HINO Valke wing, Coert Cronje, scored a valuable try five minutes from time, to beat a determined and desperate SWD Eagles 22-17 (half-time 10-5) in the Currie Cup qualifier at Barnard Stadium on Saturday.
The SWD, having lost their first two matches, needed a victory, and for much of the second half it looked as if they might get it, leading 17-10 with three tries, mostly against the run of play.
But they ran out of steam and the Valke stepped up. They too, needed to bounce back after losing their first match, 7-53, to the Leopards.
It was a scrappy start to the match, characterized by tough and rugged defence by the Eagles and a plethora of penalties. At half-time the count was 10-4 in favour of the Valke, mostly from the scrums.
When the Eagles did break into Valke territory, it was from broken play, and one interception ended with Alshaun Bock being bundled out into touch 2m from the line.
The breakthrough came when Eagles scrumhalf Leighton Eksteen was yellow-carded.
First fullback Juan Kotze put over a penalty, and shortly afterwards he put through a brilliant close-range grubber for number eight Friedle Oliver to score.
The conversion gave the Valke a 10-0 lead 30 minutes into the game.
