SP Marais contributed 22 points as Western Province flexed their muscles in defence of their Currie Cup crown with a resounding 57-28 in over the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.
Marais kicked seven conversions‚ scored a try and landed a penalty as WP scored eight tries in a one-sided romp at Mbombela Stadium.
Wing Sergeal Petersen‚ who missed the entire Super Rugby campaign through injury‚ gave a glimpse of what the Stormers missed with his scintillating running and high work rate. Petersen scored twice but had a hand in several other tries and attacks as WP moved to a maximum of 10 log points from their two matches so far.
Springbok prop Wilco Louw was also outstanding in the set pieces and gave another powerful scrumming display while the rest of the pack backed him up with strong performances.
Marais kicked seven conversions‚ scored a try and landed a penalty as WP scored eight tries in a one-sided romp at Mbombela Stadium.
Wing Sergeal Petersen‚ who missed the entire Super Rugby campaign through injury‚ gave a glimpse of what the Stormers missed with his scintillating running and high work rate. Petersen scored twice but had a hand in several other tries and attacks as WP moved to a maximum of 10 log points from their two matches so far.
Springbok prop Wilco Louw was also outstanding in the set pieces and gave another powerful scrumming display while the rest of the pack backed him up with strong performances.
WP ran into a 26-0 lead in as many minutes to end the match as a contest after blitzing the Pumas with four tries.
The deluge began when flank Kobus van Dyk went over in the sixth minute with Petersen scoring his first competitive try in WP colours just eight minutes later.
Petersen turned provider for centre Ruhan Nel minutes later for WP’s third try and Marais scored added a fourth before the Pumas managed to trouble the scoreboard.
The Pumas scored two quick tries before the break through wing JP Lewis and lock Le Roux Roets before Marais added a penalty on the stroke of halftime to push the lead back out to three scores.
After half time Petersen collected a high ball before freeing lock Ernst van Rhyn with a neat pass for a fifth WP try.
Bok flank Sikhumbuzo Notshe scored number six when he snaffled a front-of-lineout ball and crashed over before Petersen chased a kick to collect and score the team’s seventh of the night‚ which brought up WP’s half century.
The Pumas managed two further tries through reserve back Trompie Pretorius and flyhalf Chris Smith as WP went into a lull. The Cape side ended the night with a try from scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies‚ which Marais converted.
Pumas – Tries: JP Lewis‚ Le Roux Roets‚ Trompie Pretorius‚ Christopher Smith. Conversions: Smith (4).
Western Province – Tries: Kobus van Dyk‚ Sergeal Petersen (2)‚ Ruhan Nel‚ SP Marais‚ Ernst van Rhyn‚ Sikhumbuzo Notshe‚ Herschel Jantjies.
Conversions: SP Marais (7). Penalty: Marais.
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