Potent Province power to glory
27 Oct 2012
GARETH DUNCAN watched Western Province break their 11-year Currie Cup drought with a famous 25-18 final win over the Sharks at Kings Park.
Everyone loves an underdog story. And this match was one of the greats in South African domestic rugby.
The pre-match odds laid heavily in the Sharks’ favour. They had home-ground advantage, the strongest pack of the competition and the best team on paper, one loaded with Springboks. The Sharks had the confidence of beating the Stormers and WP four out of five fixtures earlier in the season, and they never lost to a South African team in Durban all year. The stats also proved they were the best attacking and defensive side of the Currie Cup.
However, what stats can’t measure is heart, mettle and determination. And WP, who were missing the likes of Jean de Villiers, Andries Bekker, Tiaan Liebenberg, Siya Kolisi and Schalk Burger, had bucket loads of this on the day.
The Sharks started off strongly and created several try-scoring opportunities, but they unraveled against a gritty WP outfit that failed to tire. The men from the Cape might have come off second best at the collisions and scrums for most parts of the match, but their breakdown assault, superior lineout efficiency and accurate tactical kicking game was crucial in their surprising triumph.
Man of the Match Deon Fourie was a star at openside flank, while Eben Etzebeth, Juan de Jongh and Demetri Catrakilis also deserve special mentions for their individual contributions in a top team performance.
But it took a while for the visitors’ ascendancy to emerge.
The opening quarter was dominated by the Sharks, who exposed the usually resilient Province defence on several occasions. Conversely, the hosts’ guard was resolute.
If it wasn’t for a sensational cover tackle from Bryan Habana, which denied opposite number JP Pietersen a clear run to the whitewash in the seventh minute, the Sharks would’ve held a comfortable lead.
However, Habana’s moment of defensive brilliance came with a sacrifice. The Springbok speedster struggled to gather to his feet after that hit and was taken off the field moments later because of a knee injury. Big blow for Province, and to those who were hoping to see more from the face-off between the two in-form wings.
While the Sharks were denied try opportunities, flyhalf Pat Lambie punished most of the penalties the visitors conceded. The 22-year-old found the target on four occasions to give the Sharks a 12-3 lead by the half-hour mark. Catrakilis nailed one three-pointer during this period.
Then came the unexpected Province fightback.
The biggest damage was done by Juan de Jongh, who executed a telling break shortly after Joe Pietersen’s 32nd-minute penalty.
From a scrum in centre field, the outside centre ran a perfect angle off Catrakilis to expose a gap in the Sharks’ defensive line. His explosiveness saw him beat three defenders in Keegan Daniel, Marcell Coetzee and Lwazi Mvovo on his way to the chalk. Catrakilis converted.
The pivot also added his second penalty on the stroke of half-time, which saw WP lead 16-12 at the break.
The Sharks regained the ascendancy in the second stanza and jumped back into the lead thanks to Lambie’s fifth and sixth penalties.
But Catrakilis landed three vital shots at goal thereafter. First a penalty to regain the lead, which was their only reward after applying relentless pressure on attack against a solid Sharks defence in the opposition’s red zone. Then he nailed two drop goals to add to the buffer. The second drop goal was an important score as it forced the hosts to search for a converted try in order to level the scores.
The Sharks created late drama as Louis Ludik broke down the sideline during the closing stages, with Charl McLeod on his outside. He only had Pietersen to beat, but he passed the ball too early and the defender guessed right to tackle McLeod. The reserve scrumhalf then tried to offload to Lambie, but he lost the ball in contact.
The Sharks also won possession after the final hooter, but again, they lost the ball in contact – this time 10m from the tryline.
Province held on to complete an excellent victory. What an amazing underdog story.
1,055 Comments
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27 Oct 2012, 20:35 pm
@HongKongSlong-529:
re you tslking about all those missed knock onns fro peyeper for sharks!?????”I mean they could knock on two or three times befiore he called it!
Joe did not knock that ball also! He was playing the crowd and will cry with them come review time! He was bad and we bet him and sharks by mile! Score is flattering to sharks!
27 Oct 2012, 20:36 pm
HG should have been back by now. Come on out HG, the floor is yours. Repeat after me…
“Congratulations WP. You are the better side.”
27 Oct 2012, 20:37 pm
@Dawn-548:
Are you not a Bulls supporter now, Dawnie?
27 Oct 2012, 20:37 pm
@WP-Forever-550:
I second that…
27 Oct 2012, 20:38 pm
@mikeybrass-552:
I actually enjoy Heavens Game…I must admit…I imagine an evening of beers with him must be hilarious…
27 Oct 2012, 20:38 pm
@Gumboots-547:
cool… it’s great that we can enjoy this with all our long-suffering brother and sister supporters…
27 Oct 2012, 20:38 pm
@mikeybrass-241:
I was only trying to be gracious mikey
After all we ARE THE CURRIE CUP CHAMPIONS!!! The traditional power of South Africa showed the upstarts what real champions are made of 
And the best thing is that no one can say the ref handed us the final, the poor buggers were played off the park by the youngsters
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or Brokeback style PPPppppffffffffffttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
27 Oct 2012, 20:39 pm
I have almost as big a smile now, as the bonus Thelo Wakefield will be getting…
27 Oct 2012, 20:39 pm
I don’t want to…but I have to say it.
I TOLD YOU.
WEEPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
27 Oct 2012, 20:39 pm
@WP-Forever-555: @WP-Forever-555:
Ja! He can be so funny… He never knows when to stop… He irks people though…
27 Oct 2012, 20:40 pm
Can you believe it, a bunch of bogsnuiter brokeback bergbokkies burgled the Currie Cup against all odds.
27 Oct 2012, 20:40 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-496: I think that I will just go and cower in the corner.
Celebrate with goodwine.Welldone
27 Oct 2012, 20:41 pm
Atreides must come too
We need new faces
Altho WP Forever seems new
27 Oct 2012, 20:41 pm
@ufo-556:
Flip we have come a long way…I used to get so frustrated as we got so close but no champagne…
Remember the sayings…. Province supporters always saying this is their year… Thank goodness for 2012
27 Oct 2012, 20:41 pm
@nama1-559:
Ek hoop jy verf vanaand vir Steinkopf rooi!
Vir ons ware WP-ondersteuners wat al sedert elf jaar vandag wag vir ‘n Curriebeker-kampioenskap…uiteindelik! En dit is wragtig soeter as wat ek gedink het dit sal wees.
27 Oct 2012, 20:41 pm
505.nama1: Reply to this comment
{27 Oct 2012, 09:25 am
@wp. winning nothing never looked so easy-499:
Last day on the site with this nic, I guess.
Just about 9 & 1/2 more hours and you’ll change it or disappear from this site.
GO WEEPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!}
Did this poepol show his face yet?????
27 Oct 2012, 20:42 pm
@Dawn-563:
Listen, Famous Grouse, this is WP Till I Die.
You know this.
27 Oct 2012, 20:42 pm
@WP-Forever-555: I can think of more productive ways to spend my time, including an acid bath.
27 Oct 2012, 20:42 pm
@ryecatcher-562:
Do we know the feeling…. 11 years of that…
27 Oct 2012, 20:43 pm
{508.Hondo: Reply to this comment
27 Oct 2012, 09:53 am
Stormers haven’t signed Jantjies yet, it took Real Madrid only two weeks to sign Ronaldo for $150 Millions in comparison
)}
Playing on a low muddy pitch JP might get a chance to catch Habana and beat him up a little, Aplon will need all the protection he could get from Peiper under the high ball if Lambie will manage to range it outside the 22nd line.
Players to watch:
Peiper, chief scoundrel (watched Joubert yesterday?
Come now Kondo, tell us about Peyper and his WP allegiance.
27 Oct 2012, 20:43 pm
@Hoops-551: I was actually joking mate, The ref had a complete shocker, but still Province won. You are right, the score flattered the sharks in the end they were only in with a shout because of a multitude of awful calls in their favour.
Province, best team on the day by a mile!!!!
27 Oct 2012, 20:44 pm
Once more… Congrats to WP, AC and us supporters…
Chin up to the Sharks and theirs…
Great to catch up guys…
Enjoy and take care…
Outta here…
27 Oct 2012, 20:44 pm
Tetchy.
27 Oct 2012, 20:44 pm
{ 510.nama1: Reply to this comment
27 Oct 2012, 10:15 am
Match ups to look forward to:
Jannie vs Kitshoff
Bresler vs Etzebeth
Keegan vs Vermeulen
Reinach vs Groom
Jordaan vs De Jongh
JPP vs Habana
Mmmm………….liplekker!!!}
Which one did we lose?
Has Meyer “warmed up” to Catrakilis yet?
27 Oct 2012, 20:45 pm
One thing you cannot say about Province supporters and that is they always appear when their team wins or loses…
27 Oct 2012, 20:45 pm
{512.wp. winning nothing never looked so easy: Reply to this comment
27 Oct 2012, 10:44 am
Nama moenie so kwaai wees nie.
Jou span het n 20 percent kans om n trophie vir julle te wen.}
Bwahahahaha……………………………………………
27 Oct 2012, 20:46 pm
Look I knew we could and should win this thing..all and everyone was shouting it out that Sharks got WP’s number and Sharks were automatic victors.. even 2 nights ago they were comparing team sheets and the sharkshit wannabe pretender kenners were touting that WP only had ONE player better than Sharks in a head on comparison the entire team sheet.. being Etsebeth at no.4.. EVERY other Sharks player was in their holy estimation superior to every other WP player bar none…with the home town advantage as well as a ref who did his utmost to spoil WP opportunity and hand Lambie more ammo to clinch his Springbok FH berth.. WP STILL came out trumps..
My one and only reservation before kick off was playing Catrakillis at 10 which showed in the first 45 minutes how much we were missing when he handed Sharks 3 opportunities to steal our momentum and get points for free.
He came good in the end because the WP team led by stalwarts of immense stature in Fourie, Etsebeth and Vermeulen stuffed those overrated Sharkbok poeftas straight back into their overrated sardine tin..
Fourie, Etsebeth, Vermeulen, Groom and De Jongh, with Armand, De Allende, Joe Pietersen and Aplon destroyed the much fancied vaunted ‘superior’ Sharks..
They are the ones who handed Catrakillis the opportunity and belief to escape out of his shell and put over a couple of magic drops to seal the deal.. but it was Fourie and De Jongh who led the fight back and drilled the Sharks into the turf.. if Fourie is not made a Bok and JdJ automatic choice for Bok 12 or 13 on tonight and the entire seasons showing then Heyneke Meyer is a bigger doos than I ever thought
Had Groom and Schreuder started at half back this Sharks outfit would never have even been in the game.. WP would have drilled them into submission already from first half.. as it turned out the mistake of playing Catrakillis at 10 turned out good in the end,, thanks to the tenacity and belief and leadership and courage of the WP players that led the fight back.. Fourie is the MAIN MAN.. KING of the heap at either open side or hooker in the country by FAR.. with stalwarts Vermeulen, Groom, Etsebeth, De Jongh, Pietersen, Aplon, De Allende, Kitschoff, Malherbe and Armand.
27 Oct 2012, 20:46 pm
@Gumboots-564:
Yeah… this was Maya year… and Your-a year… and Our-a year…
at Last!!!
Cheers
Be in touch…
27 Oct 2012, 20:46 pm
@ufo-572:
Cheers mate…
I must sign out now as the wife says I have shared the moment with my mates….
Long live Keo… and the true supporters…
Cheers boys and gals…
27 Oct 2012, 20:46 pm
There are a great many of us who have waited a long time for this.
We have suffered endless abuse.
And finally the cycle has ended.
What I ardently hope now is that we, the true WP supporters, we who know what defeat tastes like, what disappointment feels like, what dashed hope hurts like, will know our place.
We must enjoy our victory. We deserve it, we have waited so long.
But let us respect our vanquished foe. Let us be gracious in victory.
And from this day forth let us in one strong voice in unison support the Springboks!
27 Oct 2012, 20:46 pm
And where is Jockbok FFS
He should be here too
27 Oct 2012, 20:47 pm
{513.wp. winning nothing never looked so easy: Reply to this comment
27 Oct 2012, 11:17 am
Lots of wpians in durbs.
They gonna make rain from their ogies later.}
Who’s making the rain now, poepol?
27 Oct 2012, 20:47 pm
@assagai-577:
You called it mate… Well done…
27 Oct 2012, 20:47 pm
WP you lekka forking ding
27 Oct 2012, 20:48 pm
I wish I could stay and chat… but I must go…
Speak tomorrow….
Ciao
27 Oct 2012, 20:48 pm
@Golden Boy-557: ROFLMAO
27 Oct 2012, 20:49 pm
@Ig-584:
LOL…Good to see ya again buddy…
27 Oct 2012, 20:49 pm
@Ig-584:
Dawn is going to lose her self-control…
Stu, we finally did it!
27 Oct 2012, 20:49 pm
{ 516.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
27 Oct 2012, 12:06 pm
This day the 27th October 2012 is the day of the Currie Cup Final…
Where are those doubters…
And scoundrels…
Those who would dare say…
The Currie Cup is irrelevant?
Honest Rugby brothers should say just this…
To those bu.llshitters and blasphemers…
LIAR!!!
For today is nothing more than:
St Crispins Day…
And on this same day long ago was
once heard echoes of these words…
“And the Currie Cup shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in South Africa now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Currie Cup day.”
To those who shall shed blood and oppose wills…
Good luck and may your honour be celebrated after…
To those cowardly curs like yours truly…
who shall but watch this bloody spectacle…
And support opposing teams as if our…
worthless lives depend on it…
Best of luck too. May the best team win…
With the ref being as insignificant to the outcome…
As a squashed spider…
SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKS FOREVER….
BOOM!!!}
…and what do you know…the best team did win.
BOOM!!! BOOM!!! …and BOOM again!!!
27 Oct 2012, 20:50 pm
@Ig-584:
sheesh Ig bud…??
farken smilieys bud…
farken smileys…!!!
27 Oct 2012, 20:50 pm
Merry Christmas to the Lions coach .
27 Oct 2012, 20:50 pm
Extra time had crossed my mind especially when the Sharkies were throwing the kitchen sink after the hooter had gone.
27 Oct 2012, 20:51 pm
@WP-Forever-550: Great post
27 Oct 2012, 20:52 pm
Sharks, well and trully stuffed…. Brokeback style, No Vaseline.
27 Oct 2012, 20:52 pm
Oh my God!!!!!!!!
27 Oct 2012, 20:53 pm
@assagai-577:
“Had Groom and Schreuder started at half back this Sharks outfit would never have even been in the game.. ”
We’ll never know about that. What we do know is that we moered the overrated, oversized fat gat plonkers with a junior WP team.
That’s good enough for me.
27 Oct 2012, 20:53 pm
@Ig-584: there we go from out the woodwork.. nothing like a WP victory to bring out all the real MacKoy support.
@Gumboots-583: I knew it from Monday we were gonna take this thing in spite of everything every other boffin was surmising we had this thing going for us.. and even Peyper tried his hand at pulling for Sharks.. I was concerned about one player only Catrakillis.. and his first 60 minutes was almost like he was playing for Sharks.. in the end he came good… the leadership and tenacity shown by Fourie, Vermeulen, Etsebeth, Kitschoff, Groom, De Jongh, and the work done by Armand, Pietersen, Aplon stabilized his wonky nerves and he pulled it through
27 Oct 2012, 20:54 pm
I just lost my self control!
MY first love is back!
27 Oct 2012, 20:56 pm
@Dawn-595: yip God has materialized on Keo.. how do you fancy that?
27 Oct 2012, 20:56 pm
The Greek deserves credit. he is ice cool. We needed that calmness today.
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