EP retain unbeaten status
Day Three at the 2012 Craven Week in Port Elizabeth saw wins for EP, Free State, the Valke and Namibia, with just the main match – between KZN and the Golden Lions – to come.
It was a slightly colder day at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Wednesday, but it did not stop Namibia from beating Griquas 29-15 and the Valke hammering the Leopards 38-5, before Free State edged out Border 14-9.
Eastern Province were made to work hard for their 22-13 win over Boland, as KwaZulu-Natal and the Golden Lions then took the field in PE for the day's final match.
Eastern Province 22 (10) Boland 13 (10)
Hosts, Eastern Province, made it two from two at the 2012 Craven Week, with a 22-13 Day Three win over Boland in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday afternoon.
With the scores deadlocked at 10-10 at half-time, with a try each in the first half, the home side rallied strongly in the second half to keep their unbeaten record at the tournament – having beaten the Valke 41-17 in Day One action on Monday.
Boland took the lead in the 39th minute through a Corné Sharp penalty, but EP – who had led 3-0 until the 17th minute in the first half – regained the lead with a try through their inspirational captain Aidon Davis.
Good running by livewire wing Sergeal Petersen put the home side on the front foot and captain Aidon Davis benefited from a George Gregan-like inside pass from scrumhalf Francois Nel to crash over for a crucial try.
Stapelberg missed the conversion, and two more penalties, but he was on target with a conversion in the 58th minute when dangerous speedster Petersen was rewarded with a five-pointer of his own shortly before the 60-minute mark.
Petersen's try kept EP's noses in front – as it put them more than a converted try ahead – in the final ten minutes of a hard-fought encounter.
The scorers:
For Eastern Province:
Tries: Williams, Davis, Petersen
Cons: Stapelberg 2
Pens: Stapelberg
For Boland:
Try: Stubbs
Con: Willemse
Pens: Willemse, Sharp
The teams:
EP: 15 Gary Loest, 21 Phelo Mfini, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 12 Luan Nieuwoudt, 11 Selvyn Davids, 10 Theo Stapelberg, 9 Francois Nel, 8 Aidon Davis (captain), 7 Ray Williams, 19 Loxolo Koza, 5 Gareth Ehret, 18 Erwin Slabbert, 3 Bart le Roux, 2 Johnathan Louw, 17 Lloyd Parker.
Replacements: 16 Justin Antonie, 1 Matthew Moore, 4 Roche van Hall, 6 CJ Velleman, 20 Luciano Daniels, 13 Marcelle Plaatjies, 22 Whayburn Howley.
Boland: 22 Chad Kleinsmidt, 14 Chesne van Wyk, 13 Anzo Stubbs, 12 Courtney Cupido, 11 Luwandre Visagie, 10 Colin Willemse, 9 Corné Sharp, 19 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Cobus Geldenhuys, 6 Hilroy Baadjies, 18 Erenst Claasen, 4 Gideon Koegelenberg, 3 Wilco Louw, 16 Riaan Mostert, 17 Erik Meyer.
Replacements: 2 Francois Esterhuyzen, 1 Farrel Kelly, 5 Jaco Louw, 8 Dian Koen, 20 Phillip Jacobs, 21 Schalk Hugo, 15 Willbur Boonzaaie.
Free State 14 (14) Border 9 (3)
Some individual brilliance on defence by Free State winger Sheldon Fortuin saved some blushes for the Men from Bloemfontein as they recorded their first win of the 2012 Craven Week tournament – despite not scoring a point in the second half.
Swart tracked back superbly on defence to foil Border's Warren Swarts who looked to be going all the way after intercepting a stray Baby Cheetahs pass in the 56th minute.
Fortuin took Swarts down before bouncing up and dis-possessing the supporting Border player (Somila Jho) which resulted in a knock-on and a scrum to Free State.
At that stage, Border were trailing by 6-14. A converted try would have made it a one-point game going into the final ten minutes.
Border's Aubrey Ferreira kicked a penalty in the 67th minute to narrow the gap to just five points with the clock winding down and the youngsters from East London set about achieving a dramatic victory.
They won a series of penalties in the Free State 22 and kept tapping-'n-going, before the match eventually ended in injury-time with a Border player being driven into touch practically at the left-hand corner flag.
The brave side from Border remain winless at the 2012 Craven Week, having lost 14-29 to the Golden Lions on Monday, whilst Free State will be relieved with a first win after their 24-48 trouncing at the hands of a click KZN outfit on Day One.
The scorers:
For Free State:
Tries: Ndakisa, Cyster
Cons: Jordaan 2
For Border:
Pens: Sihunu 2, Ferreira
The teams:
Free State: 15 EW Viljoen, 22 Stanley Ramoetsana, 13 Pieter Jordaan (captain), 12 Stephan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Sheldon Fortuin, 20 Luke Cyster, 14 Olwethu Ndakisa, 18 Stefan Kruger, 7 Gareth de Bruin, 6 Refuoe Rampeta, 5 Dylan Harlen, 8 Edward Schmidt, 3 Cornelius Kramer, 2 Cornelius Els, 17 Andrew du Plessis.
Replacements: 16 Kale Sebotsa, 1 Ox Nche, 4 Awie Thompson, 19 Byran Matthews, 9 Juandre van den Bergh, 10 Barend Bornman, 21 Guillermo Minnie.
Border: 15 Thabani Mgugudo, 10 Bukho Ntsaluba, 22 Somila Jho, 13 Sibanye Bukani (captain), 11 Justin Bell, 20 Onke Nyaku, 9 Akhona Sihunu, 8 Naythan Knoetze, 18 Andrew Miles, 6 Michael Hansen, 5 Mick Meintjes, 4 Brenton de Coning, 3 Johannes Jonker, 16 Bryce Rennie, 17 Similile Qinela.
Replacements: 2 Keegan Emms, 1 Mihlali Mtongana, 19 Mandilake Ponco, 7 James Snelling, 21 Lilitha Jonas, 12 Aubrey Ferreira, 14 Warren Swarts.
Valke 38 (24) Leopards 5 (5)
They started with zest, did the Valke in the red of the old Eastern Transvaal, the Red Devils. They were not devils but they played with energy and determination. Zest permeated all their play, attack and defence, and it came off a platform of excellent organisation. The Leopards, by contrast, looked bewildered.
The Valke nearly scored in the first minute and most likely would have had Lecheko Mokoena not been shot with a hamstring injury as he headed for the right corner. Next it was Eldron van Rooyen speeding down the right and then Frederick van Wyk was held up over the line.
A five-metre penalty became a five-metre line-out and a fast maul with flank Sipho Nhleko dropping for the try. 5-0 after 9 enterprising minutes.
They were close again, denied at the line by a knock-on. A penalty produced another line-out. The Valke bashed and flyhalf Ruan Potgieter forced his way over under the posts, a try he converted as well. 12-0 after 18 minutes.
The Valke came back and Francwa Ueckermann tackled Xoliswa Ngwenya out at the corner. A knock-on in the subsequent line-out gave the Valke a five-metre scrum and big Johan Oosthuizen, playing eighthman, picked up at the base and simply barged over for the try. 19-0 after 23 minutes.
It was all Valke as they dominated possession, territory and opportunity.
From a turnover at a line-out the Valke attacked and the tallest of them all, JP du Preez, stretched to score. 24-0.
The Leopards got the next try when suddenly their competence forsook the Valke. Bulky when bulky Thomas Dreyer charged down Christiaan Meyer's clearing kick and scored. 24-5 after 33 minutes.
That was the half-time score.
The Leopards were much, much better in the second half – better organised and more determined. They were close to scoring after a charge by massive Jacobus Myburgh. But still the Valke did the scoring.
From a scrum inside their 22 the Valke went wide left with Leon Potgieter, playing fullback, in to create and overlap for speedy Ngwenya. The left wing played inside to Leon Potgieter who scored the try of the match.
Just before the end the Leopards were penalised, there was an injury break and Ruan Potgieter tapped, caught all the Leopards napping and scored at the posts.
The scorers:
For the Valke:
Tries: Nhleko, R Potgieter 2, Oosthuizen, Du Preez, L Potgieter
Cons: R Potgieter 4
For the Leopards:
Try: Dreyer
The teams:
Valke: 14 Leon Potgieter, 22 Lecheko Mokoena, 13 Eldron van Rooyen, 12 Frederick van Wyk, 11 Xoliswa Ngwenya, 10 Ruan Potgieter, 9 Christiaan Meyer (captain), 4 Johan Oosthuizen, 8 Anton Viljoen, 6 Sipho Nhleko, 5 Jean-Pierre du Preez, 18 Ashley Sibisibi, 17 Francois Booyse, 16 Danru Bender, 2 André Myburgh.
Replacements: 3 Werner Janse van Rensburg, 1 John Moisi, 19 Joswin de Wee, 7 Kyle van Dalen, 20 Michiel Mostert, 15 Waylon Thompson, 21 Jacqone de Villiers.
Leopards: 22 Dimitri Vers, 14 Pakamani Maganga, 13 Joacobus Groenewald, 12 Gysbert van Wyk, 11 Keamogetswe Mpuru, 10 MC Venter, 21 Francwa Ueckermann, 8 Iniel Schoenfeld, 4 Ryno Smith, 6 Emil Meyer (captain), 19 Albert Lubbe, 20 Ofentse Molotsi, 3 Dirk Botha, 16 Thomas Dreyer, 17 Kgotso Letsoko.
Replacements: 2 Thabo Sehlabo, 1 Jacobus Myburgh, 5 Gopolang Molefe,18 Vuyani Kok, 7 Hendrik van der Walt, 9 WJ Herbst, 15 Alrich Brown.
Referee: Tahla Ntshakaza
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni, Sipho Ngcese
Griquas 15 (8) Namibia 29 (14)
Namibia scored four tries on their way to a comfortable 29-15 victory over Griquas in the opening game of Day Three at the 2012 Craven Week on Wednesday.
Namibia applied all of the early pressure and they were rewarded when inside centre Justin Newman charged down a clearance kick and went over for the opening try.
Griquas responded with eight points from right wing Dimitrio Tieties who slotted a penalty and then got on the end of a flowing backline movement to dive over for a try in the corner which gave his team an 8-7 lead.
Namibia were next to strike when flank Dian Wiese forced his way over the line, and they continued to press until the end of the half although they could not extend their 14-8 lead.
Griquas started the second half with great intent, but they lacked the accuracy to finish the opportunities they created and Namibia were next to score when the ball was put down the hands until it reached left wing Shareave Titus who glided over to score under the poles and put his team 21-8 ahead.
Namibia were playing with confidence and they extended that lead to 26-8 soon afterwards when right wing Leon Feris went over in the corner, but their momentum was halted somewhat when lock Janco Venter was shown a yellow card for a late tackle.
A penalty from flyhalf Chris Arries stretched Namibia's advantage to 29-8 with ten minutes left, and although Griquas got a late consolation try it was not enough to overhaul the Namibians.
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Tries: Tieties, Muller
Con: Tieties
Pen: Tieties
For Namibia:
Tries: Newman, Wiese, Titus, Feris
Cons: Arries 3
Pen: Arries
The teams:
Griquas: 21 Ryan De Wee, 14 Dimitrio Tieties, 13 Dawid-Johan Minnie, 12 Len le Roux, 11 Charlton Koopman, 10 Vuyani Maqina, 20 Willem Jansen van Rensburg, 8 Shaun Clarke, 7 Lehan Muller, 6 Nico Graaf, 18 Jacobus Human, 4 Gilbert Chalmers, 17 Petrus Steyn, 2 Emile Jansen, 1 McPherson Maketlo.
Replacements: 16 Xander Jonck, 3 Doctor Booysen, 5 Jan-Hendrik van der Linden, 19 Luaan Dowie, 9 Zane le Roux, 15 Granville Adams, 22 Hillford Clarke.
Namibia: 22 Handre Bezuidenhout, 14 Leon Feris, 13 Divan Visser, 21 Justin Newman, 11 Shareave Titus, 10 Chris Arries, 9 Hendrik Barkhuizen, 8 Wian Conradie, 19 Charles Fourie, 6 Dian Wiese, 5 Jean-Pierre Grobler, 4 Janco Venter, 3 Gert-David Orlam, 16 Desmond Stramis, 1 Quintin Esterhuizen.
Replacements: 2 Johannes Robbertse, 17 Johannes Retief, 18 Dyllan Husselmann, 7 Immo Dresselhaus, 20 Jean-Claude Winkler, 12 Daniel Arries, 15 Ethan Beukes.
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
