u/18 Craven Week Day 4 Results And Match Reports

 

Two of the three undefeated sides at the 2022 Craven Week, played at the Tinkie Heyns Field of Rondebosch Boys’ High School in Cape Town, tournament hosts DHL Western Province and the Blue Bulls, will contest the final match of this year’s showpiece on Saturday after the team from Pretoria recorded a good win over SWD on Thursday.

Blue Bulls 34-15 SWD

SWD opened the scoring with a converted penalty, thereafter, the Blue Bulls started to dominate, using their pack of forwards to good effect. A lineout maul led to the first try for the Bulls and after fifteen minutes of play, they led 07-03. A second try three minutes later had the Blue Bulls leading 14-03 and in control.

An intercept try by the Blue Bulls after an extended period of being pinned down in their own half did not stop SWD to apply pressure on the Bulls for most of the last fifteen minutes of the first half. However, the great defence by the Blue Bulls and the wet weather was the cause of several mistakes made by SWD on the attack. After a converted penalty by the Blue Bulls with no time left on the clock they lead 24-03 going into the second half.

The Blue Bulls scored another try from a driving maul after a lengthy period pinning SWD down in their own half with great defence and power play by their forwards. SWD is slowly clawing their way back into the game and the hard work by their forwards was eventually rewarded with a converted penalty and with seventy minutes left to play the Bulls led 31-10.

Another penalty conceded was once again converted to extend the Blue Bulls' lead to 34-10 and twelve minutes to play. The final twelve minutes of the match were a brutal forward battle with the backline having the best seat in the house. SWD scored a 5m lineout-maul after time was up to end the game in style. A brilliant performance by the Blue Bulls playing Blue Bulls rugby to perfection.

Scorers:

Blue Bulls - Tries: De Wet Lottering (2), Abri van der Westhuizen, Mietie Erasmus. Conversions: Stehan Heymans (4). Penalties: Heymans (2).
SWD - Tries: Michael Lamont, Werner Groenewald, Conversion: John-Taylor Strydom. Penalty: John-Taylor Strydom.

Lions 30-22 Free State

The Free State opened the scoring with a converted penalty. Although the Free State dominated for the first twenty minutes of the first half it was the Lions who scored their first try to take the lead with 07-03 and fifteen minutes still to play. The Free State scored a try of their own almost immediately from the kick-off to retake the lead with 08-07.

The rest of the first half will be remembered for the mistakes made by both teams on the attack and in defence. The Lions did convert a penalty with minutes to go to take the lead with 10-08. Unfortunately, a match that did not live up to the expectations at this stage.

The brilliance from the Lions scrumhalf sniping from the back of the scrum in his own half saw him scoring the Lions' first try of the second half to extend their lead to 17-08. A penalty followed by a converted try by the Lions extended their lead to 27-08 and with seventeen minutes to go in the second half it seemed as if the Lions did enough to beat the Free State.

However, a great driving maul by the Free State resulted in a penalty try. With a converted penalty by the Lions and ten minutes to play the Lions were in control of the match and comfortably on their way to the win. The Free State attacked with purpose in the last five minutes, and score a consolation try after time was up. The Lions deserved winners with 30-22.

Scorers:

Lions - Tries: Ruan Welman, JT Kapank, Deon Groenewald. Conversions: JT Kapank. Penalties: JT Kapank (3).
Free State - Tries: Jermairon Ruiters, Ulrich Wahl, Penalty Try. Conversion: Bradley Giddy. Penalty: Bradley Giddy.

Griffons 18-48 Pumas

The Griffons converted an early penalty whereafter the Pumas started to "dominate'. Unfortunately for the Pumas, they could not convert any chances into points. The Pumas did eventually score a converted try to take the lead with 07-03 with fifteen minutes to play in the first half.

The Pumas dominated most of the play of the last fifteen minutes of the first half and added two more tries to their score, the last try scored after time was already up, to lead 19-03 with an exciting second half to come.

Griffons were the first to score a try in the second half after some brilliant passing by their backs led to a try in the corner. The Pumas struck back almost immediately after a great run down the touchline to restore the sixteen-point Pumas lead (24-08). The Pumas then started to up the pace and scored a second try in the second half to lead 29-08, seemingly on their way to giving the Griffons big hiding.

With fifteen minutes to play the Pumas scored another try down the touchline. The Griffons thereafter started to threaten and scored five minutes later in the corner after great work by their forwards. The Pumas still had a comfortable lead of 34-13 at that stage. An intercept try from their own half extended the Pumas' lead to 41-13. The Griffons replied immediately with their own try. Unfortunately, although "exciting" the defence started to disappear in the low clouds. 

With the time up on the clock, the Pumas scored another try to win this "exciting" match 48-18.

Scorers:

Pumas - Tries: Fumani Chauke, Francois Odendaal, Danny van Staden, Tyron Moolman, Grant de Jager, Rinkhals Smit (2), Philasande Ntshapela. Conversions: Hardus Visser (4).
Pumas - Tries: Jayleigh Arends, Kaleb Kriek, Ruben Kruger. Penalty: Nalie Kiewiet.

Leopards 17-24 Limpopo Blue Bulls

The Leopards started the game with a quick try within the first three minutes, however, not to be outdone the Limpopo Bulls also spread the ball wide with every opportunity and scored two tries of their own to lead 12-05 with fifteen minutes still to play in the first half. This game was played at pace with both sides willing to run the ball.

The rest of the first half was full of excitement, brilliant handling and big tackles with no side able to add any points to the scoreboard despite several chances for both teams to do so.

The excitement continued throughout the second half and with fifteen minutes to go the Leopards scored two tries to the one of Limpopo Blue Bulls and with fifteen minutes to go the Limpopo Blue Bulls' lead was "only" 19-17.

The Limpopo Blue Bulls increased the tempo of the match even more and scored a great try with ten minutes to go to edge the Leopards with a 24-17 win. A high-tempo match was played between two teams that gave their all for the full seventy-plus minutes.

Scorers:

Limpopo Blue Bulls - Tries: Carl Dohse, Joy Ngobeni, Orediretse Rathokolo (2). Conversions: Tristan Brits (2).
Leopards - Tries: Zandro Bezuidenhout, Erich Snyman, Teboho Sekonyela. Conversion: Erich Snyman.