Craven Week - Final Day
Results
The 2005 Craven Week draws to a close in at Grey College in Bloemfontein on Saturday with a final match between Eastern Province and Golden Lions.
Later the selectors will announce the South African Schools and South African Academy teams.
The two teams who played in the final match in 2004, Western Province and Free State, did not manage a single win in 2005! And Free State have the best overall record at Craven Week and Western Province the second best!
Leopards vs Free State, 26-25
After a brilliant start by the home side, the Leopards turned the tables on the Free State in the opening match of the final day. Free State led 22-11 at half-time but then the Leopards came back to win this thriller.
This meant that Free State lost all three of its matches in 2005.
Scorers:
For Free State:
Tries: Freiderich Kamffer, Jaco Lötter, Pierre-Roux de Toit
Cons: JW Jonker 2
Pens: JW Jonker, Elgranto Tobias
For Leopards:
Tries: Hendrik Roodt, Henry Coleman, Jannes Brits
Con: Burton Francis
Pens: Burton Francis 3
Referee: Mandla Dakuse (Border)
Limpopo vs Border Country Districts, 66-0
Limpopo had a huge win over Border Country Districts, after leading 26-0 at half-time. The Transkeian team offered early resistance but then the floodgates opened.
Scorers:
For Limpopo:
Tries: Anton Potgieter, Lloyd Seleka, François Breytenbach 2, Johannes Seerane 2, Martin Botha 2, Patrick Oosthuizen, Thembani Maphophe
Cons: Leon-Fritz Riekert 4, Zander Byleveldt 3, Happy Chabalala
Referee: Johan Wasserman
Namibia vs Zimbabwe, 41-14
Namibia led 22-14 at half-time after Zimbabwe had opened with two quick tries. The Namibian pack was superior and was more successful than the superior Zimbabwean backs..
Scorers:
For Namibia:
Tries: Chrisander Botha, Daniel Bergh, Gerhard Claassen, Gregory Stein, Sakkie de Wet, Simataa Khama 2
Cons: Sakkie de Wet, Lean Stoop 2
For Zimbabwe:
Tries: Lee-Michael Mashanyare, Thulani Ndlovu
Cons:Roland Benade 2
Referee: Sieg Stander (Falcons)
Mpumalanga vs Griqualand West, 23-7
After the huge scores of the two matches just before it, this one was close in the first half, Griquas, who scored first, were just ahead 7-6 at half-time but then the Pumas side, so disappointing in their first match, pulled away from the strong Griqua team, though the try count was just 2-1 to the victors and one came right at the death. The Pumas front row wore the Griquas down.
Scorers:
For Mpumalanga:
Tries: Gert van Niekerk, Willem Stapelberg
Cons: Ruan Boshoff 2
Pens: Ruan Boshoff 3
For Griqualand West:
Tries: Nathan Plaatjies
Con: Theuns Kotzé
Referee: Gert Stander (Leopards)
Boland vs Griffons, 28-14
At half-time the Griffons led the Wine farmers 21-14. There was just the single try in the second half, this after a frantioc start. Before ten minutes had passed, the score was 14-14.
Scorers:
For Boland:
Tries: Earl Lewis, Jaco Roux
Cons: Frederick Viljoen 2
For Griffons:
Tries: Alex Vorster, Christiaan le Roux, China de Kock 2
Cons: Alex Vorster 3, Petrus Strydom
Referee: Wilbur Kraak (Leopards)
Border vs Falcons, 20-5
Border were up 10-0 at half-time. It was a drab, stop-start match.
Scorers:
For Border:
Tries: Sonwabiso Socikwa, Yandisa Jaxa 2
Con: Johann Myburgh
Pen: Mandilakhe Tile
For Falcons:
Try: July Dikgale
Referee: Jacques Nel (Griffons)
KwaZulu Natal vs Western Province, 16-13
Close - very close. The differnce was a single penalty goal after Western Province had led 10-6 at half-time. The score made the match more interesting than the standard of play deserved.
The results means that Western Province, such a powerhouse at Craven Week over the years, did not win a single match at this week.
Scorers:
For KwaZulu Natal:
Try: Luzuko Vilindlu
Con: Christopher Micklewood
Pens: Christopher Micklewood 3
For Western Province:
Try: Henrico Isaacs
Con: Conrad Hoffmann
Pens: Conrad Hoffmann 2
Referee: Pro Legoete (Golden Lions)
Blue Bulls vs South Western Districts, 21-19
At half-time South Western Districts, who had a drab start to the Craven Week with an 8-3 win over Mpumalanga, led the Blue Bulls 15-7. The Eagles got ahead 21-14 when the Blue Bulls' outstanding flank Pieter Meyer scored in the corner. The conversion to tie the match failed. Part of the Eagles' success was in their superior back play.
The victory saw to it that the Eagles were unbeaten at the 2005 Craven Week.
Scorers:
For Blue Bulls:
Tries: Frik Kirsten, Tendayi Chikukwa, Pieter Meyer
Cons: Stefan Watermeyer 2
For South Western Districts:
Tries: Charlton Prinsloo, Ignus Prinsloo
Con: Ignus M Prinsloo
Pens: Ignus M Prinsloo 3
Referee: Tiaan Jonker (Golden Lions)
Eastern Province vs Golden Lions, 38-15
The two teams met last in the final match of Craven Week in 1989 when the Golden Lions won 18-9. They looked well on the way to an easy victory in this match as they built up a 20-0 lead, spoilt by a great Eastern Province try just before half-time to make the score at the break 20-7.
Eastern Province did come back and threatened for a while but then the Golden Lions stretched their legs and ran away with the match.
In the first 13 minutes the Golden Lions scored 13 points - a penalty by Christiaan van den Berg for a tackle/ruck infringement, a try by Johan Janse van Rensburg, a conversion by Van den Berg and a penalty by Van den Berg for off-side.
The try was a beauty. Flank Johan van Deventer took a short pass and steamed straight down the middle of the field. Held he gave to fellow flank Janse van Rensburg who scored at the posts.
The second Golden Lions' try came from a turn-over and some quick passing to the right where left wing Hercules Venter slipped the ball to Ghaliel Markus on the touch-line. Markus did well under pressure to get across for the try.
The Golden Lions cleared down towards the half-way line, and Eastern Province started a counterattack. Hooker David Wannenburg ran well. Vincent Gwavu slipped an inside pass to Marlon Lewis who gave to red-haired Stephan de Villiers who had a clear ruin to the posts. Shaun Davids converted.
In the second half Davids kicked a regulation penalty and then missed a long one. Van den Berg kicked a long one, and then Eastern Province attacked.
They attacked left and right and back again. Eventually they went right and tall Vincent Gwavu scored far out.
Eastern Province were back on the attack soon afterwards but in fact the Golden Lions were the ones to increase their score. Eastern Province lost line-outs and first Markus wen t cutting through from the right wing. Then Van den Berg kicked a penalty. The Golden Lions came roaring back and some deft footwork put Markus over for his second try, which Van den berg converted.
Eastern Province came back on the attack but handling let them down and instead it was strong, skilled, swerving Johan van Deventer who scored the final try just before the final whistle, to bring the curtain down on the 42nd Craven Week.
Scorers:
For Eastern Province:
Tries: Stephan de Villiers, Vincent Gwavu
Con: Shaun Davids
Pen: Shaun Davids
For Golden Lions:
Tries: Johan van Janse Rensburg 2, Ghaliel Markus 2
Cons: Christiaan van den Berg 3
Pens: Christiaan van den Berg 4
Teams:
Lions: 15 Byron Godfrey, 14 Ghaliel Markus, 13 Wesley Delport, 12 JJ Pienaar, 11 Hercules Venter, 10 Justin St Jerry, 9 Christiaan van den Berg, 8 Justin Wheeler, 7 Johan van Janse Rensburg, 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Giant Nkosi, 4 Marnus van Huyssteen, 3 Charl du Plessis, 2 Werner Badenhorst, 1 Gordon Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Odendaal, 17 Ruan Kleinsmit, 18 Cornel van Wyk, 19 Nqubeko Zulu, 20 Georgie Manganye, 21 Wesley Scott, 22 Bertram Willemse.
Eastern Province: 15 Aubrey Mcdonald, 14 Christopher Juries, 13 Luthando Show, 12 Albert Trytsman, 11 Daniel Booyens, 10 Shaun Davids, 9 Marlon Lewis, 8 Dewald Potgieter, 7 Kirwin Frieslaar, 6 Stephan de Villiers, 5 Vincent Gwavu, 4 Morné van der Westhuizen, 3 Ryno Wasserman, 2 David Wannenburg, 1 Martin Moggee
Replacements: 16 Johan Dyer, 17 Odwa Tinise, 18 Rouan Snyman, 19 Jaco Swanepoel, 20 Marlin Ruiters, 21 Matthew Tayler-Smith, 22 Gershawn Kayser
Referee: François Veldsman (Boland)