Craven Week Results - Day 4

It was fine in Pretoria for Day 4 of Craven Week but the day started cold with a mean and cutting wind from the south.

Border vs Leopards, 17-10

Border lived off scraps of possession but they lived well. The Leopards had a plethora of possession but were prodigal in its use and eventually paid the penalty as Border scored three tries to one.

The Leopards' one try came early in the match when Border ran from near their own line and Jason Douwie intercepted and scored at the posts.

Border's equalling try started with a tap on the Leopards' 10-metre line. Lively scrumhalf Matthew King and ended when flank Lubabalo Mtembu sped over under the posts.

The half-time score was 7-all and then the Leopards went ahead and looked set for a win but Border flyhalf Dale Sabbagh kicked a high diagonal; to the right. Wing Jarryd Buys won the contest in the air, knocking it back and David Russell was over in the corner.

Just before the end Border scored again when S'bura Sithole ran brilliantly down the left. Hemmed in and off a standing start he beat three defenders to score.

Scorers:

For Selborne:
Tries: Lubabalo Mtembu, David Russell, S'bura Sithole
Con: Dale Sabbagh

For Leopards:
Try: Jason Douwie
Con: Louis Fouche
Pen: Adriaan Engelbrecht

Griquas vs Zimbabwe, 24-15

It was a seesaw thriller. The lead changed hands six times till Griquas settled matters. Even when the score was 18-15 the Zimbabweans, playing in gold, were close to scoring but hands and discipline let them down and Griquas walked away with the laurels.

Mnqobi Dlamini scored the first try of the match as he swirled over from close quarters but then Griquas got the ball back. Zimbabwe, wind behind them, attacked and were closing in on the Griqua line when flyhalf Johandré van der Walt intercepted and raced 90 metres or so straight down the field for a try, sinking to the ground in tired relief.

Charles Jiji got the lead back for his side when he picked up a dropped ball and set off, swerving infield as he beat four defenders. But from a tapped kick burly hooker Jonathan Africa burst over for a try. That gave Griquas an 18-15 lead.

Scorers:

For Griquas:
Tries: Johandré van der Walt, Jonathan Africa
Con: Johandré van der Walt
Pens: Johandré van der Walt 4

For Zimbabwe:
Tries: Mnqobi Dlamini, Charles Jiji
Con: Charles Jiji
Pen: Charles Jiji

Valke vs Griffons, 27-19

This was a high level of rugby by two well-matched teams, both intent on attacking at every opportunity. That there were only one try in the second half said more about the defences than any reluctance to attack.

The Griffons nearly scored in the first few minutes when Christiano Swarts squeezed over in the right corner but the TMO advised that he had just stepped on the touch-line before doing so.

EG Jansen's Morné Stassen scored the first try of the match racing beyond the covering defenders for a try in the right corner. A great pass from Werner Jacobs sent left win Jaco Faasen racing with strength for a try far out to level the scores. Another great pass, this time from Dewald Nel to  Thabo Mokhema gave the Valke a try and the lead.

From then on the only scoring in the half came from the boot and at half-time Valke led 15-8.

The Griffons were the only try-scorers in the second half - through Faasen again.

Scorers;

For Valke:
Tries: Morné Stassen, Thabo Mokhema
Con: Dewald Nel
Pens: Dewald Nel 5

For Griffons:
Try: Jaco Faasen 2
Con: Branco du Preez
Pens: Branco du Preez 2

Free State vs KwaZulu Natal, 23-5

Free State completely dominated the first half of the main game of Day Four of Craven Week. They should have led Kwazulu-Natal by more than a mere eighteen points at the break, flyhalf Franna du Toit missing three penalties and a conversion. After his impeccable performance on Tuesday he would have been disappointed as would fullback Riaan Britz who had two great breaks but was unable to link effectively with his support on both occasions.

Free State were on the board as early as the second minute as they drove a KwaZulu Natal lineout and were awarded a penalty, which Franna du Toit successfully converted. KwaZulu Natal then did exactly the same to Free State minutes later when they stole and drove their lineout. They were also awarded a kickable penalty but winger Ruan Combrinck missed the penalty as he was to three others and a conversion.   

Free State were dominating territory and possession though and their first try came in the seventh minute when they struck from a scrum close the KwaZulu Natal line. Captain Adriaan Theisinger picked up and fed scrumhalf Pieter Rademan. Rademan played du Toit who popped the pass on his outside to blindside wing Christopher Boucher, who raced over to score. Du Toit did the necessary and Free State were scoring at more than a point a minute.

Rademan was revelling behind his dominant pack and made regular inroads into the KwaZulu Natal defence. From one of his breaks Free State were awarded a lineout in the KwaZulu Natal 22-metre area. The forwards drove well and Theisinger broke off and drove. He offloaded inside to hooker Baksteen van Heerden who drove over for the score. Du Toit’s kicking woes began here and he failed with the relatively easy conversion.

du Toit did convert a penalty in the twenty-first minute but never looked convincing again from there. Free State had a couple of good moves late in the half, one especially where the backs showed great hands to free up Boucher stands out in the memory, but they were unable to convert any of these passages into points and had to settle for a eighteen point half-time lead.

The second half was stop-start affair as both teams raised the ire of the match officials, especially at the breakdown. KwaZulu Natal were more committed and looked determined to get back into the game. They were unable to gain any continuity though as they struggled to adapt to the referees interpretations. Combrinck missed an early penalty but they he and fullback Patrick Lambie initiated a counter-attack which led to a try for No.8 Kelvin Adam. Lambie in particular did well to keep the ball in play, while Adam ran a great line off the ensuing ruck to get the try. Combrick, who is ambidexterous and kicks with both feet depending on which side of the field he is on, was gain off target.

After the wonderful kicking displays by all the kickers, including du Toit and Combrinck, at the week up until now this was rather disappointing. One was almost left waiting for the man with the bucket of sand from the FNB advertisment to come out and lend a hand as du Toit was replaced as kicker for Free State by Piet Lindeque, who faired no better missing two attempts of his own. 

The game had lost structure by now and the mistakes and penalties flowed thick and fast. It was left to the Free State skipper and man-of-the–match Adriaan Theisinger to finsh things off with a show of class. Free State countered after a deep 22-metre drop out by KwaZulu Natal. Du Toit floated a wonderful pass out to Theisinger who ran fifty metres and beat four men, one with a nasty hand-off, to score a beautiful try. Lindeque missed again but that could not take the lustre off another good perfomnace by the Free State side, who again mixed their play up well.

Excellent in the set pieces they have good structured plays, which have been well drilled. In general play they run off each other well and perform the basics effectively. They match their attack with a solid and robust defence and their reward will probably be a place in the main game on the final day against South Western Districts.

Scorers:

For Free State:
Tries: Christoffer Boucher, Baksteen van Heerden, Andries Theisinger
Con: Franna du Toit
Pens: Franna du Toit 2

For KwaZulu Natal:
Try: Kelvin Adam