Leopards win spoilt match
For the second time on the fourth day, and for the third time at this Craven Week, a player was issued a red card for a tip tackle. This time the team punished was Limpopo and this time the Leopards won 26-11.
Limpopo had to play 65 of the 70 minutes with 14 men. JJ Breet, their hero on Day One with four tries, was sent off after just five minutes for the clearest of tip tackles. Off the tall man went.
Art that stage the Limpopo were 3-0 ahead after a penalty in the first minute by their excellent fullback Christiaan Buys.
Down to 14 men Limpopo scored the first try when lock Ulrich Bester latched onto the ball and powered over with two hanging onto him. 8-0 after 11 minutes.
But the Leopards came back with a series of splendid passes to give wing Macdonald Monyaki an overlap. He sped back inside Buys to score. Drehan Marais converted. 8-7 after 26 minutes.
Buys kicked a penalty to make it 11-7 but the Leopards came close to scoring when Drehan Marais chipped and knocked on in in-goal as he reached up to the bouncing ball.
Then the Leopards, who were taking over the match, countered and Jim Fouché charged for the line but the television match official advised that he had lost the ball forward in Maphuta Dolo's brave tackle. That ended the half.
Limpopo started the second half with a will as their forwards climbed in but gradually their zest subsided.
The Leopards came bashing back at the Limpopo line and left wing Khotso Leepile was over and around, Drehan Marais converted. For the first time the Leopards led - 14-11.
Fouché made the next try with a massive charge and the ball went to Reohn van Zyl who got the ball down with one hand as he was tackled in the right corner. Drehan Marais converted from touch. 21-11.
With six minutes to go the Leopards got their fourth try as they freed big centre Charles Hitchcock who went on an angled run to score. 26-11
Scorers:
For Leopards:
Tries: Monyaki, Leepile, Van Zyl, Hitchcock
Cons: D Marais 3
For Limpopo:
Try: Bester, Hitchcock
Pens: Buys 2
Teams
Limpopo: 15 Christiaan Buys (Ben Vorster), 14 Maphuta Dolo (Ben Vorster), 13 Gideon Blignaut (Merensky), 12 Danie Ludick (Pietersburg), 11 Aaron Mothlabane (Frikkie Meyer), 10 Inkateko Shirilele (Merensky), 9 Tiaan Snyman (Pietersburg), 8 Arno Botha (Nylstroom), 7 Johan van der Hoogt (Ben Vorster, captain) , 6 Sheriff Mthembi (Ben Vorster), 5 Jan-Jacobus Breet (Ben Vorster), 4 Ulrich Bester (Merensky), 3 Rynardt van Wyk (Merensky), 2 Emmanuel Simono (Pietersburg), 1 Hermann Lange (Nylstroom), 16 Jan Manganye (Phagameng), 17 Johan du Plooy (Ellisras), 18 Mashudu Mafela (Merensky), 19 Jacques Coetzee (Pietersburg), 20 Charles van Staden (Piet Potgieter), 21 Eugene Malepe (Ben Vorster), 22 Ashwin Lawrence (Louis Trichardt).
Leopards: 15 Reohn van Zyl (Schweizer-Reneke), 14 Phemeulo Moipolai (Potchefstroom Boys' High), 13 Janus Jonker (Rustenburg), 12 Charles Hitchcock (Lichtenburg), 11 Johan Meyer (Klerksdorp), 10 Drehan Marais (Gimmies), 9 Jaco Verwey (Rustenburg), 8 FG Fouché (Rustenburg), 7 Ernie Strydom (Volkies), 6 Henry Koekemoer (Vryburg), 5 Molotsi Bouwer (Potchefstroom Boys' High), 4 Robbie Rawlins (Rustenburg), 3 Bees Strydom (Vryburg), 2 Johan Smit (Volkies), 1 John Ross Jackson (HTS Rustenburg), 16 Paballo Moapi (Potchefstroom Boys' High), 17 Werner Koekemoer (Vryburg), 18 Lesego Thomas (Potchefstroom Boys' High), 19 Welile Ntozaka (Carlton Jones), 20 Lehlahanolo Lephalletse (Potchefstroom Boys' High), 21 Macdonald Monyaki (Potchefstroom Boys' High), 22 Khotso Leepile (HTS Potchefstroom).
Referee: François Groenewald