Boland, Sharks lay down early marker at Grant Khomo Week
NEWS: Boland edged the Golden Lions while Western Province, the Blue Bulls and Sharks claimed valuable wins on day one of the Grant Khomo Week at Grey High School in Gqeberha.
The opening day of the U16 tournament witnessed a number of close contests, with the finish to the battle between Boland and the Lions proving especially dramatic.
Boland made a statement when they outscored the Lions 15-3 in the first half. While the Lions clawed their way back in the second stanza, Boland flyhalf Jano van Deventer slotted two late penalties to secure a valuable 21-16 result.
Earlier in the day, the Pumas scored five tries in their 39-14 victory over Griquas, with centre Siboniso Mahlangu touching down twice.
The Griffons edged the Falcons 17-15 in a tight contest, while the Sharks overturned a 10-point half-time deficit to beat Free State 26-20.
The Blue Bulls led 20-10 at the break in their battle against the Western Province XV. Two clutch kicks by flyhalf Vihan Pretorius ensured that they held on for a 26-24 win.
In the last two matches of the day, Western Province scored five tries to beat hosts Eastern Province 38-25, while the Leopards crossed the line six times in their 40-7 win over the Limpopo Blue Bulls.
The Grant Khomo Week will continue on Wednesday, with Pumas tackling the Free State at 09.20 SA time (07.20 GMT) on the Kolisi Field.
U16 Grant Khomo Week Results – Day One:
Pumas 39 Griquas 14
Free State XV 29 Border Country Districts 7
Golden Lions 16 Boland 21
Falcons 15 Griffons 17
Free State 20 Sharks 26
Border 26 Zimbabwe 20
Blue Bulls 26 Western Province XV 24
South Western Districts 26 Namibia 6
Western Province 38 Eastern Province 25
Leopards 40 Limpopo Blue Bulls 7
Wednesday's fixtures, June 19:
Kolisi Field: (Kick-off local time +2 GMT)
09.20: Pumas v Free State
10.45: Border v Griffons
12.00: SWD v WP XV
13.15: Blue Bulls v Boland
14.30: WP v Sharks
Pollock Field: (Kick-off local time +2 GMT)
09.20: Namibia v Border Country Districts
10.45: Zimbabwe v Limpopo Blue Bulls
12.00: Valke v Free State XV
13.15: Leopards v Griquas
14.30: Golden Lions v Eastern Province