Grant Khomo Week: Border spring a surprise

The first day of the Grant Khomo Week for Under-16 provincial teams produced the first surprise of the week.

All of Border’s points were scored by their flyhalf Sihlalo Benge of Queen’s College who is the captain of the side. He scored the only try of the match, converted it and kicked three penalty goals.

Both Western Province’s scores were penalty goals kicked by outside centre Ethan James.

Four of the matches produced one-point victories. Free State, who led 22-5 at halftime, needed a last-minute penalty by flyhalf Juan Olivier to win. The losers, gallant South Western Districts, actually scored five tries to Free State’s four, but they were beaten by the boot.

Boland and Valke also had one-point wins. In both cases, the winners had to come from behind to win. The Sharks led Boland a comfortable 19-7 at half-time, but then Celino Petersen scored two tries and Hugo Mostert kicked conversions and two penalty goals, the second in the dying seconds of the match. He scored 15 points.

Against the Valke, Limpopo led 23-7 at halftime but did not score in the second half while the Valke racked up 17 points.

The only runaway victory was that of the Griffons who scored nine tries to Namibia’s one.

It was an exciting day’s rugby.

Results Day One

Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions, 23-17
Boland vs Sharks, 27-26
Border vs Western Province, 16-6
Eastern Province vs Leopards, 24-5
Free State vs South Western Districts, 32-31
Griffons vs Namibia, 57-7
Pumas vs Griquas, 30-15
Valke vs Limpopo, 24-23
Zimbabwe vs Border Country Districts, 26-14