Province pile on the pressure in seven-try rout

WESTERN PROVINCE SWD EAGLES (21) 45 (6) 11 PLAYED four, won four.

That’s the tale of the tape for unbeaten Western Province in the inaugural SuperSport Rugby Challenge after yesterday’s walk in the park at Newlands. They should be applauded for their attacking 15- man rugby under coach John Dobson. The reward is 20 log points from a possible 20.

As for SWD Eagles, they’re still winless through four rounds and at the foot of the five-team south pool.

Province dominated the opening five minutes but conceded a penalty for not rolling away at the breakdown just outside their 22 defending an attacking move down the left side that gained all of 60 metres, and Eagles fullback Leighton Eksteen dissected the uprights to put his side 3-0 up.

The home side dominated possession and territory and should have gone ahead in the 16th minute when blindside flanker Rynhardt Elstadt, returning from injury, dotted down, but the try was disallowed after fullback Grant Hermanus’ pass to his leftwing Craig Barry from 50 metres out was ruled forward on review by the TMO.

Barry after two earlier promising solo runs down field, opened the scoring soon afterwards thanks to quick thinking from his scrumhalf Godlen Masimla, who ran a penalty before unloading the try-scoring pop-up pass. Hermanus added the extras to put his side 7-3 ahead.

Eagles, despite being under constant pressure, reduced the deficit to one point after a second penalty goaled by Eksteen.

Barry should have bagged his brace in the 32nd minute, but once again a forward pass halted his charge towards the try line.

Solid work from Province’s forwards opened up space for Hermanus to outmanoeuvre the defence with nifty footwork and score and convert his own try (14-6).

Province bagged their third goaled try on the stroke of halftime with Barry scoring his brace in much the same way as his first (21-6).

Province got their bonus-try four minutes after the restart with hooker Chad Solomon powering his way over the whitewash from close range.

A brace for Solomon a few minutes later set in motion by a well-controlled attacking maul with lock JD Schickerling involved.

Hermanus missed the second conversion, making the score 33-6.

The Eagles got a deserving un-goaled try in the 56th minute from rightwing Charles Radebe off a penalty advantage that went through the phases and opened up space down the right.

Justin Phillips came on as a replacement scrumhalf for Province and collected try number six. Hermanus, who was named man of the match, was unable to convert from an acute angle (38-11).

The final quarter of an open contest belonged to the hosts aided by their opponents having two players red-carded.

Province eventually capitalised with a penalty try awarded five minutes from time.