News24.com | Western Province secure bonus point Currie Cup win as they weather epic Griffons fightback

Western Province secured a bonus point victory over the Griffons in their Currie Cup encounter on Friday but had to see off a determined fightback from the home side in the second half.

RECAP | Griffons v Western Province

The 25-21 win sees them move up to fourth on the log, although other teams may again go above them depending on results over the coming weekend. 

Province opened the scoring in the 21st minute through a Clayton Blommetjies penalty for a 3-0 lead.

In the 31st minute, they extended that lead to 8-0 when flanker Jarrod Taylor crashed over for an unconverted try.

On the stroke of half-time, Western Province scored again after an excellently worked line-out move saw hooker Andre Hugo Venter claim the visitor's second try.

Blommetjies couldn't convert, but Province took a 13-0 lead into half-time.

Enterprising running in the opening minutes of the second half saw Province skipper Jean-Luc du Plessis cross the whitewash in the right-hand corner.

With Blommetjies adding a tricky conversion from the right-hand touchline, Western Province now had a comfortable 20-0 lead and were threatening to run away with the match.

The bonus point try followed a few minutes as scrumhalf Thomas Bursey jumped on a handling error by the Griffons, kicked ahead, collected to push the score out to 25-0. 

With Province down to 14 men, after Kwenzo Blose was sent to the bin for repeated infringements in the red zone, the Griffons scored their first try of the match through winger Domenic Smith.

Jaywinn Juries added a difficult conversion from the left-hand touchline to cut the Western Province lead to 25-7 in the 60th minute. 

The home side scored again in the 69th minute through centre CJ Coetzee as they clawed their way back into the match.

Juries' conversion meant that Province held a 25-14 lead with 10 minutes left in the match. 

Now with all the momentum, the Griffons added their third try of the match as replacement hooker HP van Schoor scored a converted try from a rolling maul to make the score 25-21. 

Province, however, managed to hold on in a frantic final few minutes to secure a much needed win.

The Griffons, however, will be kicking themselves for not adding another Currie Cup scalp after beating the Bulls earlier this season.

Scorers

Griffons 21 (0)

Tries: Domenic Smith, CJ Coetzee, HP van Schoor

Conversions: Jaywinn Juries (3)

Penalties

Western Province 25 (13)

Tries: Jarrod Taylor, Andre Hugo Venter, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Thomas Bursey

Conversions: Clayton Blommetjies 

Penalties: Clayton Blommetjies

Teams

Griffons:

15 Duren Hoffman, 14 Granwill Matthys, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Jandre de Beer, 11 Domenic Smit, 10 Duan Pretorius (captain), 9 Jaywinn Juries, 8 Sokuphumla Xakalashe, 7 Thomas Ongera, 6 Thato Mavundla, 5 Michael Benade, 4 Rian Olivier, 3 Doctor Booysen, 2 Dandre Delport, 1 Stephan de Jager

Substitutes: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Xolani Jacobs, 18 Buhle Nojekwa, 19 Wikus Nieuwenhuis, 20 Curtly Thomas, 21 Jean Pretorius, 22 Keanu Vers, 23 Randy Fielies

Western Province:

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Luke Burger, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis (captain), 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Louw Nel, 7 Jarrod Taylor, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Adre Smith, 4 Patric Kitete, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Kwenzo Blose

Substitutes: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Corne Weilbach, 19 Andre Goedhals, 20 Louwan Horn, 21 Labib Kannemeyer, 22 Jurie Matthee, 23 Tom Nel