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, 18:54 pm
Ok – I am out of here. Let the record show I did hang around a bit…..:-) Enjoy boys. Again – congrats WP !
27 Oct 2012, 18:54 pm
@mxhosa-275: Outplayed by the young greek…
27 Oct 2012, 18:55 pm
@Dusky-283:
I was kidding I like many of you Sharks fans to be honest
27 Oct 2012, 18:55 pm
@kaksioek-280:
ag, skop will say he was using ‘reverse psychology’ on him
27 Oct 2012, 18:55 pm
Howzit UFO
27 Oct 2012, 18:55 pm
@CoachPete-303: Enjoy it buddy. Don’t drink and drive. Ok – really…going now
27 Oct 2012, 18:56 pm
@Transformation-300:
Howdy… could not ignore such a great result…!!
sheesh… very exciting… very cool…
at LAST….!!!
27 Oct 2012, 18:56 pm
beyond proud……absolutely beautiful
boom
27 Oct 2012, 18:57 pm
@Dawn-305:
Howdy Dawn…
How you been…?
Great result for us long-time supporters hey…!?
27 Oct 2012, 18:57 pm
I can’t believe a severely depleted WP team beat a Bok laden Sharks team at KP with Peyper intent on handing the Sharks the trophy
27 Oct 2012, 18:57 pm
@grant10-308:
Now you can come back here a bit.
27 Oct 2012, 18:58 pm
party time
boom
27 Oct 2012, 18:58 pm
WP WP WP WP WP WP WP WP WP WP WP
11 years die Currie Cup kom Weer!!!!
WP jou lekker ding
27 Oct 2012, 18:58 pm
@David-270: I had a quiet feeling.
WP jou lekker ding!!!!!!
27 Oct 2012, 18:58 pm
@Dusky-306:
its very early here and Our SF giants have still to play at Detroit
Go Giants
27 Oct 2012, 18:59 pm
Just love these guys celebrating in Kings Park. Heavens Game must be frothing at the mouth.
27 Oct 2012, 18:59 pm
@Ashraf Ismail-313:
feelin’ lekker hey…??
27 Oct 2012, 19:00 pm
@W.P-310: I enjoyed how WP played with a controlled attacking mindset without compromising their defence.
As much as I like JdV, I just feel his time has come and gone after this year.
27 Oct 2012, 19:00 pm
commisserations sharks…awesome game…could of gone either way.
Brigadier Van Zyl….wat se jy nou oor JDJ?
27 Oct 2012, 19:00 pm
@rossoneri-316:
I dont think we will see him here for about a week
27 Oct 2012, 19:00 pm
@rossoneri-316: Did you see the little Sharks fan weeping in his dad’s arms? A HG flashback
27 Oct 2012, 19:01 pm
Truly amazing, so proud of the boyz, beating a Sharks team packed with stars! Etsebeth was immense!
27 Oct 2012, 19:02 pm
His banshee is moering him with a wooden spoon
27 Oct 2012, 19:02 pm
@grant10-319: The Greek surprised me. He started off shockingly and pulled it together. It was like he played off JdJ’s confidence, especially after JdJ and Eben single-handedly dragged Province back into the match.
Groom was outstanding at scrumhalf. Please, no more Duvenhage unless off the bench. Please please please.
27 Oct 2012, 19:02 pm
Somebody forgot to give this young WP side the script!
What a cracker of a final!
27 Oct 2012, 19:03 pm
Eben, JDJ, *****!!!!!!, I’m going insane!!!!!!
27 Oct 2012, 19:03 pm
@mikeybrass-324:
Dmitri “The Greek God of Sniping” Catrakilis.
27 Oct 2012, 19:03 pm
@ufo-317: Hey fella, sweet, aint it???
27 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm
Great game, well done Province. The ref was really with the home team today but Province were determined to win. Well done!!! It has been a long wait
27 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm
It feels good na-na-na-na! So good! So good! So good!
27 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm
The Cup has found its way home to the Mother
27 Oct 2012, 19:05 pm
Boom!
27 Oct 2012, 19:05 pm
@WP-Forever-327: That left-footed drop goal took nerve!
27 Oct 2012, 19:05 pm
WP team of the year
Eben player of the year by a great margin
Toetie coach of the year
Deon Fourie fetcher of the year
Peyper kakkest ref of the year
Did I leave anything out???
27 Oct 2012, 19:05 pm
@stormersboy-328:
Howdy Bud…
Words are inadequate right now…!!
Yeah… very sweet…
So proud…!!
Been a LOOOOONNNG time a-coming…!!
27 Oct 2012, 19:05 pm
Allastair Coetzee, now you know , never, never , never never, never, never, never,never allow Duvenhage anywhere near a WP or Stormers jersey, we have been telling you since 2010…….
27 Oct 2012, 19:06 pm
WP/Stormers, the SA Side of the Year 2012.
27 Oct 2012, 19:06 pm
Sniping not Shipping?
Greeks own ships
27 Oct 2012, 19:06 pm
PROOOOOOVVVVVIIIIIINCE…..
PRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEE…………………..
27 Oct 2012, 19:06 pm
Sharks only allowed to play first 20 mins of each half. WP played exactly the right game. The Greek, Etzebeth, JDJ and Fourie were huge. As a Sharks supporters I must take my hat off to the guys.
27 Oct 2012, 19:07 pm
Well done WP, you were the better team. You guys kill at the line out and the scrum wasnt to bad whn it mattered.
Thank you Sharks for a awesome season. Sharks forever
27 Oct 2012, 19:07 pm
JdJ showed Meyer what a centre is supposed to do!!! Still haven’t gotten over the whole JJ over JdJ in an extended squad. Here is a thought, it seems Meyer not picking a player for the boks seems to do wonders for the player in other matches. Lambie played well today but alas he is but one man.
27 Oct 2012, 19:07 pm
I am so happy so happy for Province. Great and measured rugby performance. The Sharks won before the game started. They have really been brought down to earth.
That hand off on Daniel? It mwill haunt for the rest of his life!!
27 Oct 2012, 19:07 pm
@XhosaKid-336: Groom for Stormers scrummy… Surely.
Schreuder strikes me as too tall for a scrummy. Think he should concentrate on flyhalf.
27 Oct 2012, 19:07 pm
Great win by a young team. WP should be in the final a few more times in the coming years
27 Oct 2012, 19:07 pm
Hoogmoed kom voor die val, of hoe, Heavens Game????
27 Oct 2012, 19:08 pm
If the EOYT doesn´t consist of a combo of the Sharks and WP then Meyer is a bigger moron than I already think he is.
27 Oct 2012, 19:08 pm
And to think we had to travel away for the semi against the holders and then fly east again for the final.
27 Oct 2012, 19:08 pm
@Dawn-338:
Hi Dawn Have another Whiskey
27 Oct 2012, 19:09 pm
So many here laughed when Fleckie said they believe they had the formula to beat the Sharks.
HG is drowning his sorrows in the tank.
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