Valke thrash Border Bulldogs 96-19 to climb Currie Cup First Division standings

Barnard Stadium was filled with cheers for both the Valke and Border Bulldogs as families, friends and supporters gathered on June 27 for round three of the Currie Cup First Division.

The Valke dominated from start to finish, securing a commanding 96-19 victory and moving into second place on the log.

Both teams entered the clash with strong squads and a clear objective: to secure a win and boost their chances of climbing the standings.

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Having both lost in round two, there was an awareness of what was at stake.

The match started evenly, but the Valke struck first when Ezrick Alexander crossed the line in the sixth minute.

The Border Bulldogs responded shortly after through Khanaye Mbakaza, but the Valke quickly took control of proceedings.

Their solid defence shut down further opportunities for the visitors, while their attack continued to pile on the pressure.

Sikho Nanto scored the second try, Luciano Elias added the third, while Ezrick Alexander and Ilunga Mukendi each went over twice in the first half. By halftime, the Valke led 54-7, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb.

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The Border Bulldogs made changes early in the second half, with Soso Xakalashe replaced by Oyisa Balekile.

However, just moments into the restart, Alexander added another try to extend the Valke lead.
Further substitutions followed on both sides as the game progressed, but the Valke remained firmly in control.

Sakhe Dingile scored a try for the Border Bulldogs, but Isiphe Mbini missed the conversion, and the large deficit proved too much to overcome.

Despite a more competitive second-half showing, the Valke maintained possession and composure throughout. Dirk Lourens added the final try as the home side sealed a comprehensive 96-19 victory.

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Border Bulldogs head coach Dumisane Mhani admitted his side had struggled on the day.

“We had a bad day in the office. Partly to blame was the altitude; we only arrived in the morning so the guys didn’t have a proper test.

“We played well in the first 20 minutes, but after that, the altitude caught up with us and we gave the game away.

“I am not taking away anything from the Valke; they were good, and they did all the things we expected them to do.

“We just have to go back to the drawing board and work hard in terms of our preparations on and off the field. We have been losing quite a number of games, and that mentality has caught up with us,” he said.

The Valke also rotated their squad, with Siyabonga Marele and Mangaliso Zixesha replaced by Mihlali Nohoyeka and Nande Lucas, while Sikho Nanto, Kayden Kiewit and Blaine Golden made way for Pierre Rabie, Lindokuhle Seteni and Ethan Jeffery.

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Valke head coach JP Immelman said he was pleased with the performance and squad depth.

“I am obviously overjoyed. Scoring 96 points with the type of rugby we want to play and the guys sticking to the systems and the principles is great.

“I don’t think there would be real changes; there were a lot of guys in the team that haven’t played a lot of rugby this season. Anyone can step up on any given day and get the job done like they did today.

“We take it one game at a time; we have Leopards next, and they were a tough outing the last time we played them.

“The goal is five points against the Leopards and five points against the Griffons the week after for a home semi-final.”

Valke player Ilunga Mukendi praised his side’s performance but acknowledged areas for improvement.

“I think it was good. Obviously we came out today to be clinical; we had a game plan that we wanted to implement.

“We didn’t have really good results against SWD, but we wanted to really bounce back, so it was a really good clinical performance. I am really proud of the guys; they were able to execute everything we planned, and hopefully we can build on this.

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“Border will always fight from the first whistle to the last; they have a never-die attitude. They keep coming regardless of the score; they keep fighting, they keep tackling, they keep running.

“You can’t give up even if you are sitting on a big score; you have to keep playing against them, or else they might shock you. Kudos to them; I hope they travel back safe and play well for the rest of the season.

“I think we could have been a lot more dominant on our set pieces; I think if we could fix that for next week, we will be better,” he said.