The Regent Boland Cavaliers will host the EP Kings in Absa Currie Cup First Division final in Wellington on Friday at 16:30 (Subject to ABF final confirmation).
Both these teams, who finished the league phase of the competition way ahead of the four other teams in the First Division, were comfortable winners in their respective semi-finals on Friday.
The Cavaliers beat the Tasol Solar Griffons by 50-20 at the Boland Stadium, and the Kings, current First Division defending champions, were too good for the Valke and won their semi-final by 48-17 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Going into the EP Kings game the Valke’s form of ‘negative play’ was highlighted as a concern.
The EP Kings dominated the possession, territory and lineouts which shows in the final score, although it took 12 minutes of play to get the first points on the board with a try by hooker Bobby Dyer after EP Kings Eighthman Engelbrecht executed a marvellous break. Louis Strydom converted.
13 minutes later, Engelbrecht was rewarded for his great work rate with a try of his own, again converted by Strydom.
The final try before halftime was followed by a Penalty a minute against the Valke – 6 penalties given against the Valke in as many minutes with one successful attempt at crossing the crossbar by Louis Strydom.
Halftime score: 27-3
EP Kings prop, Ronnie Uys appeared to be reveling in his ability to hurt his opposite number in the scrums and new kid on the block, Andile Witbooi showed great promise (I swear his legs are thinner than Chumani Bambani’s).
Referee Pro Legoete made sure that his whistle was kept in tip top working condition as he handed out 30 penalties during the course of the game (15 apiece for the Kings and Valke) and THREE Yellow Cards: Valke wing Heinrich Rademeyer (high tackle), replacement flank Warren Perkins (killing of the ball) and Kings centre Joe Breytenbach for diving into a ruck (take note Bryce Lawrence!).
The final say in the final minute went to the Valke as they created enough space for replacement wing, Kyle Hendricks, to crash over for a try in the North West corner of the NMB Stadium. The conversion by Kotze was good.
- EP Kings – Tries: Bobby Dyer, Jacques Engelbrecht, Norman Nelson, Devin Oosthuizen, SP Marais, Jaco Bekker. Conversions: Louis Strydom (5), George Whitehead. Penalties: Strydom (2).
- Valke – Tries: Coert Cronje, Kyle Hendricks. Conversions: Juan Kotze (2). Penalty: Kotze.
