Craven Week results - Day Two
Match results and reports
An ominous wind started the day in Nelspruit, the forerunner of miserable weather to come, a blow after the balm of Day One.
Zimbabwe vs Border Country Districts, 38-10
Zimbabwe were much bigger but also clumsier in a match in which the wind and the whistle blew, the whistle nearly as consistently as the wind.
Border Country Districts attend all the weeks and take a pounding at all the weeks but this time they met a Zimbabwean team that lacked the fluidity which has characterised their sides at Craven Week.
The Transkeian side played with the wind but Zimbabwe scored first when flyhalf Roland Benade kicked a long penalty into the wind. They then came close to scoring with scrums on the Border line, which included a tighthead. Left-wing Alexander Ndangana did get over but was penalised.
The nimbler Border Country Districts side managed to get turnovers more easily than the taller Zimbabweans and protected their possession better, when phases were allowed to happen.
They built an attack through a series of phases and a series of "Advantages" till Sakhile Mdunyelwa skipped past five half-hearted tacklers to score the only try of the first half.
The Transkeians went into the break leading 10-3.
In the second half the Zimbabweans had the wind at their backs and took just a minute to level scores when lock Brendon Brider barged over under the posts from close quarters. A concerted attack gave scrumhalf Benjamin Nicholls a chance to dummy, dive and scored. 17-10 to Zimbabwe.
Gerald Sibanda became the first yellow card of the week when a touch judge judged his tackle to be dangerous enough to earn him ten minutes in the sin bin.
Regardless of their reduced numbers the Zimbabweans attacked intricately from a line-out and left wing Alexander Ndangana plunged over.
Then Zimbabwe bashed from a five-metre scrum and versatile Brendon Brider reached over for his second try. 31-10.
There was just time for the kick-off and just time for Zimbabwe to score again – the try of the match as Alexander Ndangana strode over the acres to score after the final hooter had sounded.
It was a dull match.
Scorers:
For Zimbabwe
Tries: Brendon Brider 2, Benjamin Nicholls, Alexander Ndangana 2
Cons: Roland Benade 5
Pens: Roland Benade
For Border Country Districts:
Tries: Mlindazwe Nqoro
Cons: Sakhile Mdunyelwa
Pens: Sakhile Mdunyelwa
Griqualand West vs Limpopo, 24-9
Limpopo is the old Far North, now a fiefdom of the Blue Bulls and first at Craven Week as Blue Bulls Country Districts but keen to establish its own identity from the name of its province.
Limpopo played with the wind and scored early when Griquas were penalised at a tackle and flyhalf Andries Pitout goaled from an awkward angle.
Andries Pitout used the wind to keep his team near the Griqua line where the forwards bashed, eighthman Yssel Swanepoel most effectively. But the Griquas were tenacious and Limpopo had to be satisfied with just two more penalties by Andries Pitout in the half which seemed destined to end 9-0 in the favour of the men from faraway in the north.
But in the last minute of the half Griquas made a penalty a line-out in Limpopo territory. They won the line-out and went left. Fullback Daniel Dames of Upington came skipping into the line while flyhalf Christiaan Engelbrecht, also of Upington ran round behind him and got a brilliant pass to score.
Griquas took their only chance and Limpopo led a threadbare 9-5 at half-time.
Suddenly Griquas came alive with the wind behind them. Deprived of ball in the first half it blew their way in the second half and their creative centres, PJ Vermeulen and Riaan Swanepoel, both of Noord-Kaap in Kimberley, made the best of the ball as they made tries happen for Griquas.
PJ Vermeulen was close early in the half but Daniel dames was out at the corner. Griquas stayed there. Scrumhalf Kosie Nel tapped a penalty and strong eighthman Johannes van der Heever powered over. Riaan Swanepoel converted and Griquas led 12-10.
There were times in the half when, again, Limpopo came close, especially after a great run by Lloyd Seleka, but Griquas were hardy and came back with a great try.
They swept left with simple passes to the man next to them and PJ Vermeulen broke and then handed the sweetest little flick inside to Riaan Swanepoel ho scored. 19-9.
It was the Swanepoel-Vermeulen show again for the last try. Riaan Swanepoel broke straight and strongly. He gave to lively flank Johannes Markram who gave to PJ Vermeulen. He headed for the corner and bowled a pass inside to fullback Daniel dames who scored.
Scorers:
For Griqualand West:
Tries: Christiaan Engelbrecht, Johannes van der Heever, Riaan Swanepoel, Daniel Dames
Cons: Riaan Swanepoel 2
For Limpopo:
Pens: Andries Pitout 2
Boland vs Falcons, 34-20
Broadsword played rapier, and rapier won. The Falcons were stronger up front and battered better. The Bolanders were smoother in their running, passing and vision once they got the ball clear. But it was a game that seemed to belong to the Falcons at one stage.
Boland led 15-3 at one stage. Then the Falcons led 20-15. Then the Boland backs laughed their way to victory.
Falcons did much of the early attacking and scored first when flyhalf Gideon Stander kicked a penalty goal.
Massive Quintin Minnaar, a Leopard last year and a Falcon, this year had a massive charge but Boland got the first try.
Brian Titus tiptoed down the right touch-line, cut inside and played inside and to give Randall April a clear run to the line. Frederick Viljoen converted. 7-3 to Boland.
The Falcons attacked with a purpose. Gideon Stander charged at the line where he was tackled just short, penalties for holding on and sent to the Boland.
When Randall April was tackled late, Frederick Viljoen kicked a difficulty. 10-3 to Boland.
Not long afterwards they went further ahead when Randall April had a great run down the right wing. When play went left he popped up on the left and meandered between two defenders to score a second try. near the posts. 15-3 to Boland.
Gideon Stander came back, Boland were penalised, and the Falcons flyhalf made it a five-metre line-out. The Falcons caught the ball and drove a maul at speed over the Boland line. Grant le Roux was credited with the try which Gideon Stander converted.
That made the score 15-10 at half-time.
A penalty by Gideon Stander was followed by a try by fullback Louis Ludick who powered through some half-hearted tackling to score. Gideon Stander converted. 20-15.
After that Boland scored three tries. First burly Randall April got his third. Then tall flank Hilton Loberts of New Orleans in Paarl rounded off a concerted attack when he went round a huge prop to score in the corner. Frederick Viljoen converted and Boland led 27-20.
Back came the Falcons battering but losing the ball. They battered again and lost the ball again. Then came the try of the match.
Boland flyhalf Bradwell Swartz of Paulus Joubert got the ball in his 22 and under pressure. He sold the pressure a dummy and scythed down the field. Fifty off metres later lively scrumhalf Jaco Theunissen got the ball going left and Frederick Viljoen surged over.
It was a splendid match in deteriorating weather conditions.
Scorers:
For Boland:
Tries: Randall April 3, Hilton Loberts, Frederick Viljoen
Cons: Frederick Viljoen 3
Pen: Frederick Viljoen
For Falcons:
Tries: Grant le Roux, Louis Ludick
Cons: Gideon Stander 2
Pens: Gideon Stander 2
Blue Bulls vs South Western Districts, 15-5
The wind got worse and more unpredictable.
South Western Districts used it to kick the ball down towards the right-hand corner. They did it well but it almost became a game on its own and an unprofitable one.
Despite all the Eagles' wind-propelled booting and possession, the Blue Bulls had the best chances to score and they did so on the fourth occasion, just before half-time.
Their first chance can me when burly left-wing Wilberforce Masembuka had a long, strong run. Then right-wing Kruger van Heerden darted away from one of those right-corner line-outs and only a smothering tackle by lock Johan Snyman stopped the try. The other lock Louis Jordaan saved stopped the Blue Bulls on their next rampage when he tackled massive eighthman Phillip Woest out at the corner.
Then came the fourth chance as the Bulls moved to their left and the ball came to Wilberforce Masembuka. The wing slipped, but when he got his balance he was all acceleration, deception and strength as he got past four would-be tacklers to reach out a telescopic arm for the only score of the half.
The Blue Bulls led 5-0 at half-time with the inviting wind behind them for the second half.
The Eagles started the second half doing what they had not done and doing it well – running with the ball in the hand. First they came close and then they scored. Excellent lock Johan Snyman led the charge. When he was tackled flank Christiaan Botes picked up drove, stretch and scored. 5-5.
A penalty by neat flyhalf Leonard Olivier of Affies gave his side the lead and that's how things stayed, from 22 to 22, till just before the end when fullback Addillio Coutriers of Menlopark threaded a grubber towards the Eagles' line. Nippy Kruger van Heerden got the bounce and darted over. Leonard Olivier converted. 15-5.
There was little time left and the superior Eagles' pack used it to bash with effect but not effectively enough.
It was an absorbing match of interesting tactics.
Scorers:
For the Bulls:
Tries: Wilberforce Masembuka, Kruger van Heerden
Con: Leonard Olivier
Pen: Leonard Olivier
For the South Western Districts Eagles:
Try: Christiaan Botes
Western Province vs Golden Lions, 24-11
Don't doubt that the score flagttered Western Province as they battened on two Golden Lions handling errors in the last seven minutes to score 14 points and make victory look comfortable.
Western Province scored first. They went left and flyhalf Ricardo Croy, son of outstanding Protea and Western Province scrumhalf Richard Croy, sold a dummy, made the gap and played the ball out. It reached big fullback Richard Lawson who went down the touch-line to score. Jody Rose converted. 7-0.
The half belonged to Western Province who won many turnovers against the strong Golden Lions' pack, but the Lions have the satisfaction of a magnificent try on the dank and gloomy afternoon as the rain came to Nelspruit, shoved there by a cold front.
Western Province were attacking and on the way to scoring as they burst at the line, but they lost the ball just before the line. The Golden Lions with magnificent courage flung the ball to their right and ran out of trouble. Scott Spedding of St John's drew a man and gave to right-wing Ghaliel Markus who played inside to Monument's Justin St Jerry and away he sped for a try which would have been glorious in ideal conditions.
Flyhalf John Roodt converted as he had done an earlier penalty and the Golden Lions led 8-7.
Almost immediately after powerful flank Reg Muller had a great charge up the middle of the field but Western Province got back some control and a Jody Rose penalty made it 10-8, which was the half-time score.
The turning point in the match came with time seven minutes left and the Lions on the attack. The Lions were doing a bit of midfield bungling when nippy Therlow Pietersen, some of the great Protea captain Tommy, nipped in between, intercepted and raced more than 70 metres to score under the posts. Rose converted. 17-11 to Western Province.
Play was desultory till the last minute. The Golden Lions won another line-out, as they did regardless of thrower, but bungled in midfield. Western Province's Therlow Pietersen grabbed it again and gave to replacement scrumhalf darted away and surfed over under the bar. Rose converted, and that was the game.
Scorers:
For Western Province:
Tries: Richard Lawson, Therlow Pietersen, Allistair Siegelaar
Cons: Jody Rose 3
Pen: Jody Rose
For Golden Lions:
Try: Justin St Jerry
Pen: John Roodt 2
