, and Bosch was able to strike over the penalty that took his team into the lead. The home team nearly had the last say of the half with an equalising penalty, but the ball veered off-course to give the visitors a 20-17 lead at the break.

If they didn’t make a closing statement, they certainly made an opening one as Province struck first blood again, a pin-point cross kick well-taken to take their try tally to three. The conversion was wide, but the lead had changed hands with Province enjoying a two point advantage.

They added the bonus point try after a huge driving maul that simply could not be contained, and although du Preez’s conversion was again wide, Province held a seven point lead with the game approaching the final quarter.

It was big trouble for the Cell C Sharks when Province grubbered a ball through for the fifth try, and with less than a quarter of an hour remaining, meant their winning streak was in real danger of coming to an end.

But Rhyno Smith, newly onto the field, finished off a great movement to give his side hope that all was not lost and with Bosch’s touchline conversion, it was back to a try the difference on the scoreboard.

They bravely defended their line as Province looked to put the game completely out of touch, had they scored another try. But despite a late charge, Province managed to hold out for the victory.

Captain Keegan Daniel admitted afterwards that it was a game where they didn’t close out well enough.

“We had opportunities, but we will need to reflect hard on this game, we committed too many errors and we weren’t composed. You have to play good rugby if you want to beat Province and we weren’t good enough.”