Western Province threw down the gauntlet
on day three of the Coca-Cola Craven Week in Polokwane on Wednesday, beating
The Blue Bulls 30-6 and sounding a warning that it is going to take a very good
team to beat them in Saturday’s main game of the week – where they are almost
certainly headed now.
The Blue Bulls were very impressive
against KwaZulu-Natal in the first outing, but on Wednesday they had no answer
to the power of the Province forwards, to the pace and skill of their backs,
and to the accurate goal-kicking of Grant Hermanus, who slotted three penalties
and converted the three WP tries for a 100% record with the boot.
The Bulls didn’t take the chances that
came their way early on in the game and could not capitalise on a period when
Province had two players in the sin bin. In fact, the Cape side scored the only
points during that period – a Hermanus penalty – and once their full compliment
were back on the field they took control and never looked back.
They scored three good tries – by Rikus
Bosman, Herschel Jantjies and Heinrich Buhr.
The Bulls’ two penalties were kicked by
Jemeel Warnick.
Border came through their second game with
a win - 37-19 over Boland – which makes them one of three unbeaten sides in
their group, along with WP and Zimbabwe. They have been impressive in both
outings and should be given one of the late fixtures on the main field on
Saturday.
The Pumas bounced back from their loss to
Western Province on day one by scoring an emphatic, 40-18 win over
KwaZulu-Natal.
The loss was the second on the trot for
KwaZulu-Natal and a side that came to the week with high expectations will now
be relegated to one of the minor fixtures on the final day.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, are having their best
Craven Week in many years. On Wednesday they recorded their second win – a
comfortable 43-5 victory over the hosts, the Limpopo Blue Bulls.
The other visiting side, Namibia got the
action going on day three with a 27-10 win over Griquas.
Thursday’s action sees Free State take on
the Golden Lions in a clash that will probably decide who meets WP on Saturday.
Eastern Province meet SWD in the other big game of the day.
Wednesday’s Results
Namiba 27 Griquas 10, Zimbabwe 43 Limpopo
Blue Bulls 5, Border 37 Boland 19, Pumas 40 KwaZulu-Natal 18, Western Province
30 Blue Bulls 6.
Thursday’s Fixtures
Leopards v Border Country, Valke v Griquas
Country, Griffons v E Province Country, E Province v SWD, Golden Lions v Free
State.
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