KZN run out Winners

They won 36-24.

It was a deserved win but not without a huge fright when Eastern Province, playing into the wind, took the score to 21-17 with 20 minutes to play and the momentum was very much with Eastern Province. But KwaZulu Natal, with Dylan Richardson prominent, outmuscled Eastern Province to secure the win. It was a lively and exciting match, made more exciting by the Eastern Province's strong Lazarus comeback when they seemed about to be buried. It was a good end to a super day's rugby.

Just before the match there was the opening ceremony with speeches by Graham McKenzie, president of the KwaZulu Natal RFU, Fetsi Mbele of sponsors Coca-Cola and Oregan Hoskins, president of SARU. They all welcomed, thanked and urged.

Then Cameron Ritchie of Kearsney, playing on his home field, kicked off to start the match and inside a minute KwaZulu Natal had scored. Tall JJ van der Mescht was strong at the kick-off and KwaZulu Natal won the ball. It went out right to Tonderai Nduzo, who scored. 5-0 in 50 seconds.

Sihle Njezula of Eastern Province had a strong run down the left but immediately KwaZulu Natal were back in command, looking physically stronger and more cohesive and purposeful than their Eastern Cape opponents.

When Eastern Province were offside Marthinus Holtzhausen goaled. Glenwood flank Phendulani Buthelezi had the first of three long bursts soon after this and Van der Mescht was held up over the line. This led to the first scrum, which Eastern Province destroyed.

The scrums throughout the match were a problem, notwithstanding the care taken by the lawmakers in trying to ensure the safety of age-group players. There were five penalties for, presumably, illegal activities at scrums, apart from other obvious problems like collapsed scrums, scrums going up and scrums being pushed more than the 1,5 metres allowed. The scrumming was the worst feature of the match,

Eastern Province failed to kick a penalty into touch and KwaZulu Natal came racing back on the counter attack and stocky centre Seun Maduna broke away and with hand-offs ran some 30 metres to score in the left corner. 13-0 after just 10 minutes.

Maduna soon afterwards was yellowcarded for a "grasscutter" tackle and Riaan van Rensburg made it 13-3.

At this stage, too, the Eastern Province lock William Dickitt won successive line-outs off KwaZulu Natal. But none of this seemed to upset the home side. And after another powerful charge by Van der Mescht, they bashed at the line and were awarded a five-metre scrum. They shoved Eastern Province back and Richardson scored to make the half-time score 18-3.

And Eastern Province had played with the wind, which meant that KwaZulu Natal had the wind in the second half, But not for the only match of the day the team playing into the wind had the better of the half.

Eastern Province attacked first from a line-out on their right. They went wide left than back right and then left again where Lubabalo Dobela gave a short pass to Kwezi Mafu who gave it inside to Sicelo Tole and the strong centre hung onto the difficult ball with defenders close by and burst over for a try. 18-10 after 44 minutes. But Eastern Province did not cope with the kick-off and Holtzhausen goaled his second penalty.

Eastern Province were close to scoring when scrumhalf Louis Strydom broke down the left. They went wide right with excellent passing but lost the ball. Zane Barnard partially charged a KwaZulu Natal kick and Strydom lobbed a high box kick into empty land, Luke Tait chased, the ball bounced kindly and Tait scored. 21-17 after 50 minutes.

Tole had a strong run and Eastern Province attacked but were penalised and when they went offside Holtzhausen made it 24-17. Still there was suspicion that Eastern Province were due to burst back.

The suspicion was dispelled when Holtzhausen broke strongly, Richardson carried it on, KwaZulu Natal went left and right, and Richardson was stopped at the line but Luke Crowshaw was on hand to work the ball over the line for the try. 29-17 with 9 minutes to play.

From the kick-off Croshaw went on a long, swerving run on the right. They went left and then came back where,  as he was being tackled, Ritchie offloaded to Holtzhausen who swept over for a try which Ritchie converted. 36-17.

Eastern Province attacked but lost the ball near the line and KwaZulu Natal (Richardson) broke out and attacked but Eastern Province resisted. KwaZulu Natal were penalised, Strydom tapped and chipped. Tait grabbed the ball and gave it to Aya Oliphant who scored. Van Rensburg's conversion was the last act of a lively match.

In the same match at the last Craven Week, Eastern Province won 23-22.

Scorers:

For KwaZulu Natal:

Tries: Tonderai Nduzo, Mayibongwe Maduna, Dylan Richardson, Luke Crowshaw, Marthinus Holtzhausen

Con: Cameron Ritchie

Pens: Marthinus Holtzhausen 3

For Eastern Province:

Tries: Sicelo Tole, Keegan Tait, Aya Oliphant

Cons: Riaan van Rensburg 2

Pen: Riaan van Rensburg

Teams

KwaZulu Natal: 15 Cameron Ritchie, 14 Tonderai Nduzo, 13 Marthinus Holtzhausen, 12 Mayibongwe Maduna, 11 GJ Lubbe, 10 AB Curtis, 9 Sibonakaliso Dubazane, 8 Dylan Richardson, 7 Phendulani Buthelezi, 6 Luke Crowshaw, 5 Jared Meyer, 4 JJ van der Mescht, 3 Renier van Rooyen, 2 Fezo Mbatha, 1 Gugu Nelani.

Replacements: 16 Quinton Vorster, 17 Calvin Zandamela, 18 Durandt Weiderman, 19 Austin Brummer, 20 James Miller, 21 Sanele Nohamba, 22 Cham Zondeki 23 Onke Jiba

Eastern Province: 15 Riaan van Rensburg, 14 Keegan Tait, 13 Aya Oliphant, 12 Sicelo Tole, 11 Sihle Njezula, 10 Lubabalo Dobela, 9 Louis Strydom, 8 Khwezi Mafu, 7 Tertius Groenewald, 6 Zane Barnard, 5 William Duckitt, 4 Ruben le Roux, 3 Ettiene Janneke, 2 Viaan Wolmarans, 1 Stefan van der Poel

Replacements: 16 Ruan Jonker, 17 Roelof Roodt, 18 Le Klue Stokes, 19 Donovan Stevens, 20 Gregan Glover, 21 Khanya Mafunda, 22 Waqar Solaan, 23 Aya Matroos

Referee: Egon Seconds

Assistant referees: Jaco Pretorius, Sindile Ngcese

TMO: Lourens van der Merwe