Leopards XV through as pool phase concludes – Vodacom Cup Round 9 Review

 

The Xerox Lions and DHL Western Province finished the league phase of the Vodacom Cup unbeaten and will host quarter-finals next week, along with the Vodacom Blue Bulls and GWK Griquas.

 

The four teams that will have to travel for their quarter-finals, are the Steval Pumas, Leopards XV, Toyota Free State XV and SWD Eagles.

 

With seven of the eight quarter-finalists determined before the last round of matches kicked off, the Leopards XV did what was needed by securing a 33-25 bonus-point victory over the FNB Welwitschias in Windhoek to book their place in the top eight.

 

In the other two North Section matches, the Xerox Golden Lions were too strong for the Down Touch Griffons in Welkom (36-20) and the Hino Valke edged the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls in Polokwane (38-27).

 

In the South Section, the EP Kings beat the Cell C Sharks XV in Port Elizabeth (23-8), DHL Western Province clinched victory against the SWD Eagles in Cape Town (27-19) and the Border Bulldogs got their first win of the season against the Boland Cavaliers in Alice (29-5).

 

But the match of the weekend was probably the encounter between the Toyota Free State XV and GWK Griquas in Kimberley, where 14 points were scored in the final 10 minutes and the home team clinched a 19-18 win thanks to a penalty goal in injury time.

 

Vodacom Cup quarter-finals (date, time and kick-off times TBC):

 

Xerox Golden Lions (North 1) v SWD Eagles (South 4) – Johannesburg

DHL Western Province (South 1) v Leopards XV (North 4) – Cape Town

Vodacom Blue Bulls (North 2) v Toyota Free State XV (South 3) – Pretoria

GWK Griquas (South 2) v Steval Pumas (North 3) – Kimberley

 

Vodacom Cup information: NEWS | RESULTS | FIXTURES | LOGS | TOP SCORERS | TRY SCORERS

 

Notes to media: Pictures from selected matches are available for rights free use by clicking here. If prompted, use the password “2015VodacomCup”.

 

Feel free to use the match reports published on www.sarugby.co.za – simply follow the relevant links below.

 

Match reports (full report available by clicking on the score):

 

Down Touch Griffons 20 Xerox Golden Lions 36

 

The Xerox Golden Lions made sure they won the Northern Section of the Vodacom Cup after beating the Down Touch Griffons 36-20 in the HT Pelatona Projects Stadium in Welkom on Friday afternoon.

 

The win – their seventh of the season – means they will host one of the four quarter-finals next weekend. The Xerox Golden Lions dominated most of the match and will go into the playoffs with a lot of confidence after scoring six tries in Welkom, which included a brace by No 8 Jano Venter.

 

Scorers:

 

Xerox Golden Lions – Tries: Jano Venter (2), Ashlon Davids, Jaco van der Walt, Ruan Ackermann, Stokkies Hanekom. Conversions: Van der Walt (3).

 

Down Touch Griffons – Tries: Norman Nelson, Tertius Maarman, Vuyo Mboto, Nicky Steyn.

 

FNB Welwitschias 25 Leopards XV 33

 

They were made to work hard, but in the end the Leopards XV secured their spot in the Vodacom Cup quarter-finals with a bonus-point 33-25 (halftime 26-15) victory over the FNB Welwitschias at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek on Friday evening.

 

Vice-captain and flyhalf Shaun Michael Kaizemi dominated the scoreboard for the home team, but it was not enough to prevent the men from Potchefstroom from securing fourth spot on the log.

 

After the Namibians opened the scoring, the rest of the night belonged to the Leopards XV though, who secured their bonus-point before halftime.

 

Scorers:

 

FNB Welwitschias – Tries: Shaun Michael Kaizemi (2), Nico Esterhuyse, Russell Steven van Wyk. Conversion: Kaizemi. Penalty goal: Kaizemi.

 

Leopards XV – Tries: HP Swart, Stephan Bezuidenhout, Kobus du Plessis, Jaco Jordaan, Dane van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Adriaan Engelbrecht (4).

 

EP Kings 23 Cell C Sharks XV 8

 

The Eastern Province Kings finished their Vodacom Cup campaign with a 23-8 victory (halftime 8-8) over the Cell C Sharks in a South Section clash at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday evening.

 

The home team made some frustrating errors on attack but were solid on defence and deserved their victory on the night. For all their dominance in the loose and set phases during the early exchanges, the Kings struggled to convert all their possession into territory.

 

Scorers:

 

EP Kings – Tries: Luther Obi, Jaco Grobler, Enrico Acker. Conversion: Scott van Breda. Penalty goals: Hansie Graaff, Van Breda.

 

Cell C Sharks XV – Try: Hanco Venter. Penalty goal: Garth April.

 

DHL Western Province 27 SWD Eagles 19

 

DHL Western Province cemented their place at the top of the Vodacom Cup South Section log with a bonus-point 27-19 (halftime 14-9) victory over the SWD Eagles at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday to set up a home quarter-final with the Leopards XV.

 

Jaco Taute scored a try on his return from injury but it was flanker Tapiwa Tsomondo who grabbed the limelight with a brace of tries as the men from Cape Town made sure of a home quarter-final and potential home semi-final should they overcome the Leopards next week.

 

Scorers:

 

DHL Western Province – Tries: Jaco Taute, Tapiwa Tsomondo (2), Tshotsho Mbovane. Conversions: Robert du Preez (2). Penalty goal: Jean-Luc du Plessis.

 

SWD Eagles – Try: Leighton Eksteen. Conversion: Elric van Vuuren. Penalty goals: Van Vuuren (3), Gerrit Smith.

 

GWK Griquas 19 Toyota Free State XV 18

 

A penalty goal by Dean Grant in the 81^st minute broke the hearts of the Toyota Free State XV and sent fans at GWK Park in Kimberley into exhilaration as GWK Griquas edged their neighbours 19-18 in their Vodacom Cup South Section derby on Saturday afternoon.

 

Toyota Free State XV led 10-7 at halftime but could not capitalise on that lead as the home team snuck in at the death.

 

The result secured second spot on the South Section log for GWK Griquas, while Free State finished in third (22 points).

 

Scorers:

 

GWK Griquas – Try: Rudi van Rooyen. Conversion: Gouws Prinsloo. Penalty goals: Prinsloo, Dean Grant (3).

 

Toyota Free State XV – Tries: Ludwig Erasmus, Alvin Brandt. Conversion: Willie du Plessis. Penalty goal: Du Plessis. Drop-goal: Erasmus.

 

Border Bulldogs 29 Boland Cavaliers 5

 

Makazole Mapimpi scored 24 points as the Border Bulldogs ended their Vodacom Cup campaign on a high with a 29-5 (halftime 19-0) South Section victory over the Boland Cavaliers at the University of Fort Hare on Saturday.

 

The enigmatic left winger scored three tries, three conversions and a penalty goal to round off a fine afternoon as the home side handed over the wooden spoon to the Cavaliers as their bonus-point victory lifted them above the side from the Western Cape.

 

Scorers:

 

Border Bulldogs – Tries: Makazole Mapimpi (3), Michael Makase. Conversions: Mapimpi (3). Penalty goal: Mapimpi.

 

Boland Cavaliers – Try: Harlon Klaasen.

 

Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls 27 Hino Valke 38

 

The Hino Valke scored six tries en route to their 27-38 victory over the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane in their final Vodacom Cup North Section match on Saturday afternoon.

 

The Valke held a comfortable 8-19 halftime lead and kept the pressure on in the second half as they ensured they finished the season with a well-deserved win.

 

The Leopards XV's hard-fought victory against the FNB Welwitschias on Friday put paid to the Valke's knockout aspirations while Limpopo finished their season firmly rooted to the foot of the table.

 

Scorers:

 

Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls – Tries: Andries Truter, Pieter Matthews, Dwayne Pienaar, Tinus van Wyk. Conversions: Anton Beswick (2). Penalty goal: Beswick.

 

Hino Valke – Tries: Kyle Hendricks (3), Friedle Olivier, Riaan Arends, Johan Pretorius. Conversions: Juan Kotze (4).

 

Final Logs

 

North Section

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Xerox Golden Lions	7	7	0	0	279	108	171	38	15	5	33
2	Vodacom Blue Bulls	7	6	0	1	282	114	168	40	11	5	29
3	Steval Pumas	7	5	0	2	263	114	149	32	13	4	24
4	Leopards XV	7	4	0	3	208	217	-9	28	28	4	20
5	Hino Valke	7	3	0	4	213	200	13	31	25	7	19
6	Down Touch Griffons	7	2	0	5	160	286	-126	23	40	3	11
7	FNB Welwitschias	7	1	0	6	94	285	-191	13	41	3	7
8	Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls	7	0	0	7	115	290	-175	11	43	1	1

 

South Section

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	DHL Western Province	7	7	0	0	188	103	85	23	11	4	32
2	GWK Griquas	7	6	0	1	205	138	67	24	16	4	28
3	Toyota Free State XV	7	4	0	3	215	170	45	28	17	6	22
4	SWD Eagles	7	4	0	3	193	137	56	21	16	4	20
5	EP Kings	7	3	0	4	181	162	19	26	18	5	17
6	Cell C Sharks XV	7	2	0	5	180	165	15	24	22	3	11
7	Border Bulldogs	7	1	0	6	104	206	-102	11	28	2	6
8	Boland Cavaliers	7	1	0	6	105	290	-185	15	44	1	5

 

Top scorers

 

Player	Team	Tries	Conv	Pen	Drops	Tot
JC Roos	Steval Pumas	2	18	13	0	85
Kobus Marais	Vodacom Blue Bulls	2	20	9	0	77
Elric van Vuuren	SWD Eagles	0	13	16	0	74
Jaun Kotze	Hino Valke	1	23	4	0	63
Gouws Prinsloo	GWK Griquas	0	12	12	0	60
Ashlon Davids	Xerox Golden Lions	3	14	4	0	55
Anton Beswick	Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls	0	8	13	0	55
Jean-Luc Du Plessis	DHL Western Province	0	8	12	0	52
Coenie van Wyk	Toyota Free State XV	2	10	4	0	42
Alshaun Bock	SWD Eagles	8	0	0	0	40
Shaun Kaizemi	FNB Welwitschias	2	7	4	0	36
Kobus du Plessis	Leopards XV	2	6	4	0	34
Jaco van der Walt	Xerox Golden Lions	1	10	3	0	34
Adriaan Engelbrecht	Leopards XV	1	12	1	0	32
Masixole Banda	Border Bulldogs	0	2	9	0	31
Riaan Arends	Hino Valke	6	0	0	0	30
Anrich Richter	Hino Valke	6	0	0	0	30
Kefentse Mahlo	Vodacom Blue Bulls	6	0	0	0	30
Martin Sithole	Down Touch Griffons	6	0	0	0	30