Potent Province power to Currie Cup glory against Sharks

Western Province were simply too powerful and too potent for a Sharks team that were pulverised in the scrum and tortured in the backs. They are the 2017 Currie Cup champions.

Province won the competition for a record 34th time and the fifth in eight finals against the Sharks.

WP tighthead prop Wilco Louw and loosehead prop JC Janse van Rensburg were individually beasts and the WP pack, collectively were absolute monsters in destroying the Sharks.

The hosts scored first through veteran Odwa Ndungane and led 21-10 on 39 minutes. But it was not a score reflective of the play, with WP enjoying a territorial and possession advantage in excess of 60 percent. This statistic would be closer to 70 percent in a second half, in which only one team threatened to win the final.

And it wasn’t the home team.

Big matches are won on dominant forward displays and this one was surprisingly one-sided.

Province demolished the Sharks in the first scrum of the match in winning the first of five scrum penalties. The Sharks, with no set piece platform or stability, were always on the back foot and despite a decent-looking 21-10 lead the momentum was never with the home team.

Province centre Huw Jones scored a brace and Robert du Preez kicked five from eight. Jones was named man of the match but it was an award that could have gone to so many WP players.

Louw was more mountain than rock at tighthead and No 8 Nizaam Carr was all class.

Du Preez produced an effective and classy second half, but would be the first to acknowledge his day was made that much easier because of the effort of his forwards.

Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch was a mixture of awesome and awful … awesome with his game breaking boot but awful with his one-on-one defence.

Bosch does magical things on attack but his defensive frailties will again overshadow his skills. His inability to make tackles when strategically positioned on the wing would have delighted those detractors who doubt he has the size to play Test rugby.

Bosch kicked one fabulous long-range drop goal but as his pack perished, so did he and the rest of the Sharks backs.

Province were just too good in every facet of play, but rarely has one set piece so sensationally subdued another in a Currie Cup final.

All credit to WP and on this particular day, all glory to the best team on the field.

Scorers

Sharks 21 (21)

Tries: Odwa Ndungane, Dan du Preez

Conversion: Curwin Bosch

Penalties: Bosch (2)

Drop goal: Bosch

WP 33 (15)

Tries: Huw Jones (2), Dillyn Leyds, Cobus Wiese

Conversions: Robert du Preez (2)

Penalties: Du Preez (3)

Teams:

Sharks

15 Garth April, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Odwa Ndungane, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Ruan Botha (captain), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Thomas du Toit

Substitutes: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Jean Droste, 20 Jacques Vermeulen, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Tristan Blewett, 23 Rhyno Smith

Western Province

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (captain), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.

Substitutes: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Jan de Klerk, 20 Kobus van Dyk, 21 Jano Vermaak, 22 Werner Kok, 23 Dan Kriel