Craven Week: EP beat KZN by one

In the final match on Day Four of the 2015 Craven Week on the Markötter Field at Stellenbosch, Eastern Province ended beating KwaZulu-Natal 23-22.

The score suggests an exciting match but that was not really the case. In many ways it was a disappointing match, flat beer after some of the champagne rugby of earlier matches, especially the one on Tuesday when Eastern Province played South Western Districts.

Maybe it was the dullness of the weather as another cold front headed into the Western Cape. Maybe it was the physical battle up front. Maybe it was the increasing pressure on Curwin Bosch who had an ordinary afternoon at flyhalf. For one thing he kicked more and looked best when he ran and passed. Yet there were still moments sublime from him – when he had the ball in hand. Eastern Province were at their best when he and Kwezi Mafu interacted.

Generally the Eastern Province battled against the beefy KwaZulu-Natal pack, especially in the scrums where they were penalised three times in the first half. The scrums were shoddy, to say the least. The first one had two resets and a penalty. From the awarding of the scrum to the kick-off after the penalty was goaled took 3 minutes 18 seconds.

But perhaps the biggest disappointment was caused by the cards which disfigured the game. At one stage KwaZulu-Natal were down to 13 players after their left wing was in the sin bin for an air tackle and their hooker redcarded for a spear tackle. Eastern Province weighed in with yellow cards of their own. Of course, it was disrupting. The red card for the KwaZulu-Natal hooker came after 27 minutes, which meant that for 43 playing minutes they were down to 14 men and the scrums were seven against seven as at that age scrums have to be of equal number. Seven vs Seven removed a loose forward and much creativity.

But the 14 KwaZulu-Natal players deserve lots of credit for their unabated determination. Eighthman Marco Palvie and flyhalf Bader Pretorius battled with all their might – perhaps too much so, as letting play can at times be more important than playing.

KwaZulu-Natal kicked off and when Bosch had cleared they were back on their 22, but then they came within an ace of scoring when Victor Foster, playing left wing, ran down the touchline, chipped and chased. He and Bosch raced for the ball, hands outstretched but the TMO's examination decided that Foster had knocked on. Then when Eastern Province were penalised at a scrum flyhalf Bader Pretorius goaled. 3-0 after 15 minutes.

After this Foster went off to the sin bin for an air tackle and then deft work by Bosch put Lubabalo Dobela away. Eastern Province attacked left and then back right where Bosch gave to Kwezi Mafu and the big eighthman raced ahead easily beating the KwaZulu-Natal defence to score under the posts. 7-3 after 24 minutes.

Bosch had a great run in counterattack, speeding down the right and beating three defenders with a combination of speed and surprising strength.

Then disaster struck as hooker Hendrik Prinsloo was redcarded for lifting Louis Strydom up off the ground, turning him over into the vertical and Strydom made contact with neck and shoulder, this at a time when Foster was still in the sin bin.

Two minutes later Bosch kicked a dropped goal and Eastern Province stayed attacking.

At the scrum KwaZulu-Natal brought on a hooker, Matt Wiseman, and, surprisingly, sacrificed their captain Sibabalo Qoma to accommodate him.

At the start of the second half KwaZulu-Natal were going through some pedestrian passing when Heino Bezuidenhout intercepted and ran some 40 metres through empty acres to the goal posts. 17-3 after 37 minutes.

The match plodded till KwaZulu-Natal attacked and Palvie powered past two defenders for a try in the right corner. 17-8 after 52 minutes. Eastern Province still looked comfortably ahead but Malan Marais, who had received a yellow card on Tuesday, got one for Eastern Province's third high tackle.

Bosch raced down the left and under pressure tried to get the ball infield. It hit a KwaZulu-Natal hand and Denver Kleu grabbed it and started for the line. He looked set to score but Pretorius knocked him over and Kleu fell at the line with Tony Mahlangu in close attention. This produced a five-metre scrum for Eastern Province. Bosch attempted another drop but it was blocked and KwaZulu-Natal broke out. They kept attacking and huge Christopher Klopper forced his way to the line. The ball came back to Bader Pretorius who scored a try which he converted. 17-15 to Eastern Province with 10 minutes to play.

Bosch started down the left and gave to Mafu who gave to Khanyo Mafunda who gave back to Mafu and Eastern Province were well on the attack but Bosch missed a drop attempt.

Eastern Province won a KwaZulu-Natal line-out, a rare feat, and Ayabonga Oliphant got close but Eastern Province were penalised and Pretorius cleared.

But then Eastern Province were penalised twice in two minutes and Bosch goaled both, one from far out and at an angle and the other from further out but in front. 23-15 with less than a minute to play. Bosch could have killed the game when time was up but he chose to kick downfield and KwaZulu-Natal came back on the attack. They kept on attacking and Malan Marais recived his second yellow card which meant a red. KwaZulu-Natal carried on attacking and Palvie went over for his second try, which Pretorius converted. After 73 minutes the final whistle sounded.

Man of the Match: Jordan Sesink Clee

Teams:

Eastern Province: 15 Denni Kleu, 14 Lubabalo Dobela, 13 Heino Bezuidenhout, 12 Ayabonga Oliphant, 11 Khanyo Mafunda, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Louis Strydom, 8 Kwezi Mafu, 7 Ruben Pretorius, 6 Malan Marais, 5 Michael de Marco (captain), 4 Ruben le Roux, 3 Zaci Sandi, 2 Arno le Roux, 1 Siwe Masosiwe

Replacements: 16 André Lategan, 17 CJ van Niekerk, 18 Pieter van Taak, 19 Kamva Dilima, 20 Sihle Njezula, 21 Riaan van Rensburg, 22 Mohamed Connelly.

KwaZulu-Natal: 15 Jerome Bossr, 14 Kudzaishe Munangi, 13 Matthew Kriel, 12 James Tedder, 11 Victor Foster, 10 Bader Pretorius, 9 Ryan van der Westhuizen, 8 Marco Palvie, 7 Mulalo Sadiki, 6 Kuyenzeka Xaba, 5 Jordan Sesink Clee, 4 Sibabalo Qoma (captain), 3 Christopher Klopper, 2 Hendrik Prinsloo, 1 Anele Songca.

Replacements: 16 Matt Wiseman, 17 Khuthuzani Mchunu, 18 Andrew Peverelle, 19 Devon Muller, 20 Matthew Dahl, 21 Tonny Mahlangu, 22 Xolisa Guma.

Referee: Jaco Pretorius

Assistant referees: Stephan Geldenhuys, Fernando Uithaler

TMO: Oregopotse Rametsi