Eastern Province caused the big upset of the first day of the Coca-Cola Grant Khomo under-16 rugby week in Queenstown yesterday when they beat pre-tournament favourites Western Province 14-10 in the penultimate game of the day.
The Golden Lions beat the hosts, Border 23 in the final game of the day. After a tight first half – the sides changed ends with the Lions 5-0 ahead – the Joburg boys took control and raced to a 23-0 lead. Border dug deep in the latter stages of the game though and scored two late tries to make it 23-12 in the end.
The day dawned cloudy and misty, and very cold, but it cleared up just in time to see the boys from PE pull off a well-deserved win in glorious sunshine.
EP took an early lead, but Province clawed their way back into the game and the match ended with WP attacking furiously, but they were unable to force their way through and it was EP who were whooping with joy when the final whistle blew.
The sides scored one try each. EP’s came from Justin Antonie and WP’s from Dewald Naude. It was the accurate kicking of Theo Stapelberg that made the difference in the end. He slotted three penalties for the winners, while Dennis Cox kicked a penalty and a conversion for WP.
Western Province won the main game at last year’s Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week and were expected to win today, to set themselves up for a good fixture in day two and an inside track for a place the final fixture. It was not to be, however, and at this stage it looks like the finalists will come from the Free State, SWD, Eastern Province, Blue Bulls or the Golden Lions, although those sides will in all likelihood be matched up when tomorrow’s fixtures are announced, so half of them are going to be eliminated.
The Golden Lions beat the hosts, Border 23 in the final game of the day. After a tight first half – the sides changed ends with the Lions 5-0 ahead – the Joburg boys took control and raced to a 23-0 lead. Border dug deep in the latter stages of the game though and scored two late tries to make it 23-12 in the end.
Flyhalf Innocent Radebe scored 13 points for the winners via a try, two penalties and a conversion. Frans Van Wyk and Sandile Sibande also dotted down for the Lions.
Border’s tries were scored by Dyllan Domoney and Lilitha Jones. Jose Shaw converted one.
South Western Districts have become a factor at all of the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks in recent years, based mainly on the emergence of George’s Hoerskool Outeiqua now one of the top rugby schools in the country.
This year’s under-16 side showed they will be in the reckoning once again by turning in an impressive all-round performance to beat KwaZulu-Natal 25-8.
The boys from the Southern Cape scored tries through Donovan Van der Berg, Duhan Van der Merwe, Elroy Havenga, and Geor Malan. Warrick Galant added a penalty and a conversion.
Natal’s try was by Biaggo Pellicini. Marcel Coetzee kicked a penalty.
In earlier action on day one Free State were way too strong for the Griquas Country side. They scored seven tries on their way to a 45-7 victory, three of them by winger EW Viljoen, and one has to wonder about the wisdom of pitting a side from one of the traditional strong provinces, and one that is jam-packed with Grey College boys, against a rural team from one of the smaller provinces.
The fixtures for the second day will be announced later tonight.
Day 1’s results: Pumas 19Limpopo 15, Free State 45 Griquas Country 7, Griffons 33 Leopards 14, Valke 87 Border CD 3, Griquas 23 Namibia 12, SWD 25 KwaZulu-Natal 8, Blue Bulls 25Boland 5, Eastern Province 14 Western Province 10. Golden Lions 23 Border 12.
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