Falcons left singing song of pain

Falcons (21) 26

Tries: Proudfoot, De Kock, Du Toit, Booysen. Conversions: Du Toit 3

Western Province (19) 35

Tries: Paulse, Greeff. Conversions: C Rossouw 2. Penalties: Rossouw 7

The Falcons have everything a modern rugby team could wish for: a good, young team, a concerned coach, good sponsors, a decent stadium and, most importantly, their own song.

Performed in Afrikaans, it follows the line of other rugby songs, informing fans that the Falcons are indeed "here now" and entreating fans to recognise that rather obvious fact.

Western Province would attest to all those things and more after the champions ran into a team that looked every part a top Currie Cup outfit and worthy of lying third in the Super Eight log.

But a song is little help against the class that Western Province had to call on on Saturday to move them to the top of the Bankfin Currie Cup Super Eight table.

The Falcons were left singing in their pain after a match in which victory cruelly teased them, but in the end ran away.

Province must have thought this match was over in the first 20 minutes. The Falcons handed them four penalties either in the 22 or its immediate surrounds, then Breyton Paulse danced through for his customary try.

They were 19-0 up with 60 minutes to play and they did what most teams tend to do in that position. Precisely nothing. The Falcons took them to task for that.

First Matthew Proudfoot barged through a Province defence, stretched by a series of tap-and-go penalties from scrumhalf Deon de Kock, to score the first try.

Minutes later, De Kock snatched the ball from the back of a buckled Province scrum and snuck over for the second.

Dawie du Toit, the Falcons' inspired fullback, provided the try of the match as he picked up the ball in his own half, chipped over and outsprinted Paulse and Percy Montgomery to pick up and dive over in the corner to put the Falcons ahead.

Du Toit is an outstanding talent and the Falcons will do well to hold on to him after this year.

It is the curse of smaller unions, such as the Falcons, that they will always struggle to hold on to their best players. Already Ettienne Botha is making noises about heading to Loftus. This despite apparently committing himself to Phil Pretorius's side for next year at least.

His midfield partner Adrian Jacobs will also be a target in the transfer market at the close of the season. Together, he and Botha snuffed out the threat of De Wet Barry and Werner Greeff for much of the game.

Barry could do with a couple of those life skills lessons that seem to be so fashionable these days, after he pulled off an armless tackle that would have had Butch James in trouble. Mind you, as Tappe Henning was the referee, perhaps not.

Henning, seemingly in the good books of Sarfu's refereeing committee once again, received the biggest cheer when he was forced to leave the field with an injury.

Province hit and ran in the second half, defending for periods, then stealing away with fluid backline moves.

Another penalty, again in the 22 and again an easy kick for Chris Rossouw, was the sign of things to come.

Greeff, who had replaced Falcons old boy Braam van Straaten, out with a hamstring injury, moved Province further ahead with a try before the younger Rossouw finished it all off.

In his 130th match for the Falcons, Jaco Booysen was named as the man of the match and for the life of us, no one in the press box knew why.

The official made the announcement, buoyed on emotion, despite the media having decided on Chris Rossouw. He had come on as a replacement and scored the Falcons fourth try, ensuring that the home side would take away the comfort of a bonus point.

But then, it was probably just a home town decision from a union whose charm comes from being smaller than others. There are some things one cannot modernise in rugby.

Falcons: Dawie du Toit, Wynand Lourens,

Ettiene Botha, Adrian Jacobs, Turtuis Douw (Juan Houtsamer), Joe Esterhuyzen (Jan Cloete), Deon de Kock, Lodewyk Hattingh, Naas Rossouw (Jaco Booysen), Nicky van der Walt, Braam Els (captain), Ralf Schroeder, Matthew Proudfoot, Skipper Badenhorst, Gunder Williamson

Reserves: Jan van der Schyff, Japie Barnard, Stephan Britz, Jaco Booysen, Freddy Roberts, Juan Houtsamer, Jan Cloete. Coach Phil Pretorius

Western Province: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, De Wet Barry, Werner Greeff, Pieter Roussouw, Chris Roussouw, Neil de Kock (Johannes Conradie), Bob Skinstad, Hendrik Gerber (Pietie Ferreira), Corne Krige (captain), Hottie Louw (Thys Stoltz), Quinton Davids, Cobus Visagie (Faan Rautenbach), Peter Dixon, Toks van der Linde

Reserves: Charl Marais, Faan Rautenbach, Thys Stoltz, Piete Ferreira, Johannes Conradie, Donovan van Vuuren, Egon Seconds

Coach: Donovan van Vuuren

Referee: Tappe Henning

Crowd: 9 500 (estimated)