DHL Western Province U20 started their season with a 14-14 draw against Leopards U20 at Newlands on Sunday.

Both teams scored two tries in a hard-fought game, which saw them share the spoils in the end.

DHL WP U20 took a seven-point lead into half-time, but we unable to come up with any points in the second half as the visitors fought back to level the game.

The opening exchanges were tense as both teams traded blows without finding a way through. The home side looked to be over, but the last pass was knocked down deliberately by Leopards U20 wing Elzandro Fredericks, who was shown a yellow card as a result.

DHL WP U20 took advantage immediately as hooker Keagan Blanckenburg went over for the opening try at the back of a powerful maul. It did not take them long to double that advantage, as flank Jarrod Taylor finished an attacking sequence by bashing his way over next to the poles to make it 14-0.

The visitors responded with a try of their own as scrumhalf Abre Minnie dummied at a ruck to dive over just before half-time and DHL WP U20 went into the break leading 14-7.

The first points of the second half came with less than 10 minutes left as the Leopards U20 scored against the run of play, with wing Naiden Jaarts scoring in the corner to draw the scores level, which is how it would finish.

The scorers:

For DHL WP U20:
Tries: Blanckenburg, Taylor
Cons: Retief 2

For Leopards U20:
Tries: Minnie, Jaarts
Cons: Venter 2

DHL WP U20: 15 Duran Koevort, 14 Javier Farmer, 13 Oliver Jones, 12 Meyr Retief, 11 Luke Burger, 10 Cade Croy, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Armand Maritz, 7 Jarrod Taylor, 6 Romuald Ntumba, 5 Dylan De Leeuw (captain), 4 Simon Miller, 3 Corne Weilbach, 2 Keagan Blanckenberg, 1 Rhynardt Rijnsburger.
Replacements (from): 16 Mauritz Swart, 17 Christian Lamprecht, 18 Jovan Bekker, 19 Rhys Fulford, 20 Taariq Kruger, 21 Abdur-Rageem Ismail, 22 Sacha Mngomezulu, 23 Jacques Rousseau, 24 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 25 Lamla Nunu, 26 Liam Kloosman.