The Absa Currie Cup First Division is essentially still a two horse race as the Regent Boland Cavaliers and EP Kings stamped their authority on the competition with two more big wins. With Boland on 15 points and EP Kings on 14 points both teams have three times more points than 3rd placed team on the log, SWD Eagles.
After struggling in the first half against the Valke at the Boland Stadium in Wellington on Friday afternoon, the Cavaliers raced away in the second 40 minutes, turning a 13-3 lead at half time into a comfortable victory by 52-10. They scored seven tries in the process.
On Friday evening at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, the EP Kings were simply too good for the Tasol Solar Griffons. The home team scored 11 tries, including a hattrick by Marcello Sampson, as they crushed the Northern Free Staters by 67-26.
In the final First Division game, also on Friday, the SWD Eagles beat the Border Bulldogs by 46-35 in yet another high scoring match, at Outeniqua Park in George. Both teams recorded try scoring bonus points.
Weekend scorers:
Regent Boland Cavaliers 52 (13) Valke 10 (3)
- Regent Boland Cavaliers – Tries: Cornal Hendricks (2), Elgar Watts, Danwel Demas, Jonathan Francke, Willie le Roux, Brendon April. Conversions: Le Roux (4). Penalty goals: Watts, Le Roux (2).
- Valke – Try: Kyle Hendricks. Conversion: Chanley Williams. Penalty goal: Williams.
EP Kings 67 (36) Tasol Solar Griffons 26 (7)
- EP Kings – Tries: SP Marais, Norman Nelson (2), Siyanda Grey, Jaco Bekker (2), Marcello Sampson (3), Falie Oelschig, Luke Watson. Conversions: George Whitehead (6).
- Tasol Solar Griffons – Tries: Ricardo Petersen, Enrico Schultz, Nicky Steyn, Tertius Maarman. Conversions: Tiaan van Wyk (2), Jannie Myburgh.
SWD Eagles 46 (18) Border Bulldogs 35 (9)
- SWD Eagles – Tries: Martin Ferreira, Lyndon Hartnick, Jeffrey Taljard, Howard Noble (2), Eric Coetzee. Conversions: Fires van Vuuren (5). Penalty goals: Van Vuuren (2).
- Border Bulldogs – Tries: Vuyo Mboto, Matthew Taljard, Chumani Booi, Ben Venter. Conversions: Dale Sabbagh (3). Penalty goals: Sabbagh (3).
Absa Currie Cup First Division Log:
Team – P – W – D – L – PF – PA – PD – TF – TA – BPts – Pts
- Regent Boland Cavaliers: 3 – 3 – 0 – 0 – 167 – 29 – 138 – 21 – 4 – 3 – 15
- Eastern Province Kings: 3 – 3 – 0 – 0 – 157 – 61 – 96 – 22 – 7 – 2 – 14
- SWD Eagles: 2 – 1 – 0 – 1 – 66 – 63 – 3 – 7 – 5 – 1 – 5
- Valke: 2 – 1 – 0 – 1 – 48 – 79 – -31 – 7 – 11 – 1 – 5
- Tasol Solar Griffons: 3 – 0 – 0 – 3 – 60 – 151 – -91 – 9 – 23 – 2 – 2
- Border Bulldogs: 3 – 0 – 0 – 3 – 62 – 177 – -115 – 8 – 24 – 1 – 1
