Going into their game against Boland on Friday, the EP Kings had a six point lead on their rivals.
Leaving the Boland Stadium after a 49-15 thrashing at the Boland Stadium in Wellington on Friday the gap has suddenly narrowed to 1 point.
The EP Kings have now completed their league fixtures. Boland ONLY need two points when they meet 4th on the log SWD Eagles next week. Even a blind, deaf, mute, bedridden betting man will confidently predict that Boland will romp away from that game with 5 points in hand and gain the complete upper hand and home game advantage in the playoffs going forward.
With the half time score at 13-10 it looked like the Kings were still within reach. Boland overtook the Kings on the death of the 1st half with a try by Demas, converted by Watts.
It all fell apart for the Kings in the last 17 minutes of the second half as Boland ran in 5 tries and 4 conversions leaving EP reeling.
Alan, I have to remind you that you did pooh pooh the idea of the Bonus Points making much of a difference, but, as my sainted Father used to say in his pseudo Jewish accent; “My boy, if you take care of the Cents (Bonus points), the Ronts (Wins) will take care of themselves”.
It seems like something went entirely wrong in the game plan and discipline areas for the EP Kings as they amassed three yellow cards – all for repeated infringements.
Yellow cards: Clint Newland (Eastern Province Kings – repeated infringements), Devin Oosthuizen (Eastern Province Kings – repeated infringements), Jacques Engelbrecht (Eastern Province Kings – repeated infringements) and Clemen Lewis (Boland Cavaliers, 48 – repeated infringements)
Boland Cavaliers:
- Tries: Danwel Demas – 4, Bolla Conradie and Willie Le Roux
- Conversions: Elgar Watts, Willie Le Roux – 4
- Penalties: Elgar Watts – 3
EP Kings:
- Tries: Jaco Engels, Luke Watson
- Conversion: Louis Strydom
- Penalty: Louis Strydom
The latest logs show Boland and the Griffons with 9 bonus points apiece, EP Kings with 6 bonus points, whilst Boland, SWD and the Griffons have 3 bonus points each. Those ‘lost’ possible four bonus points for the EP Kings are now gonna hurt them.
Just a reminder about those bonus points concerns again, young Alan: EP Kings Slipping to Boland in the Bonus Points Stakes (4 Sep 2011), Those Bonus Points Could be EP’s Undoing (11 Sep 2011), It Could be a Battle of the Bonus Points (29 Aug 2011).
So, should EP spend ANOTHER season in the Currie Cup First Division?
