Allister Kettledas ran in five tries as the Platinum Leopards stormed to a 68-35 (half-time 40-7) win over the SWD Eagles in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match at Profert Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Saturday.
Left wing Kettledas ran in two tries in the first half before grabbing a hat-trick in the second half in a wonderful display of finishing which moves the 30-year-old comfortably to the top of the try-scorers’ charts with six tries, two ahead of his nearest competitor.
Former Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius also enjoyed a fine personal match as the 33-year-old kicked 26 points courtesy of four penalties and seven conversions.
The hosts wrapped up the four-try bonus point in the first half while they ran in eight tries overall with inside centre GJ Engelbrecht, flank Philip de Wet and scrumhalf Johan Laker also crossing for five-pointers.
The Eagles were out of the contest by half-time but they did salvage something from the match as they ran in five tries, four of them in the second half, to claim a bonus point.
The Eagles had begun the weekend in third place on the log, ahead of the Leopards thanks to a better points’ difference with both teams having won two and lost one of their first three matches. But the win sees the Leopards move into third place on their own, five points behind the log-leading EP Kings and Griffons.
SWD drop to fifth on the table.
The Leopards made short work of their opponents as they raced to a 33-point lead at half-time thanks to two tries from Kettledas and one each from Engelbrecht and De Wet respectively while the visitors could only reply with a single try from their left wing Alshaun Bock.
The Leopards, with eighthman Spanner Pretorius to the fore, kept up their scoring rate in the second half but SWD showed some life in the second stanza with tries to replacement forward Dumisane Meslane, substitute wing Baldwin McBean, fullback Elric van Vuuren and replacement hooker Wayne Kahn.
SCORERS:
Platinum Leopards – Tries: Allister Kettledas (5), GJ Engelbrecht, Philip de Wet, Johan Laker; Conversions: Andre Pretorius (7), AE Engelbrecht; Penalties: Andre Pretorius (4).
SWD Eagles – Try: Alshaun Bock, Dumisane Meslane, Baldwin McBean, Elric van Vuuren, Wayne Kahn; Conversions: Theuns Kotze (5).