Demetri Catrakilis raised his South African Currie Cup points total to 500 Saturday, but there was little else to celebrate as Western Province edged Cheetahs 9-3 in Cape Town.

The fly-half slotted three penalties within seven second-half minutes for the title-holders in unpleasant, late southern hemisphere winter conditions at Newlands stadium in Cape Town.

Catrakilis missed a first-half shot at goal in the second-round match before Cheetahs fly-half Fred Zeilinga succeeded with a penalty attempt midway through the opening half.

The visitors, who had three players sin-binned, bravely defended the three-point advantage until Catrakilis made his mark via penalties after 54, 57 and 60 minutes.

Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs had a late chance to snatch victory, but centre Rayno Benjamin let the ball slip from his grasp with the try-line beckoning after a superb ankle tap by replacement Province fly-half Kurt Coleman.

Intermittent swirling, misty rain and cold ruled out running rugby and the match quickly developed into an arm-wrestle.

Cheetahs, a team renowned for scoring plenty of tries and conceding even more, adapted surprisingly well to the alien conditions.

But the visitors, who last won the 124-year-old Currie Cup in 2007, were let down by ill discipline with Benjamin and loose forwards Gerhard Olivier and Henko Venter yellow-carded.

Benjamin kicked Province prop Oli Kebble, replacement Olivier committed a professional foul, and Venter grabbed an opponent around the neck.

Victory for Province lifted them to nine points, one less than the Bulls and the Lions, who achieved bonus-point home victories.

Bulls top the table on points difference after a four-try last-quarter scoring spree produced a 36-12 triumph over bottom-of-the-table Griquas at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria.  

Leading Currie Cup scorer this season and Bulls fly-half Tian Schoeman contributed 21 points from a try, two conversions and four penalties after scoring 22 points at the Cheetahs last weekend.

Two penalty tries helped 2014 runners-up the Lions overcome the Pumas 44-27 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg after leading 20-10 at half-time in a scrappy affair riddled with handling errors.

Pumas levelled at 27-27 before conceding a second penalty try when fly-half Jean Claude Roos deliberately knocked down the ball and got a yellow card.

Lions fly-half Marnitz Boshoff did not miss a kick at goal, claiming five conversions and two penalties, and a drop goal raised his haul to 19 points and second place overall behind Schoeman.

Sharks, champions two seasons ago, survived a couple of frights to win 33-25 against Kings at Kings Park stadium in Durban.

Kings led twice during the second half before a penalty from full-back Joe Pietersen gave the hosts a one-point advantage that stretched to eight when a try by substitute centre Paul Jordaan was converted.
Source: AFP