Day of high drama at Craven Week
DAY THREE WRAP: A highly competitive third day of the Under-18 Craven Week once again confirmed why this flagship schoolboy tournament is so popular.
On a day where the skill levels of the country's best Under-18 players were on full display at Rondebosch Boys High School, Eastern Province secured a first win against Boland by 25-12, the Falcons overcame Griquas by 34-28 in a highly entertaining affair, before Border silenced a passionate crowd at Tinkie Heyns Field when they outlasted the Western Province XV 34-31 in another nail-biter.
The final game of the day, featuring the unbeaten Sharks and Western Province, had everything a pundit can expect at this level of rugby.
Some outrageous skills, huge physicality, good game management and individual brilliance on both sides delivered a stunning game and showed the depth of talent on display before the hosts snuck through by 29-24.
Eastern Province showed a lot of composure in their second match of the tournament and outplayed Boland in a team effort of note.
The impact of flyhalf Logan Muller in this match could not be denied, as he scored in all ways possible – try, conversion, penalty goal and drop goal.
The Falcons and Griquas scored nine tries between the two – five by the East Randers and four by the team from the Northern Cape – in a match that stayed tight right through. The Falcons held a 19-14 lead at the break and managed to keep that margin in the second half, when both teams scored two tries each.
Border thought they had the game all sewn up at half-time after scoring four tries, but WP XV refused to give up and kept on coming. The East Londoners held a 28-19 lead, but WP came back strongly in the second half.
Border kept their cool though with good game management and flyhalf Kyle van Wyk kicked two long range penalty goals that handed them the crucial buffer. The home side scored in the last minute of play, but by then the result was secured for Border.
The final match delivered even more intensity, as can be expected between two of the biggest unions in the country.
Western Province scored some wonderful tries through their dangerous backs and was leading 19-14 at the break, with the Sharks nudging away through their pack of forwards that were slowly getting the better of their counterparts.
A late Sharks try cut the Province lead to 29-24 with five minutes to play, ensuring a pulsating end to the match.
* It will be another day of drama on Thursday, with the Blue Bulls and SWD realising that only one of them will have an undefeated record come Saturday, as will the Pumas and Thepa Trading Motswako Griffons.
Both these northern sides scored good wins on Monday.
The Leopards and Limpopo Blue Bulls will open proceedings pm Thursday and in the other match on day four, Free State and Golden Lions will be looking for a first win.
Day three scores and scorers
Eastern Province 25 (22), Boland 12 (12)
The scores
For Eastern Province
Tries: Max du Pisani, Logan Muller, Khaya Majali
Cons: Muller 2
Pen: Muller
DG: Muller
For Boland
Tries: Biggy Claasen 2
Con: Robert Nutt
Falcons 34 (19), Griquas 28 (14)
The scores
For Falcons
Tries: Devon Strydom 2, Nathan Matthee, Juandre Nel, Jaden Bantom
Cons: Bantom 3
Pen: Bantom
For Griquas
Tries: Ruben Pienaar, Wynand Botha, Phillip Visser, Melvin Diedericks
Cons: Elridge Jack 2, Botha 2
Border 34 (28), Western Province XV 31 (19)
The scores
For Border
Tries: Michael Maseti, Sibabalwe Mahashe 2, Sesethu Mpaka
Cons: Kyle van Wyk 4
Pens: Van Wyk 2
For Western Province XV
Tries: Dean Crouse, Isaiah Louw, Haashim Pead, Christoff de Bruyn, Gino Cupido
Cons: Jandre Genis 3
Western Province 29 (19), Sharks 24 (14)
The scores
For Western Province
Tries: Shah-Jehaan de Jongh 2, Ben Heydenrych, Jameel de Jongh, JC Mars
Cons: Thurlon Williams 2
For the Sharks
Tries: Lihle Bester, AJ Knoetze, Kungawo Mbanga
Cons: AJ Knoetze 3
Pen: Knoetze
Fixtures for Thursday, July 7
10.30: Leopards v Limpopo Blue Bulls
12.00: Pumas v Thepa Trading Motswako Griffons
13.30: Free State v Golden Lions
15.00: SWD v Blue Bulls