Kings make early statement
10 Mar 2012
The champion Pampas XV went down to the EP Kings in round one of the Vodacom Cup, while there were notable wins for the Sharks XV, Leopards, Western Province and Griquas.
The Kings trailed the Pampas 20-8 after 24 minutes in Stellenbosch before fighting back to lead 21-20 at half-time. Luke Watson’s side then scored 13 unanswered points in the second half to claim the bonus-point win.
In East London, the Sharks XV ran in six tries to thrash the Border Bulldogs 42-0, Western Province scored five in their 51-22 thrashing of the Boland Kavaliers at Newlands, and the Leopards claimed a comfortable 23-8 win against the Golden Lions in Potchefstroom.
In the final match of the weekend, Griquas beat the Blue Bulls 36-17 at Loftus, with right wing Jannie Boshoff scoring two of his side’s six tries.
There were also wins for the Free State XV against the SWD Eagles, and the Pumas against the Valke.
Vodacom Cup results (Round 1):
Pampas XV 26 (20) – Tries: Ramiro Moyano, Lisandro Gomez Lopez. Conversions: Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias (2). Penalties: Iglesias (4).
EP Kings 34 (21) – Tries: Boetie Brits (2), Jacques Engelbrecht, Shane Gates. Conversions: Falie Oelschig. Penalties: Oelschig (4).
Border Bulldogs 0
Sharks XV 42 (14) – Tries: Jandre Marais (2), Gouws Prinsloo, Lubabalo Mtembu, Brynard Stander, Pieter-Steph du Toit. Conversions: Prinsloo (6).
Leopards 23 (16) – Tries: Hoffmann Maritz, Wian Fourie, Berty Visser. Conversions: George Tossel. Penalties: Andre Pretorius, Tossel.
Golden Lions 16 (6) – Try: Marais Schmidt. Conversion: Schmidt. Penalties: Schmidt (3).
Free State XV 34 (12) – Tries: Barry Geel, Ockert van Zyl, Philip Burger (2), Siphosethu Tom. Conversions: Marco Mason (2), Burger. Penalty: Mason.
SWD Eagles 30 (17) – Tries: Wentsley Scott, Giant Mtyanda, Elric van Vuuren. Conversions: Van Vuuren (3). Penalties: Van Vuuren (3).
Valke 30 (24) – Tries: Johan de Bruin, Willie Odendaal, Coert Cronje. Conversions: Juan Kotzé (3). Penalties: Kotzé (3).
Pumas 55 (29) – Tries: WIlhelm Loock (2), Coenie van Wyk (2), Dewald Pretorius, JW Jonker, Renaldo Bothma, Faf de Klerk. Conversions: JC Roos (6). Penalty: Roos.
Western Province 51 (28) – Tries: Mike Ledwidge, Ederies Arendse, Reuben Johannes, Michael van der Spuy, Pieter Stemmet. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (3), Kurt Coleman. Penalties: Catrakilis (6).
Boland Kavaliers 22 (19) – Tries: Franzel September. Conversion: Ricardo Croy. Penalties: Croy (5).
Blue Bulls 17 (10) – Tries: Clayton Blommetjies, Sampie Mastriet. Conversions: Wesley Dunlop, Jurgen Visser. Penalty: Dunlop.
Griquas 36 (19) – Tries: Jannie Boshoff (2), Mathew Rosslee, Jacques Coetzee, Ligtoring Landman, Rudi Vogt. Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (3).
8 Comments
10 Mar 2012, 21:21 pm
“Champion” Pampas XV? Champions of what, exactly?
10 Mar 2012, 23:45 pm
That headline is a beaut…pure PR spin.
Hey Keo, why not run a story on Yeoville Primary School beating
Bez Valley Primary Sschool in the opening round of the Gauteng Primary
Schools’ Division IV competition.
You could headline it with ‘Yeoville make early statenment’ before going on
to tell us that they beat the champions Bez Valley in the opening round.
Yes, both headlines are factually correct.
But, another inescapoable fact is that neither victory entitles
either victor a Super Rugby spot.
Which was, of course, the subliminal message you sought to convey.
Ag sies!
11 Mar 2012, 00:38 am
Simon….
Try: Marais Schmidt. Conversion: Schmidt. Penalties: Schmidt (3).
= 16
not 6
11 Mar 2012, 10:11 am
How is it “Luke Watson’s side”? You wouldn’t say this about any other team. No one calls them “Keegan Daniels’s Sharks” or Pierre Spies’s Bulls”. Your vested interest is sticking out like a yellowed, tatty petticoat.
Also, this is no more a statement than me winning my friendly Sunday morning fourball.
11 Mar 2012, 12:05 pm
The Pampas are the reigning Vodacom Cup champions, having gone unbeaten last season. The Kings certainly made a statement in the competition by being the first team to beat them. Congratulations on a good start. The Kings seem to have a good forward pack this season and a few promising unknowns in the backline. They could become quite a tricky team to beat. Good luck to them.
11 Mar 2012, 12:10 pm
This was mostly a very young EP team (except for 3 of 4 players) …. for 4 of the backline players it was their 1st game for EP! also for some of the loose forwards! Almost a EP “B” … what Alan is doing is giving every player in the Eastern Cape a chance to shine before getting out the cheque book!! its up to the players now …. Alan said if he has to go and buy 30 players he would! ….
12 Mar 2012, 06:40 am
Vodacup Cup “champions”? How utterly underwhelming.
12 Mar 2012, 08:28 am
After that performance, its only fair that the Kings be given immediate entry to the 2015 RWC in England. After the years of apartheid, they should not be subject to having to prove themselves as players like the rest of the world, nor should they rely on SARU picking them.
If there was any justice in the world, they would play at the next RWC!
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