Western Province kicked off their 2010 Coca-Cola under-18 Craven Week title defence to the perfect start following their 20-3 victory over the Lions in Welkom on Monday.
The Cape side played enterprising, running rugby at the North West Stadium and dominated their opponents in most facets of play.
WP though only managed to add two tries. The first was scored by flanker Sikhumbuzo Notshet early in the first half and Steven Kitshoff who crashed his way over the try line after the restart. Both tries were converted by flyhalf Gavin Hauptfleisch.
Hauptfleisch also added two penalties while the Lions’ only points came via a penalty kick from pivot Marais Schmidt.
Both teams tried to spread the ball regularly to their wings with the Johannesburg side guilty of conceding many handling errors throughout the match.
Western Province though were the better of the two sides in the line-outs, at the breakdown and also boasted the superior scrum.
“I am very happy with the victory and just relieved to have started off the week with a win,†said WP Coca-Cola under-18 Craven Week coach Chris October.
“The Lions were extremely physical in their approach, but our guys held their own up front. We tried to play a running brand of rugby, but made a few handling errors during the game which stifled our rhythm.†In a surprise result at the 2010 Coca-Cola under-18 Craven Week, the Blue Bulls conceded a 19-17 defeat against Eastern Province.
The Port Elizabeth side held a 16-0 half-time lead after scrumhalf Jaco Grobler and winger Llwellyn Pieterse scored two early tries while flyhalf Franz Botha kicked two penalties before the break.
However, the Blue Bulls hit back after the restart and ran in three tries which were scored by winger winger Patrick Maponya, No 8 Nardus van der Walt and prop Luan de Bruyn. Rudi van Rooyen converted Maponya’s try to steer the Blue Bulls to a 17-16 lead.
However, with five minutes remaining in the match, Botha kicked his third penalty of the match to regain the lead for EP (19-17).
The Blue Bulls had one final flourish in the final minutes of the game to snatch victory, but were held up on the try line due to the tigerish defence of the Eastern Province side.
Boland ran in six tries as they outclassed the Limpopo Blue Bulls by 41-11. The Wellington side dazed the crowd at the North West Stadium with their entertaining and attractive brand of rugby. Wingers Leroy Bitterhoutt (2) and Ruan van Rooy scored tries while flanker Wiaan Liebenberg, scrumhalf Robin Andrews and fullback Maree Kotze were the other players who crossed the try line for the Western Cape side.
Boland flyhalf Gerbrand Roets kicked four conversions and one penalty. Limpopo Blue Bulls flanker Roy-Ramon Auret was the sole try scorer for the Pretoria side. Scrumhalf and captain Lukas van Zyl kicked two penalties.
The Wellington side held a narrow 12-6 half-time lead but shifted into first gear immediately after the break and scored five exciting tries after they managed to spread the ball to their quick wings.
While the Boland backline dazzled, their forward pack were responsible for providing their speedsters quality first-phase ball after they managed to dominate the breakdown and the set phase.
The Namibians kicked off the 2010 Coca-Cola under-18 Craven Week with a 37-8 victory over the Border Country Districts (CD).
The tourists ran in five tries to the one five-pointer scored by the East London side. Lock Ian van Wyk scored a brace of tries while man-of-the-match No 8 Gerhard Lotter, lock Eric Jordaan and prop Desiderius Sethie ran in Namibia’s other tries.
Lock Sakhi Notwala was the only player to cross the try line for the Border CDs. The East London side’s only other points came through a penalty which was kicked by flyhalf Iwandile Dabele.
Both teams tried to play running rugby during the first half of the game but struggled to build momentum as both Namibia and Border CD were guilty of making numerous handling errors when on attack.
The Namibians held a 13-8 half-time lead despite Border CD opening the scoring when Notwala crashed his way over the try line in the eighth minute of the game.
However, after the break the tourists easily broke their opponents’ defensive lines to run in four further tries.
Meanwhile, the Griffons held their nerve and recorded a 28-25 win over the Eastern Province Country Districts in the final game of the day on Monday.
The hosts ran in four tries which were scored by Buran Parks, Barend Wessels, Rewaan Rodgers and Pierre Botes. All four tries were converted by flyhalf Ryno Venter.
Jamion-Lewellyn Booysen, Charl Theron and Deswell van der Berg scored tries for Eastern Province CD. Flyhalf Ntsikelelo Mlamleli kicked two conversions and two penalties.
Coca Cola Under-18 Craven Week, Day One results and scorers:
Western Province 20 Lions 3
Scorers:
Western Province – Tries: Sikhumbuzo Notshet, Steven Kitshoff; Conversions: Gavin Hauptfleisch (2); Penalties: Hauptfleisch (2).
Lions – Penalty: Marais Schmidt.
Griffons 28 Eastern Province CD 25
Scorers:
Griffons – Tries: Buran Parks, Barend Wessels, Rewaan Rodgers, Pierre Botes; Conversions: Ryno Venter (4).
Eastern Province CD – Tries: Jamion-Lewellyn Booysen, Charl Theron, Deswell van der Berg; Conversions: Ntsikelelo Mlamleli (2); Penalties: Mlamleli (2).
Blue Bulls 17 Eastern Province 19
Scorers:
Blue Bulls – Try: Luan de Bruyn, Nardus van der Walt, Patrick Maponya; Conversion: Rudi van Rooyen.
Eastern Province – Tries: Jaco Grobler, Llwellyn Pieterse; Penalties: Franz Botha (3).
Boland 41 Limpopo Blue Bulls 11
Scorers:
Boland – Tries: Leroy Bitterhoutt (2), Wiaan Liebenberg, Robin Andrews, Ruan van Rooy, Maree Kotze; Conversion: Gerbrand Roets (4); Penalty: Roets.
Limpopo Blue Bulls – Try: Roy-Ramon Auret; Penalties: Lukas van Zyl (2).
Border CD 8 Namibia 37
Scorers:
Border CD – Try: Sakhi Notwala; Penalty: Iwandile Dabele.
Namibia – Tries: Ian van Wyk (2), Gerhard Lotter, Eric Jordaan, Desiderius Sethie; Conversions: Aurelio Plato (3); Penalties: Plato (2).
From www.sarugby.co.za
It’s a pity that the commentators on TV are not as clued up about the players of other teams, as they are about the players of the Bulls team. I think they would even know their shoe size if asked! They waxed on about each and every player and about the schools they are from and said next to nothing about the players from the Eastern Province who taught the much thought of Bulls a proper rugby lesson! Keep it up EP!
Go EP v WP – the next big scalp!