Little known South Africans star as Currie Cup begins
Little known South African fly-halves Chris Smith and Manie Libbok starred as the Currie Cup kicked off this weekend with big victories for the Pumas and the Blue Bulls.
Smith scored 22 points as the Pumas used home advantage to whip the Griquas 42-17 in northeastern city Nelspruit after building a vast 35-point lead at one stage.
Bull Libbok shone in central city Bloemfontein, bagging 17 points as the Bulls came from behind twice to eventually overwhelm the Free State Cheetahs 34-12.
Smith scored one of the Pumas' five tries and kicked four conversions and three penalties to become the early chart-topper among the individual scorers.
Hennie Skorbinski, Stefan Ungerer, Neil Maritz and Marnus Schoeman, a flanker who played for runners-up the Golden Lions in Super Rugby this season, were the Pumas' other try scorers.
The match took a decisive turn early in the second half when a couple of tries for the hosts turned a 13-7 half-time advantage into a 23-point lead.
They were 42-7 ahead before a Griquas rally brought tries from Christiaan Meyer and Conway Pretorius.
Griquas were deprived of a fourth try, and a bonus point, when Sias Koen was unable to control the ball as he crossed the tryline.
Cheetahs, who must share their squad between the Currie Cup and the PRO14 competitions in the coming months, led twice through tries by Joseph Dweba and Shaun Venter.
A Libbok penalty trimmed the deficit to just two points and the 23-time champions moved ahead on 55 minutes when awarded a penalty try.
Cheetahs then faded fast and Jade Stiglingh and Divan Rossouw scored tries that were converted by Libbok, who also slotted a penalty.
Record 34-time Currie Cup champions Western Province launch their title defence this Saturday at home to Free State in Cape Town.