Sanlam Boland Kavaliers has taken down another big dog to go level at the top of the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division standings after beating the Vodacom Bulls 28-20 in Wellington on Sunday.
This was the third victory at home for the Wellington side, retaining their unbeaten status at the Boland Rugby Stadium.
It was a fighting performance by the Kavas, who only hit the lead in the contest deep into the second half after trailing 7-12 at halftime.
Boland started the game off well, but could not finish off early opportunities as a staunch Bulls defence met them. While some unforced errors also let the home team down.
The Bulls capitalised on Boland’s misfiring as Jean Erasmus crashed over for the game’s opening try.
The score would remain 5-0 deep into the first half as both sides struggled to get momentum, before the Bulls extended their lead to 12-0 when Jaco Grobbelaar crashed over from a powerful rolling maul.
The Kavas needed a response and found one as hooker Sidney Tobais also scored from a powerful rumble by the home side, right on halftime.
Boeta Chamberlain, however, extended the Bulls’ lead to 15-7 with an early penalty in the second half, before Boland try scoring supremo Donovan Don had a hand in the start of a Kavas attack and finished it off with a pick and go to bring the home side to within one point of the lead.
Bulls captain Nama Xaba rallied his troops as the captain himself crossed the line for the Bulls’ third try to keep the scoreboard pressure on Boland.
However, that did not faze captain Thurlow Marsh and his men, who turned the pressure into winning momentum with Khwezi Mafu finishing off a brilliant move from a powerful scrum before former Bulls prop Dayan van der Westhuizen delivered the final blow and bonus-point-winning try in the final 10 minutes of the clash.
The win sees the Kavas move into second spot behind the Toyota Cheetahs on the Currie Cup log, with both sides on 16 points and the Bloemfontein side ahead on points difference.
With three rounds left, one more win for the Kavas will all but seal a semi-final spot as they prepare to travel to Nelspruit to tackle the Airlink Pumas on Friday, 22 August.
SCORERS:
SANLAM BOLAND KAVALIERS 28 (7) – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Donovan Don, Khwezi Mafu, Dayan van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Ashlon Davids (4)
VODACOM BULLS 20 (12) – Tries: Jean Erasmus, Jaco Grobbelaar, Nama Xaba. Conversion: Boeta Chamberlain. Penalty: Chamberlain
TEAMS
SANLAM BOLAND KAVALIERS: 15 Donavan Don, 14 Marcqwien Titus, 13 David Brits, 12 Lunathi Nxele, 11 Xavier Mitchell, 10 Ashlon Davids (vice-captain), 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh (captain), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Ludio Williams, 5 Jurie van Vuuren, 4 Michael Benadie, 3 Doctor Booysen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Mthokozisi Gumede.
Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Wayrin Losper, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Ameer Hendricks, 20 Khwezi Mafu, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Juan Mostert, 23 Erik Lambrecht
VODACOM BULLS: 15 Stravino Jacobs, 14 Katlego Letebele, 13 Demitre Erasmus, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Zak Burger, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Sintu Manjezi, 6 Nama Xaba (Captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jaco Grobbelaar, 3 Jean Erasmus, 2 Juann Else, 1 Ruan Swart
Replacements: 16 Esethu Mnebelele, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Bryan le Roux, 19 Marco Ferreira, 20 Junior Pokomela, 21 Brooklyn Newman, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Cheswill Jooste