DHL Western Province had to desperately hang on to win 25-21 against NovaVit Griffons in Welkom on Friday. DHL Western Province earned five log points and temporarily moved into the fourth spot in the Currie Cup Premier Division.
The first forty minutes were tightly contested with DHL Western Province guilty of not using their point-scoring opportunities. DHL Western Province led 13-00 at the halftime break. The DHL Western Stormers scored two tries early in the second half to extend their lead to 25-00, however, then NovaVit Griffons started to claw their way back into the match and following three tries of their own they reduced the lead of the visitors to 25-21, which was the final score.
Clayton Blommetjies opened the scoring for DHL Western Province with a converted penalty following twenty minutes to play.
DHL Western Province scored their first try after thirty minutes of play. Jarrod Taylor forced his way over the NovaVit Griffons' tryline following the visitors setting up camp in the NovaVit Griffons 22 and launching wave after wave of attack.
Andre-Hugo Venter controlled a NovaVit Griffons lineout overthrow and bulldozed his way from fifteen meters out to extend DHL Western Province's lead to 13-00, which was also the halftime score.
The NovaVit Griffons made a mistake from the kickoff which put them under severe pressure from the start of the second half. DHL Western Province attacked with purpose until captain Jean-Luc du Plessis received a great pass out wide to score the visitors' third try of the day.
Seven minutes later Thomas Bursey controlled a dropped ball by the NovaVit Griffons DHL Western Province to score DHL Western Province's fourth and bonus point try.
DHL Western Province was shown a yellow card after eighteen minutes in the secondt half. NovaVit Griffons attacked immediately and started to apply pressure. It took the NovaVit Griffons 60 minutes to score their first points of the match. Domenic Smit goes over in the corner with the gaps opening up for NovaVit Griffons as they applied pressure for an extended time of play.
The NovaVit Griffons' Carel-Jan Coetzee ran a brilliant line bursting his way over the tryline of DHL Western Province to reduce the visitors' lead 25-14 with twelve minutes still to play in the match.
Three minutes later the hosts' HP van Schoor scored from the back of a lineout maul to reduce the DHL Western Province's lead to just 25-21, which was also the final score.
Scorers:
NovaVit Griffons: Tries: Domenic Smit, Carel-Jan Coetzee, HP van Schoor . Conversions: Jaywinn Juries (3).
DHL Western Province: Tries: Jarrod Taylor, Andre-Hugo Venter, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Thomas Bursey. Conversion: Clayton Blommetjies. Penalty: Clayton Blommetjies
Teams
NovaVit Griffons: 15 Duren Hoffman, 14 Granwill Matthys, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Jandre de Beer, 11 Domenic Smit, 10 Duan Pretorius, 9 Jaywinn Juries, 8 Sokuphumla Xakalashe, 7 Thomas Ongera, 6 Thato Mavundla, 5 Michael Benadie, 4 Rian Olivier, 3 Doctor Booysen, 2 Dandre Delport, 1 Stephan de Jager. Replacements: 16 Hendrik van Schoor, 17 Xolani Jacobs, 18 Buhle Nojekwa, 19 Wikus Nieuwenhuis, 20 Curtly Thomas, 21 Jean Pretorius, 22 Keanu Vers, 23 Randy Fielies, 24 Jared Kruger, 25 Calla Pienaar, 26 Richman Gora, 27 Allistair Mumba, 28 Ethan Williams, 29 Robbie Petzer, 30 Bennie Human.
DHL Western Province: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Luke Burger, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis (c), 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Louw Nel, 7 Jarrod Taylor, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Adre Smith, 4 Patric Kitete, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Kwenzo Blose. Replacements: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Corne Weilbach, 19 Andre Goedhals, 20 Louwan Horn, 21 Labib Kannemeyer, 22 Jurie Matthee, 23 Tom Nel.
