SP Marais’ extra time penalty gave Western Province a dramatic victory in the second Currie Cup semi-final at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
A Dylan Sage try after the final hooter had locked the scores at 32-all and Manie Libbok’s missed conversion had sent the contest into extra time.
The result confirms the 2018 final will take place in Cape Town, with Province set to take on the Sharks.
Earlier, Marais had opened the account for the hosts with two penalties as Province dominated the first quarter.
The Bulls hit back though, as Ruan Steenkamp made the most of some rare possession to cross the chalk before Duncan Matthews scored his side’s second.
Three more penalties to Marais and one to Libbok ensured the men from Pretoria maintained a narrow 17-15 lead at halftime.
Libbok scored just minutes into the second-half, but Marais hit back with a try of his own as the momentum continued to change hands.
The 21-year-old Libbok added another penalty to extend the Bulls’ lead, but a fantastic counter attack from the hosts was finished off by Paul de Wet as the men in blue and white hoops regained the lead for the first time since the opening 20-minutes.
More ill-discipline from the Bulls, this time for a late hit on Damian Willemse, allowed the peerless Marais to continue his deadly accuracy from the kicking tee before the Bulls set camp deep inside WP territory.
After numerous passages of play inside their red zone, John Dobson’s men eventually relented as Sage sent the game into extra time.
Western Province 35-32 Blue Bulls
Scores
Western Province
Tries: Marais, de Wet
Cons: Marais (2)
Pens: Marais (7)
Blue Bulls
Tries: Steenkamp, Matthews, Libbok, Sage
Cons: Libbok (3)
Pens: Libbok (2)
Western Province:
15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 SP Marais, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Kobus van Dyk, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (c), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ali Vermaak.
16 Chad Solomon, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Josh Stander, 23 JJ Engelbrecht.
Blue Bulls:
15 Divan Rossouw, 14 Duncan Matthews, 13 Dylan Sage, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg (c), 7 Marco van Staden, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Hendre Stassen, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Trevor Nyakane
16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Frans van Wyk, 18 Conrad de Beer, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Nic de Jager, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Tinus de Beer, 23 Franco Naude
