Pumas blow woeful WP away in Cape Town

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Pumas climbed above Western Province in the Currie Cup standings after they recorded a 37-11 win in Round Seven in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The visitors outscored their opponents by five tries to one in a dominant second-half display (8-8 at half-time) at the Cape Town Stadium.

The Pumas are now sitting in fifth position with 10 points, while WP drop down to sixth position with their seven points.

Right wing Sebastian de Klerk scored two of the visitors' five tries, while inside centre Eddie Fouche kept the scoreboard ticking over with three conversions and two penalty goals to cap a fine individual performance with the boot. Flyhalf Kade Wolhuter kicked WP's sole penalty goal in the second half.

It was the home side who struggled in the line-outs as well as during scrum time, while they were also found wanting on defence as the game opened up.

The result left the Capetonians with five losses in six starts, while Jimmy Stonehouse’s outfit improved to two wins from their six games to keep alive their chances of a play-off spot.

The visitors started like a house on fire by pinning the home team inside their own half, forcing several scrums and a couple of penalties. From one such scrum penalty, they worked the ball patiently wide to De Klerk to run in for the opening try. Fouche saw his conversion attempt charged down, but he was on target with his first penalty goal a few minutes later.

However, the WP backline showed their sharp attacking teeth a few minutes later when prolific wing Angelo Davids scored a five pointer with a clinical finish in the corner despite the close attention of a desperate defender.

Despite struggling in the scrums, the Province pack forced a scrum penalty which Wolhuter easily steered through the uprights to draw the scores level at 8-8 halfway through the opening stanza.

Unfortunately, the hosts suffered a setback when Davids sustained a shoulder injury and was replaced by Rikus Pretorius.

The visitors started the second half in pretty much the same fashion as the first, and just two minutes into the second stanza WP scrumhalf, Godlen Masimla, was yellow carded for a cynical foul.

Willie Engelbrecht’s team elected to go for touch with the penalty kick and from the resultant line-out flanker Anele Lungisa controlled the ball at the back of the advancing maul to score their second try.

Fouche raised the flags with the conversion and moments later also slotted his second penalty goal of the afternoon to hand the Lowvelders a 10-point cushion at 18-8.

Wolhuter then added three points for the home side, but with Masimla still in the sin bin, the Pumas launched another counter attack which saw De Klerk doing very well to slip his marker on the outside and ran in his for second try of the afternoon.

Fouche added the extras as the pink and grey jerseys pulled further ahead at 25-11.

Engelbrecht, who had a fine game in the No.8 jersey, then fittingly scored their fourth and bonus point try from a turnover as the visitors continued to heap on the pressure, while a flying Tapiwa Mafura added a fifth try to rub salt into the wounds of the home side.

Man of the match: Pumas wing Sebastian de Klerk scored two of his team's five tries and he was strong on defence. However, the award goes to Pumas prop Corne Fourie who was a colossus in open play and a monster in the scrums

The scorers:

For Western Province:

Tries: Davids

Pens: Wolhuter 2

For Pumas:

Tries: De Klerk 2, Lungisa, Engelbrecht, Mafura

Cons: Fouche 3

Pens: Fouche 2

Yellow card: Godlen Masimla (WP, 43 - cynical play, not retreating 10 metres)

Teams:

Western Province: 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 Ben-Jason Dixon, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Kwenzo Blose.

Replacements: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Simon Miller, 20 Jarrod Taylor, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Timothy Swiel, 23 Rikus Pretorius.

Pumas: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Alwayno Visagie, 12 Eddie Fouche, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Willie Engelbrecht (captain), 7 Anele Lungisa, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Shane Kirkwood, 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Ignatius Prinsloo, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Corne Fourie.

Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Dewald Maritz, 18 Etienne Janeke, 19 Kwanda Dimaza, 20 Phumzile Maqondwana, 21 Lucky Dlepu, 22 Ali Mgijima, 23 Devon Williams.

Referee: Griffin Colby

Assistant Referees: Dylen November, Local

TMO: Marius Jonker

Additional source: SA Rugby