Half-time blow-out sparked Province

Western Province captain Juan de Jongh was delighted to return home with a maximum haul of five points from their opening Currie Cup match of the season.

Down 10-11 at half-time, WP took control with three tries in the second half to run out deserving 35-16 winners in the competition's opening game - with their fourth, bonus-point try, coming from Cheslin Kolbe after the hooter had gone.

"I am a very happy man," De Jongh told a post-match media briefing.

"It is never easy to come to PE and to get five points, but at the end of the day we pulled it through."

The centre admitted a few hard words were said at half-time, when they trailed the Kings, and this had focused their minds in the second half as they moved into the driving seat.

He praised the accurate kicking of flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, who contributed 15 points through three conversions and three penalties.

"To have Catrakilis in our team is really good and, at the end of the day, he got us on the front foot with those points," De Jongh said.

"It is important for us to enjoy this victory, but to come back on Monday and work hard on our errors, and hopefully we can pull the next one through as well."

Source: SAPA