There were heart stopping moments for 20 564 spectators at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday night in the EP Kings historical first game in the Premier Currie Cup competition in 12 years as they watched Western Province captain, Juan de Jongh, sail over the EP tryline in the second minute of the game.
But, the try was disallowed as a result of obstruction.
First blood went to Western Province in the seventh minute as Pat Howard (22) scored in the South East corner after dominating the gap, a safe conversion from former Southern Kings flyhalf, Demetri Catrakilis saw WP advance to 7 points to the Kings Zero.
In the 12th minute the EP Kings managed to penetrate the WP half with a penalty which they opted to kick for touch. Sustained pressure on the WP side led to another penalty within their 22 which Scott van Breda safely slotted to narrow the gap to four points.
Another penalty in the WP half after 16 minutes saw EP again kicking for territory and winning the lineout. Manuel Carizza from WP was sent to the naughty corner reducing the WP team to 14 for 10 minutes and Scott van Breda slotted his penalty to reduce the deficit to one point.
Four minutes later Western Province won and converted a penalty off the boot of Demetri Catrakilis to make the score 10-6 in favour of WP.
And in the 27th minute as Manuel Carizza came onto the field his team-mate Pat Cilliers (3) took over the warmed up seat in the naughty corner keeping the WP team at 14 players for 20 minutes of the second half.
Disappointingly for EP Kings flanker, Thembelani Bholi’s ‘try’ is disallowed after a storming run in the 31st minute. But EP continued the pressure and scored in the 32nd minute with the honours going to Captain Luke Watson. The conversion was just left and EP Kings went into the lead for the first time in the game 11-10.
Discipline problems for WP saw them giving away another penalty in their half and EP kicking for the lineout. A storming run from Luke Watson who dived over for the try saw him get up and, in a sporting gesture, shake his head to indicate that he had failed to dot down in a proper manner.
The first half ended with the EP Kings in the lead by one point at 11-10.
WP started the second half with pressure and camped in the EP Kings 22 until number 8 Nizaam Carr scored. The conversion by Demetri Catrakilis (10) was good and Western Province were back in the lead by 6 points.
Nine minutes later WP were back on the attack and center Michael van der Spuy scored – an easy conversion by Catrakilis saw the gap widen to 16 points and the EP Kings were in trouble with WP smelling blood.
In a penalty ridden game Catrakilis slotted another easy one in the 59th minute to take WP to 30 points to EP’s 11.
What would a game be without a few disagreements? In the 63rd minute someone swore someone’s boots/mother/lover and the boys swopped a couple of snot klaps – elegant? Not! Result: Luke Watson and Nizaam Carr made to shake hands by referee Jaco Pyper and WP number 11 – Seabelo Senatla – sent off to the Naughty Corner for 10 minutes.
With 12 minutes to go EP Kings number 20, Kevin Luiters crashed over in the South West corner for a TMO adjudged try, the conversion was unsuccessful and the Kings were 14 points off WP at 30-16.
The EP Kings continued to pile pressure on WP, refusing to kick for territory and sticking to the game plan to run with the ball – entertaining and heart stopping.
But it was left to Western Province number 15, Cheslin Kolbe to rub salt into the wound as he crossed the EP Kings tryline after the final hooter – but for that try ………
Final Score EP Kings 16 (11) DHL western Province (10) 35
Scorers:
- EP Kings (11) 16 – Tries: Luke Watson, Kevin Luiters, Conversion: Scott van Breda (2); Penalties – Scott van Breda (2)
- DHL Western Province (10) 30 – Tries: Pat Howard, Nizaam Carr, Michael van der Spuy, Cheslin Kolbe; Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (3); Penalties: Demetri Catrakilis (3)
Yellow Cards: Seabelo Senatla (WP), Manuel Carizza (WP), Pat Cilliers
Man of the Match: Luke Watson – EP Kings
Alan Straton
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The previous encounter between Eastern Province and Western Province was in 1999, which ended 15-15 on 2 July in Cape Town.