First wins for Vodacom Blue Bulls and Border Bulldogs – Vodacom Cup Round 3 Review

Note to editors: Full match reports of all the games are available here.

The Cell C Sharks underlined their dominance of the South Section of the Vodacom Cup as the Vodacom Blue Bulls and Border Bulldogs finally got their first wins of the season.

The Durbanites beat the Toyota Free State XV by 23-22 in Bloemfontein on Friday to remain unbeaten – one of only three teams with this status after round three – but it could’ve been different had Neil Marais, flyhalf of the home team, managed to slot a late attempted penalty.

Marais didn’t succeed though and the Cell C Sharks XV returned to Durban with the win, despite being outscored by three tries to two.

On Saturday afternoon, the Vodacom Blue Bulls won their first match of the season after two very narrow defeats when they ended the winning streak of Golden Lions, dating back to April 2013 and eight matches.

The Pretorians overturned a 13-point deficit before clinching a 22-20 win over the defending Vodacom Cup champions at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The Border Bulldogs got their first win of 2014 when they showed great character to beat the Tusker Simba XV from Kenya by 18-17 at the Buffalo City Municipality Stadium in East London. Jeff Taljard got 13 of the home team’s points through a try, conversion and two penalty goals.

The two other unbeaten teams, the Steval Pumas and GWK Griquas, were both in action on Friday as well.

The Steval Pumas handed the Down Touch Griffons a big drubbing in Welkom when they won by 69-5, scoring 10 tries in the process. Three players of the side from Mpumalanga, Uzair Cassiem, Jerome Pretorius and Ruwellyn Isbell, each scored a brace of tries.

The third match on Friday took place in Kimberley where GWK Griquas also scored 10 tries en route to a 68-17 victory over the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls. Hilford Clarke scored a hat-trick while Jaco Nepgen carded a brace of tries for the home side.

The Leopards XV had to withstand a strong fightback from the Valke in Kempton Park on Saturday afternoon, but their 21-point lead at the break was ultimately enough to win this encounter by 40-29. George Tossel was the North Westerners’ hero with a hat-trick of tries.

The biggest win in the South Section belonged to DHL Western Province as they trounced the EP Kings by 56-22 at City Park in Athlone on Saturday afternoon. Rayn Smid was the home team’s hat-trick hero as they scored eight tries to EP’s three.

The SWD Eagles soared to second spot on the South Section log with a brilliant 46-17 win over the Regent Boland Cavaliers in picturesque Swellendam on Saturday afternoon, scoring six tries in the process.

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All the Scorers:

Down Touch Griffons 5 (0) Steval Pumas 69 (36)

Down Touch Griffons – Try: Tertius Maarman.

Steval Pumas – Tries: Uzair Cassiem (2), Corné Steenkamp, Jerome Pretorius (2), Dewald Pretorius, Ruwellyn Isbell (2), Bernado Botha, Brian Shabangu. Conversions: JC Roos (7), Justin van Staden. Penalty: Roos.

Toyota Free State XV 22 (10) Cell C Sharks XV 23 (13)

Toyota Free State XV – Tries: Renier Botha, Don Mlondobozi, Nico Lee. Conversions: Niel Marais (2). Penalty: Marais.

Cell C Sharks XV – Tries: Hanco Venter, Justin Downey. Conversions: Fred Zeilinga (2). Penalty goals: Zeilinga (3).

GWK Griquas 68 (33) Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls 13 (6)

GWK Griquas – Tries: Hilford Clarke (3), Thabang Molefe, Ntando Kebe, Gouws Prinsloo, Simon Westraadt, Jaco Nepgen (2), Carel Greeff. Conversions: Dustin Jinka (7), Prinsloo.

Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls – Try: Niyass Johnson. Conversion: Andy Huysamen. Penalty goals: Huysamen (2).

Border Bulldogs 18 (7) Tusker Simba XV 17 (7)

Border Bulldogs – Tries: Jeff Taljard, Makazole Mapimpi. Conversion: Taljard. Penalty goals: Taljard (2).

Tusker Simba XV – Tries: Fabian Olando, Leonard Mugaisi. Conversions: Kenny Andula (2). Penalty goal: Andula.

Valke 29 (9) Leopards XV 40 (30)

Valke – Tries: Grant Janke, Sandile Ngcobo, Anrich Richter, Andrew van Wyk. Penalty goals: Angus Cleophas (3).

Leopards XV – Tries: George Tossel (3), Adri Jacobs. Conversions: Gerhard Nortier (4). Penalty goals: Nortier (4).

DHL Western Province 56 EP Kings 22 (10)

DHL Western Province – Tries: Rayn Smid (3), Devon Williams, JP Lewis, Kyle Lombard, Rohan Kitshoff, Sikhumbuszo Notshe. Conversions: Gary van Aswegen (5). Penalty goals: Van Aswegen (2).

EP Kings – Tries: Kuhle Sonkosi, Michael Killian, Selvyn Davids. Conversions: Ntabeni Dukisa (2). Penalty goal: Dukisa.

SWD Eagles 46 (6) Regent Boland Cavaliers 17 (10)

SWD Eagles – Tries: Duwayne Smart (2), Shaun Raubenheimer, Adolf Petzer, Hentzwill Pedro, Grant le Roux. Conversions: Karlo Aspeling (4), Deroy Rhoode. Penalty goals: Aspeling (2).

Regent Boland Cavaliers – Tries: Christian Rust, Tiaan Radyn. Conversions: Eric Zana (2). Penalty goal: Zana.

Vodacom Blue Bulls 22 (7) Golden Lions 20 (17)

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Clyde Davids, Clayton Blommetjies, Jaco Kriel. Conversions: Louis Fouche, Tony Jantjies. Penalty goal: Tony Jantjies

Golden Lions – Tries: Cyle Brink, Vainon Willis. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (2). Penalty goalss: Elton Jantjies (2).

Vodacom Cup Logs – after Round 3:

North Section

South Section