Only five still unbeaten
Only five unbeaten teams remain after two rounds of the 2012 Vodacom Cup, with Griquas setting the marker in the North Section, while the EP Kings are ruling in the South.
While the Kings had to work hard for their 40-23 victory over Eastern Cape neighbours the Border Bulldogs on Friday, Griquas scored eight tries as they recorded their second big victory of the season by crushing the Griffons by 55-10 to move comfortably to the top of the North Section log.
There were close wins in Durban for Western Province (17-15 over the Sharks XV) and in Bredasdorp for the Boland Cavaliers, who beat the Free State XV by 32-30 thanks to a 50-metre penalty goal by fullback Jacquin Jansen after the full-time hooter had sounded.
WP loose forward Reuben Johannes scored the only try of the match in the 55th minute in Durban, with the boot dominating as the two sides went jowl to cheek for most of the encounter.
The defending Vodacom Cup champions from Argentina, the Pampas XV, had to work hard for their first victory of the season, by 34-30 against the SWD Eagles in Stellenbosch.
Last year's runners up, the Blue Bulls, are still without a win though after they drew 19-19 with the Pumas in Nelspruit. A late penalty by flyhalf JC Roos saw the Pumas draw level, but minutes later Bulls flyhalf Wesley Dunlop had the opportunity to win the game for his team, which he missed.
At Wits in Johannesburg, the Golden Lions scored nine tries in their big 59-29 win over neighbours the Falcons, with Ruan Combrinck and Anthony Volmink bagging a brace each.
All the scores and scorers:
EP Kings 40-23 Border Bulldogs:
EP Kings:
Tries: Hannes Franklin, Scott van Breda, Danie Faassen, Kieran Goss
Cons: Falie Oelschig 2, Justin van Staden 2
Pens: Oelschig 3, Van Staden 2
Border Bulldogs:
Try: Clinton Koen
Pens: Ntabeni Dukisa 5, Logan Basson
Sharks XV 15-17 Western Province:
Sharks XV:
Pens: Gouws Prinsloo 5
Western Province:
Try: Reuben Johannes
Pens: Demetri Catrakilis 3
DG: Catrakilis
Griquas 55-10 Griffons:
Griquas:
Tries: Jacques Coetzee, Jannie Boshoff, Leon Karemaker, Lolo Waka, Marnus Schoeman, Matthew Rosslee, PJ Vermeulen, Wilmaure Louw
Cons: Rudi Vogt 6
Pen: Marnitz Boshoff
Griffons:
Try: Martin Sithole
Con: Tiaan van Wyk
Pen: Van Wyk
Pumas 19-19 Blue Bulls:
Pumas:
Try: Renaldo Bothma
Con: JC Roos
Pens: Roos 4
Blue Bulls:
Try: Ulrich Beyers
Con: Wesley Dunlop
Pens: Dunlop 4
Pampas XV 34-30 SWD Eagles:
Pampas XV:
Tries: Tomas Leonard, Benjamin Madero, Tomas Cubelli, Ramiro Moyano, Facundo Barrea
Cons: Madero, Santiago Iglesias 2
Pen: Madero
SWD Eagles:
Tries: Elric van Vuuren, Clinton Wagman 2, Grant le Roux
Cons: Van Vuuren 2
Pens: Van Vuuren 2
Boland Cavaliers 32-30 Free State XV 30:
Boland Cavaliers:
Tries: Jacquin Jansen 2, Jonathan Francke, Zandré Jordaan
Cons: Elgar Watts 3
Pens: Watts, Jansen
Free State:
Tries: Marcel van der Merwe, Ockie van Zyl, Kholo Ramashala, Mauritz Henderson
Cons: Marco Mason 2
Pens: Mason 2
Golden Lions 59-29 Falcons:
Golden Lions:
Tries: Andries Coetzee, Paul Willemse, Ruan Combrinck 2, Michael Killian, Anthony Volmink 2, Stephan de Wit, Francois du Toit
Cons: Coetzee 5, Marais Schmidt 2
Falcons:
Tries: Kyle Hendricks, Juan Kotze, Jaco Snyman
Con: Kotze
Pens: Kotze 4
Latest standings (under heading games played, won and points)
North Section: Griquas 2 2 10, Pumas 2 1 7, Golden Lions 2 1 6, Leopards 1 1 4, Blue Bulls 2 0 2, Griffons 1 0 0, Falcons 2 0 0
South Section: Eastern Province Kings 2 2 10, Western Province 2 2 9, Free State XV 2 1 7, Sharks XV 2 1 6, Pampas XV, 2 1 5, Boland Cavaliers 2 1 5, SWD Eagles 2 0 3, Border Bulldogs 2 0 0