Western Province fought off a spirited Border effort to eventually emerge 32-22 victors at Absa Park on Friday.
Corne Krige's men scored four tries to the home side's three, in the process securing a bonus point and taking the lead from the Pumas at the top of the Currie Cup section Y log.
The game was played with great intensity throughout and on several occasions threatened to spill over. However, the players managed to keep their cool and referee Jonathan Kaplan's yellow cards in his pocket to provide the fans with a brilliant display of provincial rugby.
Border rocked their more illustrious opponents in the first half with two runaway intercept tries. Fullback Russell Bennett eventually scored the first points of the match in the 23rd minute when he pounced on a loose Chris Rossouw pass to beat Neil de Kock to the line.
Rossouw hit back with a penalty for the visitors, but the lightning quick Ian Filhani handed off and then out-sprinted the Province pivot for his side's second try, giving them an unexpected 12-3 lead.
However, a well-worked Gus Theron (pictured) try and another Rossouw penalty just before the break set the tone for the second half.
The Province centre, who moved to wing when Pieter Rossouw went off injured, scored his second four minutes after the break to hand the visitors the lead for the first time in the game.
No 8 and Bok captain Bob Skinstad then produced two pieces of inspirational play to hand his team their third and fourth tries for the bonus point.
First he fed flanker Pietie Ferreira with a well-timed pass from a lineout to barge over in the corner, before drawing two defenders and flicking out a great pass to the speedy Egon Seconds to score under the posts.
This handed the visitors a 32-15 lead, but the Bulldogs kept on fighting and were rewarded with a consolation try when hooker Tjoepie van den Heever turned and twisted his way over the line just before the end.
Scorers:
Spoornet Bulldogs - Tries: Richard Bennett; Ian Fihlani, Tjoepie van den Heever; Conversions: Solly Goosen, Pietie Loots; Penalties: Loots.
Western Province - Tries: Gus Theron (2), Pietie Ferreira, Egon Seconds; Conversions: Chris Rossouw (3); Penalties: Rossouw (2).
Scoring Sequence:
First Half: 5-0 Bennett try (22nd minute); 5-3 C Rossouw penalty (29th); 12-3 Fihlani try, Goosen conversion (33rd); 12-8 Theron try (37th); 12-11 C Rossouw penalty (41st).
Second Half: 12-18 Theron try, C Rossouw conversion (4th); 12-25 Ferreira try, Rossouw conversion (15th); 15-25 Pickering penalty (18th); 15-32 Seconds try, Rossouw conversion (31st); 22-32 Van den Heever try, Loots conversion (34th).
Teams:
Bulldogs: Russell Bennett, Fergus Kennedy, Dale Heidtmann, Werner Coetzer, Ian Fihlani, Solly Goosen, Richard Bennett, Pietie Loots, Derek Hendry, Graham Carlson (capt), Paul Barker, Bennie Jacobs, Vaughan Graham, Tjoepie van den Heever, Jane du Toit. Substitutes: Ondela Kiva, Michael Coetzee, Reon Kockjeu, Blackie Swart, David Maidza, Ryan Pickering, Josh Fowles.
Western Province: Percy Montgomery, Egon Seconds, Gus Theron, Werner Greeff, Pieter Rossouw, Chris Rossouw, Neil de Kock, Bob Skinstad, Corne Krige (capt), Pietie Ferreira, Hottie Louw, Quinton Davids, Faan Rautenbach, Pieter Dixon, Robbie Kempson. Substitutes: Charl Marais, Toks van der Linde, Thys Stoltz, Hendrik Gerber, Johannes Conradie, Braam van Straaten, De Wet Barry.