The Eastern Province Kings ended their ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division season with a win over the Steval Pumas at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday evening.
The home side turned a 19 – 17 half time lead into a 26 – 25 point win, after the Pumas took a 25 – 19 lead with 15 minutes to go.
Scott van Breda missed an early long range penalty kick after four minutes of play, but the Kings did get the first points on the board after Pumas’ Lubabalo Mtyanda was yellow carded for multipal side entry into the ruck. Tobie Botes crossed the line for the Kings’ first try, Gary van Aswegen was unable to convert the extras as the Kings took a 5 – 0 lead.
Justin van Staden kicked a penalty minutes later as he narrowed the gap to just 2 points, 3 – 5.
Continued pressure from the Kings allowed for Ronnie Cooke to score his team’s second try, van Aswegen was successful with the conversion as the Kings stretched their lead to 12 – 3.
Shortly after Mtyanda returned from watching his team concede 12 points, Rosko Specman got his marching orders after a dangerous tackle resulted in his team having to play another 10 minutes with 14 men.
Paul Schoeman was at the back of a well executed roling maul from a lineout as the Kings went over for their third try, and with van Aswegen adding the extra two the Kings had a comfortable 19 – 3 lead with 10 minutes to half time.
The Pumas started to play more direct rugby and with much needed territorial advantage they managed to score two quick tries before the half time break. The first coming from, ex Kings player, Frankie Herne with van Staden adding the extras as the Pumas trailed by 9, 10 – 19.
The second try came through a quick tap by Speckman just outside Kings 22, he gained enough meters before off loading to van Staden to scored his team second try, he also converted the five pointer to bring the half time score to 19 – 17 and everything to play for in the second half.
The Pumas took the lead for the first time in the match when center Stefan Watermeyer crossed the line for his teams third try, van Staden missed an easy conversion as the Pumas led 22 – 19 five minutes into the half.
Van Aswegen had an opportunity to level the scores but missed a penalty kick. Van Staden streched their lead to 25 – 19 after he kicked a vital penalty as the game reached the final fifteen minutes.
The Kings threw everything at the Pumas as they tried to break the visitors defense. It was, however, a brilliant grubber kick through, man of the match, Shane Gates inside the Pumas 22 that turned their defense around and the speed of van Breda to outsprint the cover defense to dive on the ball as it rolled over the Pumas try line.
Van Aswegen slotted the conversion kick, five meters from the touch line to give the Kings a one point lead with five minutes to go.
With only seconds left on the clock the Kings were defending desperatly inside the Pumas 22 which forced them to give a little chip kick just to get out of their in goal area, the ball bounced favourable for the Kings and just reached the touch line after a desperate clearance from van Aswegen to end the game and to give the Kings their first win of the season, 26 – 25.
Scorers:
EP Kings (26) – Tries: Botes, Cooke, Schoeman, van Breda. Conversions: van Aswegen (3)
Pumas (25) – Tries: Herne, van Staden, Watermeyer. Conversion: van Staden (2). Penalties: van Staden (2)
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