Two goals and two penalties in the last 15 minutes of the first half built up a useful enough lead for the Eagles to hold off a late charge by the EP Elephants in their Bankfin Currie Cup rugby match played at Outeniqua Park on Saturday.
In the end though, the home side won 32-27 after leading 23-6 at the break in a match played in damp conditions with intermittent rain throughout the 80 minutes.
The Elephants held a 6-3 lead after the first 25 minutes of play thanks to two penalties by fullback Brett Hennessey against a drop goal by Eagles scrumhalf Noel Oelschig.
But then tries by eighthman Jaco Gouws and lock Danie van Rooyen, both of which were converted by flyhalf Rynhard van As who also slotted over two penalties, saw the Eagles move into a 17 point lead at half-time.
They moved another six points ahead in the second stanza, again courtesy of a brace of penalties from Van As, before the visitors staged their dramatic comeback, with centre William Rorich, Hennessey and loosehead prop Kees Lensing all dotting down.
The Elephants continued to play attacking rugby right until the end but it was too little too late.
Tappe Henning handled the match well, but the lack of discipline on both sides forced him to award a large number of penalties and he must have been tempted to show one or more players a yellow card.
Eagles hooker Rich Verster was injured early in the match and was replaced by new recruit Tommie Webb.
Springbok sevens player Luke Watson (flank) played hard for the Elephants but was involved in too many incidents off the ball to be of much value to his team.
The win keeps the Eagles in the hunt to reach the Top Eight of the competition.
Scorers:
Eagles:
Tries: Jaco Gouws, Danie van Rooyen
Conversions: Rynhard van As (2)
Penalty goals: Van As (5)
Dropped goals: Noel Oelschig.
Elephants:
Tries: William Rorich, Brett Hennessey, Kees Lensing
Conversions: Brett Hennessey (3)
Penalty goals: Hennessey (2).
- Sapa