Bloemfontein – Western Province remain the front runners in this year's Currie Cup competition after beating the Free State Cheetahs 34-29 in the side's encounter at the Free State stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.
Having lost only a single game this season, Province scored a try in the final minute via winger Kobus van Wyk to seal the result and put them in the pound seats for the coming semi-finals and possible final.
The Cheetahs, still in search of a semi-final birth, started well by putting Westerrn Province under good pressure, especially from the driving maul.
Province started to build some rhythm of their own on the attack, but it was the Cheetahs who looked the better early on with flyhalf Willie du Plessis running straight through and converting his own try in the 13th minute to give the hosts the early lead.
The visitors responded with a try as Springbok centre Juan de Jongh thanks to some fancy footwork. Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis added the extras two points to draw the scores level.
But the Cheetahs were on the war path, with centre Joubert Engelbrecht rewarded with a five pointer in the 24th minute which Du Plessis converted after some good pressure by the hosts.
A penalty within striking distance allowed Catrakilis to reduce the deficit to just four points and they took the lead shortly after as hooker Scarra Ntubeni rounded off some good attacking play with a try right next to the uprights.
Catrakilis converted to give the visitors a lead of three points.
Western Province enjoyed an even bigger lead at half-time as De Jongh recovered a cross kick from Catrakilis after the hooter sounded, and converted to make the score 24-14 in favour of the visitors.
The Cheetahs got some valuable momentum shortly after the restart as eighth man Lappies Labuschagne ran around the Province defenders for a try.
Labuschagne got a gap as the visitors were short one player after De Jongh was sin binned.
Du Plessis missed with the conversion and the five point deficit was increased by Catrakilis with penalty kick.
The Cheetahs, however, tried everything in their power to reduce Province's lead and it paid dividends as centre Francois Venter scored for the hosts in the 59th minute.
Du Plessis kicked the conversion, leaving the Cheetahs just one point adrift.
Constant pressure by the Cheetahs led to a penalty within striking distance that Du Plessis slotted to give his side the lead by a mere two points with five minutes to play.
But Province sealed the game with a try by winger Kobus van Wyk under the uprights and replacement Kurt Coleman kicked the conversion to put the result beyond doubt.
Points scorers: Western Province 34 (24): Tries: Juan de Jongh (2), Scarra Ntubeni, Kobus van Wyk. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (3), Kurt Coleman. Penalties: Demitri Catrakilis (2).
Free State Cheetahs 29 (14): Tries: Willie du Plessis, Joubert Engelbrecht, Lappies Labuschagne, Francois Venter. Conversions: Willie du Plessis (3).
Penalties: Willie du Plessis.– Sapa