Craven Week: Golden Lions edge Blue Bulls in Jukskei Derby
DAY TWO WRAP: The Golden Lions edged the Blue Bulls on day two of the U18 Craven Week, while Border, Griquas and Western Province XV were also among the winners at Grey High School in Gqeberha on Tuesday.
The second day of the tournament served up a series of fascinating contests, with 42 tries scored over the course of the four matches – and 10 of those coming in the Jukskei Derby.
The Bulls raced to 12-0 lead after their line-out set the platform for two tries. The Lions clawed their way back into the contest, and flyhalf Jaydon Viljoen slotted a long-range penalty goal of the stroke of half-time to reduce the Bulls’ lead to five points.
The contest opened up in the second stanza, and the lead changed hands several times. Lions centre Ethan Lourens crashed over for his second try late in the game, while the subsequent score by lock Glodi Tshipamba sealed a 43-32 win for the boys in red and white.
Earlier in the day, Border scored six tries in their 36-14 win against the Valke, with wing Ncuthu Kepe bagging a brace.
The free-flowing contest between Griquas and the Pumas yielded 12 tries in all, with Griquas fullback Tyler Campher scoring a hat-trick. The Kimberley-based side dominated the contest after half-time, scoring 22 points in the second stanza to secure a 43-29 victory.
The battle between WP XV and the Griffons followed a similar pattern, with the Western Cape side bouncing back from a half-time deficit to bank an emphatic 52-33 result. Flyhalf Travis Pheiffer scored 13 points for WP XV, while wing Cayden Samuels and flanker Yanos Molnar finished with two tries apiece.
The U18 Craven Week continues at Grey High on Wednesday, with the Leopards tackling the Limpopo Blue Bulls at 10.00 SAST and Western Province facing the Sharks in the big coastal showdown at 15.30.
U18 Craven Week results – Day Two (Tuesday, July 7):
Border 36-14 Valke
Griquas 43-29 Pumas
Western Province XV 52-33 Griffons
Blue Bulls 32-43 Golden Lions
U18 Craven Week fixtures – Day Three (Wednesday, July 8):
A-field:
10.00: Leopards v Limpopo Blue Bulls
11.45: Boland v Eastern Province
13.30: Free State v South Western Districts
15.30: Western Province v Sharks
The U18 Girls Week resumes at Grey High on Wednesday. The Pumas will front KwaZulu-Natal in the first game of the second round, while WP and the Golden Lions will meet in the main fixture at 13.15.
U18 Girls Week fixtures – Day Two (Wednesday, July 8):
B-field:
09.30: Pumas vs KZN
10.45: Border vs Blue Bulls
12.00: EP vs Boland
13.15: WP vs Golden Lions
C-field:
09.30: Griquas vs Leopards
10.45: Valke vs Free State
12.00: Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Griffons
13.15: SWD vs EP XV
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