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There is only ONE Team that Remains Unbeaten in the Currie Cup

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In Port Elizabeth, the EP Kings ran in six tries as they remained the only unbeaten team in the Absa Currie Cup when they beat the Valke by 40-10 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

The win secured for EP the twin accolades of being the only unbeaten team in the Currie Cup competition as well as being the team that has scored the most points to date in this year’s competition.

I must confess that the total points scored could have been a whole whack higher though ………..

Friday night’s game was fairly disquieting for the Longhair and I as it seemed almost as though the Kings were using the game as a practice match for the competition going forward. Consider that there were a total of 27 penalties awarded (15 against the Kings and 12 against the Falcons) and EP only kicked ONE of the penalties for points – and missed – electing to kick for touch or do set moves for the remaining penalties – most of which were in eminently kickable positions.

If I was a Falcons player I would have got the distinct impression that EP were, by their refusal to kick for goal, telling me that I belonged to a bit of a kak team that was only worthy of practice games……….

The EP Kings have now shown that their tight five works with many combinations and that they are quite capable of playing the physical upfront game. Like most SA Rugby teams we do seem to be standing still when sending the ball down the line. The most entertaining breaks are still coming from players out on the periphery – think Marcello Sampson (14) – who always gets hearts beating with his dazzling runs and who accounted for 2 tries on the night.

Sampson’s second try garnered a four try bonus point for the Kings, four minutes after the restart, when Sampson dotted down in the corner after a great backline move.

The time has now come for the EP Kings to be looking forward to the premier division and working on bringing a match winning formula into the mix when they meet against teams that will be well schooled in the tight game of attrition with high kicks that is the hallmark of SA rugby.

The Kings are now six points clear of the second-placed Regent Boland Cavaliers, who had a bye this weekend and have played one fewer game than the Kings. The two top sides in the First Division play each other in Wellington on Friday.

Ace Port Elizabeth Photographer, Richard Hugard, from Snapz, sent us these images:

After a great victory at Outeniqua Park in George, the Tasol Solar Griffons moved into third position on the Absa Currie Cup First Division log.

The Griffons beat the SWD Eagles by 39-27 on Friday night. It was only their second victory in nine matches this season, but they have scored a handy bunch of bonus points that saw them pass the Eagles on the log.

Nicky Steyn (No 8 ) and Japie Nel (inside centre) both scored a brace of tries for the winning side, with Tiaan van Wyk (flyhalf) adding 16 points with the boot.

Scorers:

SWD Eagles 27 (20) Tasol Solar Griffons 39 (23)

  • SWD Eagles – Tries: Dumisane Meslane, Jeff Taljard, Howard Noble. Conversions: Elric van Vuuren (3). Penalties: Van Vuuren (2).
  • Tasol Solar Griffons – Tries: Nicky Steyn (2), Japie Nel (2). Conversions: Tiaan van Wyk (2). Penalties: Van Wyk (4), Valentine van Wyk.

EP Kings 40 (21) Valke 10 (3)

  • EP Kings – Tries: Marcello Sampson (2), Luke Watson, Ross Kennedy, Jacques Coetzee, Bobby Dyer. Conversions: Louis Strydom (4), George Whitehead.
  • Valke – Try: Johan de Bruin. Conversion: Juan Kotze. Penalty: Kotze.

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Log:

  • Pos. Team – P – W – D – L – PF – PA – PD – TF – TA – BPts – Pts
  1. MTN Golden Lions – 10 – 9 – 0 – 1 – 358 – 226 – 132 – 42 – 22 – 6 – 42
  2. DHL Western Province – 10 – 6 – 1 – 3 – 311 – 214 – 97 – 33 – 19 – 6 – 32
  3. The Sharks – 10 – 7 – 0 – 3 – 290 – 265 – 25 – 27 – 23 – 4 – 32
  4. Toyota Free State Cheetahs – 10 – 5 – 1 – 4 – 381 – 237 – 144 – 43 – 23 – 8 – 30
  5. GWK Griquas – 10 – 4 – 1 – 5 – 286 – 328 – -42 – 33 – 44 – 7 – 25
  6. Vodacom Blue Bulls – 10 – 5 – 1 – 4 – 248 – 269 – -21 – 26 – 27 – 2 – 24
  7. Ford Pumas – 10 – 1 – 0 – 9 – 212 – 339 – -127 – 24 – 40 – 6 – 10
  8. Platinum Leopards – 10 – 1 – 0 – 9 – 186 – 394 – -208 – 22 – 52 – 1 – 5

Absa Currie Cup First Division Log:

  • Pos. Team – P – W – D – L – PF – PA – PD – TF – TA – BPts – Pts
  1. Eastern Province Kings – 9 – 9 – 0 – 0 – 388 – 187 – 201 – 54 – 22 – 6 – 42
  2. Regent Boland Cavaliers – 8 – 7 – 0 – 1 – 371 – 148 – 223 – 49 – 19 – 8 – 36
  3. Tasol Solar Griffons – 9 – 2 – 0 – 7 – 259 – 341 – -82 – 31 – 46 – 9 – 17
  4. SWD Eagles – 8 – 3 – 0 – 5 – 229 – 290 – -61 – 27 – 35 – 3 – 15
  5. Valke – 8 – 2 – 0 – 6 – 199 – 322 – -123 – 29 – 42 – 3 – 11
  6. Border Bulldogs – 8 – 2 – 0 – 6 – 200 – 358 – -158 – 23 – 49 – 3 – 11
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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.