Catrakilis 500-point milestone as Currie Cup holders win

Demetri Catrakilis raised his South African Currie Cup points total to 500 Saturday, but there was little else to celebrate as Western Province edged Cheetahs 9-3 in Cape Town.

The fly-half slotted three penalties within seven second-half minutes for the title-holders in unpleasant, late southern hemisphere winter conditions at Newlands stadium in Cape Town.

Catrakilis missed a first-half shot at goal in the second-round match before Cheetahs fly-half Fred Zeilinga succeeded with a penalty attempt midway through the opening half.

The visitors, who had three players sin-binned, bravely defended the three-point advantage until Catrakilis made his mark via penalties after 54, 57 and 60 minutes.

Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs had a late chance to snatch victory, but centre Rayno Benjamin let the ball slip from his grasp with the try-line beckoning after a superb ankle tap by replacement Province fly-half Kurt Coleman.

Intermittent swirling, misty rain and cold ruled out running rugby and the match quickly developed into an arm-wrestle.

Cheetahs, a team renowned for scoring plenty of tries and conceding even more, adapted surprisingly well to the alien conditions.

But the visitors, who last won the 124-year-old Currie Cup in 2007, were let down by ill discipline with Benjamin and loose forwards Gerhard Olivier and Henko Venter yellow-carded.

Benjamin kicked Province prop Oli Kebble, replacement Olivier committed a professional foul, and Venter grabbed an opponent around the neck.

Victory for Province lifted them to nine points, one less than the Bulls and the Lions, who achieved bonus-point home victories.

Bulls top the table on points difference after a four-try last-quarter scoring spree produced a 36-12 triumph over bottom-of-the-table Griquas at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria.  

Leading Currie Cup scorer this season and Bulls fly-half Tian Schoeman contributed 21 points from a try, two conversions and four penalties after scoring 22 points at the Cheetahs last weekend.

Two penalty tries helped 2014 runners-up the Lions overcome the Pumas 44-27 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg after leading 20-10 at half-time in a scrappy affair riddled with handling errors.

Pumas levelled at 27-27 before conceding a second penalty try when fly-half Jean Claude Roos deliberately knocked down the ball and got a yellow card.

Lions fly-half Marnitz Boshoff did not miss a kick at goal, claiming five conversions and two penalties, and a drop goal raised his haul to 19 points and second place overall behind Schoeman.

Sharks, champions two seasons ago, survived a couple of frights to win 33-25 against Kings at Kings Park stadium in Durban.

Kings led twice during the second half before a penalty from full-back Joe Pietersen gave the hosts a one-point advantage that stretched to eight when a try by substitute centre Paul Jordaan was converted.
Source: AFP