Durbell, the top-ranked Western Province club with two wins each over Varsity Cup teams Maties and UCT this season, were made to work hard before running out 53-20 winners over SWD Premier League winners Blanco, coached by former Springbok fullback Bevin Fortuin.

Police, who beat Tuks to claim the Blue Bulls Carlton Cup last month, were dominant against Welkom Rovers under the leadership of evergreen lock Nico Luus, scoring six tries en route to a 43-12 win.

Two other title favourites, KZN champions Jonsson College Rovers and EP's Despatch, had much easier first-round matches. Rovers beat Limpopo champions Noordelikes 61-0 to record their 76th win in their past 80 matches dating back four seasons, while Despatch were much too good for Mpumalanga champs White River, winning 72-10.

In the day’s other matches, Valke champions Brakpan beat Griquas' top side Sishen 28-0 to set up a Cup quarter-final against Broubart Old Selbornians of Border, who beat Bloemfontein Police 43-33 in a free-flowing encounter earlier in the day that produced 10 tries.

Roodepoort will play hosts Rustenburg Impala in Monday’s main match after the Golden Lions champions overcame invited team Naka Bulls 26-12 in a much tighter affair.

Rustenburg Impala, playing the main match in front of a 2 000-strong home crowd, were too strong for gallant Boland champs Villagers Worcester, winning 53-21. Scrumhalf Willie Kok had a field day, kicking 28 points by way of six penalties and five conversions to go with his side’s five tries.

Day 1 results:

Roodepoort 26 – Tries: Juan Shaw, Clifford Vermaak. Conversions: Llewellyn le Roux (2). Penalties: Le Roux (4).
Naka Bulls 12 – Tries: Rikus de Beer, Deon Mocke. Conversion: Braam Pretorius.

Jonsson College Rovers 61 – Tries: Kobus de Kock, Jors Dannhauser, Nick Jackson, Kyle Wilkinson, Juan Language, Conrad Stoltz, Shannon Rick (2). Conversions: De Kock (4), Dannhauser (2). Penalties: De Kock (2), Dannhauser.
Noordelikes 0

Bloemfontein Police 33 – Tries: Pieter Ludwick, Stevie Meyer, Isak Job, Jaco Rademeyer, AN Other. Conversions: Job (4).
Broubart Old Selbornians 43 – Tries: Lindani Gulua, James Posthumus, Dale Hobbs, Marc Hammond, De Waal Veldsman. Conversions: Glen Warner (3). Penalties: Warner (4).

Durbanville-Bellville 53 – Tries: Morne Mennigke (2), Izak Saayman, Quinten Coetzer, Carlo Prinsloo (2), Douw Wessels. Conversions: Adolf Stoffberg (6). Penalties: Stoffberg (2).
Blanco 20 – Tries: Christo du Plessis, Hilton Baartman. Conversions: Alaine Jansen (2). Penalties: Jansen (2).

Pretoria Police 43 – Tries: Valentine van Wyk, Michiel Pienaar, Dillen Laubscher, Gerhard du Preez (2), Dehandre de Beer. Conversions: Laubscher (5). Penalty: Laubscher.
Welkom Rovers 12 – Tries: Bom Samaai, Virgel Russel. Conversion: Tiaan van Wyk.

Sishen 0
Brakpan 28 – Tries: Franco Booysen, Ian Evans (2), Wikus van den Berg. Conversions: Charl Nieuwenhuis (4).

White River 10 – Tries: Dewald van den Bergh, Pieter Prinsloo.
Despatch 72 – Tries: Billy Mentoor (2), Monty Dumond (2), Baldwin McBean (2), Ryan Brown, Marlon Lewis, Elroy Ligman, Ashley Viviers, Trichardt van Tonder, Christo Memanie. Conversions: Dumond (4), Deon Booysen (2).

Rustenburg Impala 53 – Tries: Therlow Pietersen, Michael Lubbe (2), Berty Visser, Victor Joubert. Conversions: Willie Kok (5). Penalties: Kok (6).
Villagers Worcester 21 – Tries: David Wehr, Jovelian de Koker. Conversion: Godwann Damon. Penalties: Emile Smith (3).

Day 2 fixtures (Mon 17 Sep):

Cup quarter-finals (A field):
11h30 Old Selbornians vs Brakpan
13h00 Despatch vs College Rovers
14h30 Pretoria Police vs Durbell
16h00 Roodepoort vs Rustenburg Impala

Plate quarter-finals:

09h30, A field: Welkom Rovers vs Blanco
10h30, B field: White River vs Noordelikes
12h00, B field: Naka Bulls vs Villagers Worcester
13h30, B field: Bloemfontein Police vs Sishen