U17 Interprovincial Sevens Start
Free State, Western Province and the Sharks stamped their authority as they advanced through the opening day unbeaten.
An impressive 153 tries and 969 points were scored in the 21 matches played throughout the day, with the action set to continue on Saturday as the tournament reaches the business end.
While the teams in Pool A, B and C played three matches each in the pool rounds on Friday, the Sharks, Golden Lions and Eastern Province played only two as Namibia were forced to withdraw because of exam commitments.
Free State, who took top honours last season, started off the day strongly with an encouraging 31-14 victory against South Western Districts, and they built on this with a convincing 31-7 victory against Border and an emphatic 41-5 win against the Valke in their final pool match.
Western Province also delivered an impressive showing as they thumped the Pumas 38-14 and built on this with a rewarding 40-12 win against Griquas and a morale-boosting 33-19 victory against the Blue Bulls.
The Sharks, meanwhile, outplayed Eastern Province 26-5 and beat the Golden Lions 27-19 to top their pool.
In the Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, Free State will play the Golden Lions, while South Western Districts take on the Sharks, Western Province will do battle with the Griffons, and the Blue Bulls take on Boland.
Border and Eastern Province, the Pumas and Limpopo, and Griquas and the Leopards, meanwhile, will battle it out in the Bowl quarterfinals, with the Valke automatically progressing to the bowl semi-final because of Namibia’s absence.
Results, Day 1
Blue Bulls vs Griquas, 31-28
Blue Bulls vs Pumas, 38-14
Boland vs Leopards, 26-17
Boland vs Limpopo, 59-5
Free State vs Border, 31-7
Free State vs South Western Districts, 31-14
Free State vs Valke, 41-5
Golden Lions vs Eastern Province, 26-12
Griffons vs Boland, 35-14
Griffons vs Limpopo, 42-21
Leopards vs Griffons, 26-21
Leopards vs Limpopo Blue Bulls
Pumas vs Griquas
South Western Districts vs Border, 19-7
South Western Districts vs Valke, 24-14
Sharks vs Eastern Province, 26-5
Sharks vs Golden Lions, 27-19
Valke vs Border, 26-12
Western Province vs Blue Bulls, 33-19
Western Province vs Griquas, 40-12
Western Province vs Pumas, 38-14
Fixtures, Day 2
08.15: Free State vs Golden Lions (Cup quarterfinal)
08.40: Border vs Eastern Province (Bowl quarterfinal)
08.40: South Western Districts vs Sharks (Cup quarterfinal)
09.05: Pumas vs Limpopo (Bowl quarterfinal)
09.05: Western Province vs Griffons (Cup quarterfinal)
09.30: Griquas vs Leopards (Bowl quarterfinal)
09.30: Blue Bulls vs Boland (Cup quarterfinal)
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
