Craven Week Results, Day 1

The Craven Week kicked off in crisp but perfect weather at Affies in Pretoria. To see how the mighty have fallen, look at the last two matches of the day.

Eastern Province Country Districts vs Griquas Country Districts, 28-10

In the first match of the 2008 Craven Week, the Eastern Province Country Districts side with its backbone of players from Marlow Agricultural in Cradock was too strong for the willing boys from Griquas Country Districts which was in olden reality a match between North Eastern Cape and North Western Cape most of whose players come from the Upington schools.

Scorers:

For Eastern Province Country Districts:
Tries:  Benjamin Koeberg, Leon van Straaten, Lundi Sinclair Ralarala, Nkululeko Currie, Reagan Quinton Makwena 1
Drop: Gouws Prinsloo

For Griquas Country Districts:
Tries: AJ Burger, Jaco Visser

Namibia vs Border Country Districts, 36-11

With 15 minutes to play Border Country Districts, smaller and less organised than the Namibians, were in the game. Fullback Thulani Bakumeni had goaled a penalty to make the score just 12-11 to Namibia. By then Border Country Districts could have been ahead as they had missed four kicks at goal.

This score seemed to be just the spur the Namibians needed. They had always looked stronger and faster but their handling and repeated selfishness had been their undoing. They scored their first try through prop Henk Roets with a maul from a line-out and Border Country Districts looked destined for a hiding. But the men from the Eastern Cape were tenacious and the men from Namibia injudicious. Apart from errors of judgement they were also much penalised in a match of many penalties.

A penalty by Dane van Zyl made the score 15-11. It was the only time the Namibians kicked at goal as for the most part they took tap kicks in search of tries. At 15-11 suddenly the Namibians could pass as well as run and after that they ran in three more tries. In the process strong, fast Divian Singaram scored a hat-trick.

Scorers:

For Namibia:
Tries: Daniel Benjamin de Bruin, Divian Singaram 3, Henk Roets
Cons: Dane van Zyl 4
Pen: Dane Van Zyl

For Border Country Districts:
Try: Thembelani Bholi
Pens: Thulani Bakumeni 2

Boland vs Limpopo, 32-21

Boland were much too good for the boys from the Far North. They were bigger and faster and played at a much higher tempo, doing things instinctively and at speed, and it was something of a surprise that they led only 17-6 at half-time. They always looked like scoring a try, Limpopo never.

Things are, Gilbert & Sullivan assure us, seldom what they seem. The Limpopo side that played in the second half looked nothing like the side that played in the first half. They got two tries and then nearly the best try of the day which would have given them the lead.

First after strong work at a line-out scrumhalf Zylon McGaffin forced his way over. Boland struck back immediately with a try by strong Dean Swart, but back the northerners came and outside Barend Molenaar showed great strength to stay in from touch and force his way over for a try. That made the score 24-18.

After this Boland attacked but McGaffin won a turnover and the next thing the Limpopo side were rushing down the field only to lose the ball in sight of the line.

Garth April and Ewald Meiring then swapped penalties. Boland attacked, helped by two free kicks and then, on the left, lively scrumhalf Frederick Muller scored down the narrowest of blindsides.

Scorers:

For Boland
Tries: Adri Jacobs, Sampie Mastriet 2, Muller
Cons: Garth April 2
Pen: Garth April

For Limpopo:
Try: Barend Molenaar
Con:  Ewald Meiring
Pens: Ewald Meiring 3

Pumas vs Western Province, 19-17

What a finish!  What a fantastic finish!

It was a match Western Province looked certain to win as they settled into a comfortable lead. But then things went wrong and they went horribly wrong. They conceded penalty after penalty after penalty and their flyhalf was sent to the sin bin for a tackle/ruck infringement – on his opponents’ line.

But all of that will be forgiven in the last, breath-taking bit of scoring that won the match for the Pumas.

Western Province had scored two tries and a penalty goal but the brilliant boot of Gary van Aswegen kept the men from Mpumalanga in the race. He kicked them over from all angles and long distances till the score was 17-12 and the Pumas’ energy increased.

Then Western Province hoofed the ball down into the Pumas’s 22 on their left. They started running at speed going right, straight, passing ahead until Dewald Pieters raced and dived and scored in the corner on his right. 17-all with the conversion to come. That was no trouble for Van Aswegen who kicked the perfect conversion.

There was still time to play but Western Province kicked the first ball they got and then knocked on the second one, leaving the Pumas to leap about with glee.

Scorers:

For Pumas:
Try: Dewald Pieters
Con: Gary van Aswegen
Pens: Gary van Aswegen 3
Drop: Gary van Aswegen

For Western Province:
Tries: Jacobus Jordaan, Tythan Adams
Con: Tythan Adams 2
Pen: Tythan  Adams

South Western Districts vs Blue Bulls, 26-21

The Blue Bulls, hosting the Craven Week, at Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool (Affies) were upset by the South Western Districts (South Western Districts) Young Eagles in the main game of Day One. The final score was 26-21 to South Western Districts after the Blue Bulls led 16-13 at half-time.

The Eagles, as usual made up mostly of players from Outeniqua High and Oakdale Landbou, always perform well at the Craven Week and often give the bigger unions a scare. Today they went one better though and scored a fantastic and well-deserved win.

At no stage did it look like they were in awe of the hosts and they gave as good as they got from the get-go. South Western Districts took an early lead after a penalty miss from their fullback Renier de Villiers. who hit the upright. The Blue Bulls were pinged for a skew scrum feed five metres from their line and South Western Districts tapped the free kick. Their move went horribly awry but the ball scooped up by flyhalf Erick Colyn who found some space and jinked in under the posts. De Villiers made no mistake from right in front.

Both teams struggled to gain continuity as they battled with the referee’s interpretations at the breakdown. The penalties came thick and fast and the Blue Bulls were able to pull themselves back into the game via two well-struck kicks from their flyhalf Jean-Claude Roos.

The Blue Bulls drew level in the twenty-second minute via a try from tight-head prop Juan-Philip Pike, who drove over after a tapped penalty five metres out. What came before though was a comedy of errors from South Western Districts flank Aden Jones who fumbled, ran behind his try-line and proceeded to knocked-on. After a lengthy deliberation by the TMO the Blue Bulls were awarded a scrum from which the penalty and try ensued. Roos made no mistake with the conversion and with a penalty a few moments later to see the Blue Bulls take the lead before the break.

South Western Districts had two opportunities to draw level or take the lead before the interval but de Villiers failed with both long-range efforts. The Blue Bulls dominated the second quarter of the game though were full value for the marginal lead at the interval.

The Blue Bulls came out with intent after the break and played some classic Blue Bulls rugby. A line-out was taken off the top and the loose-forwards ran at the South Western Districts inside backs and successfully drove up field. When they went wide though things again went awry at the breakdown and the turnover was conceded.

South Western Districts took the lead, which they never relinquished, in the 39th minute after poor play from the Blue Bulls back three. A fairly innocuous kick from South Western Districts was well chased. Under pressure close to their line the Blue Bulls players pushed their passes when a kick was the obvious option. Jaco van Tonder accepted a gift intercept right under the Blue Bulls poles. De Villiers converted and South Western Districts were in front, 20-16.  

The Eagles were visibly lifted by the try and from the kick-off they came at the Blue Bulls with a vengeance. They put some good phases together and dominated territory for a period. They successfully converted pressure to points and De Villiers put them seven points clear after the Blue Bulls were adjudged to be offside at a ruck.

This setback struck the Blue Bulls back into action and they scored a lovely try soon after. Their standout players on the day, burly scrumhalf Willem Jacobs and right-wing Richard Collins, were instrumental in it. Jacobs began the counter-attack from deep inside the Blue Bulls half as he ran the ball up the left hand-side of the field to the halfway line. The Blue Bulls spread the ball right across the field to Collins who used his immense pace and strength to run into the South Western Districts 22-metre area. From the ensuing ruck the Blue Bulls were awarded a penalty, which they tapped and ran. Jacobs found himself in midfield and threw the final pass wide out to the left to Katlego Magakwa, who raced in to score. Roos was unsuccessful with the conversion.  

The Blue Bulls having seen how devastating Collins was with ball in hand used him again with telling effect soon after. He again burst up field but as they chased the game the pressure told and the move, like a number later on in the game, broke down with a handling error.

South Western Districts’ man-of-the-match and scrumhalf Enrico Acker was responsible for a clever piece of play which saw his team get back into Blue Bulls territory. Regaining field position South Western Districts were awarded another penalty which De Villiers, playing in his second Craven Week, showed great composure in banging over. The roles were reversed now as Jean-Claude Roos, who had kicked with such assurance in the first half, missed two important penalties as well the a conversion in the second half.

The Blue Bulls threw everything into the final ten minutes as the home crowd tried to lift them. Poor options, handling errors, forward passes and passionate South Western Districts defence cost them the chance to score and eventually the match.

South Western Districts were magnificent on the day though and produced a determined team effort. Acker along with captain and No.8 CJ Stander deserve special mention as they marshalled their troops magnificently. The joy of the South Western Districts players was palpable at the final whistle as the small town boy’s from George celebrated a huge win over one of South Africa’s great rugby unions.

Scorers:

For South Western Districts:
Tries: Frederick Colyn,  Jaco van Tonder
Cons: Renier De Villiers 2
Pens: Renier De Villiers 4

For Blue Bulls:
Tries: Juan-Philip Pike,  Katlego Magakwa
Con: Juan-Claude Roos
Pens: Juan-Claude Roos 3