The DHL Western Province Under-18 Academy team smashed KwaZulu-Natal on the final day of the 2014 Coca-Cola Academy Week for U18s in Worcester on Thursday, winning the final match of the tournament 38-7.
This emphatic win over a highly-rated KZN side confirmed the credentials of the DHL WP side who earlier in the week brushed aside the Free State (43-5) and Blue Bulls (17-8) teams as well.
Province remained unbeaten after three matches, as did the Golden Lions, Blue Valke and Boland XV on a final day that again saw plenty of tries.
The week also confirmed the talent available in the school structures, with a number of players showing they are destined for higher honours.
Eastern Province Country Districts winger Glen Flitoor finished the week as top try-scorer with seven, while KZN flyhalf Bader-Werner Pretorius finished as top points-scorer with 36 points.
UNDER-18 ACADEMY WEEK, DAY THREE WRAP:
Griquas Country Districts 41 (17) LSEN 27 (17)
It was a try-fest as Griquas finished off the week on a high note, scoring six tries to four to outlast the LSEN team. Defences were tight nevertheless and it was due to good attacking platforms that the tries came about.
A strong second half saw the Northern Cape team race away with a late LSEN try giving them some consolation.
Scorers:
Griquas: Tries: Adriaan Burger, Anvyre de Kock, Gustav Loots (2), Mickay Beukes, Renier Fortuin. Conversions: DJ Brand (4). Penalty: Brand
LSEN: Tries: Adward Dirks, Cameron Julies, Jason Wessels, Matthew Alexander. Conversions: Johannes Visser (2). Penalty: Visser.
Border 41 (13) Limpopo Blue Bulls 10 (3)
Border surprisingly ran away with the match in the second half. In the first, the teams traded penalties early on as scoring opportunities were not easy to come by, with Border scoring just before the break to edge ahead.
In the second half though, they scored at will, with four well executed tries taking them clear of Limpopo Blue Bulls. The Far North side did score the last try of the match to give them some solace.
Scorers:
Border: Tries: Bubule Gongqa, Daniel Froneman, Geraldo Joseph, Johann Laubser, Lutho Selem. Conversions: Liam McLoughlin (5). Penalties: McLoughlin (2).
Limpopo Blue Bulls: Try: Pule Molokomme. Conversion: Hardus Geldenhuys. Penalty: Geldenhuys.
Pumas 26 (12) Griffons 23 (15)
The Pumas started like a house on fire, scoring two tries in the opening ten minutes, but then allowed the Griffons back into the match. The Northern Free State team first scored a try through Benji Muller, before centre Louis Spershott scored 10 points with a converted try and a penalty to put his side up at the break.
A yellow card added to the Pumas woes, as the Griffons used the extra space to good effect in the second half, with Spershott scoring a second try. Once restored to their full set, the Pumas came back strongly and scored twice in the last five minutes to get their noses in front.
Scorers:
Pumas: Tries: Eric Basson, Ian Truter, Lukhanyiso Makaula, Petrus Ramolotsi. Conversions: Brandon Parr-Bailey, Wessel Muller (2).
Griffons: Tries: Benji Muller, Louis Spershott (2). Conversion: Spershott. Penalties: Spershott (2).
SWD 44 (20) EP Country Districts 26 (14)
It was a high scoring affair between the two geographical neighbours, with 11 tries adding to the excitement of the match. SWD delivered little in the first two days, but exploded with a great performance on the last day to hand the EP side their first defeat of the week.
Both teams played entertaining rugby, but where EP had to look towards hat-trick winger Glen Flitoor to cross the whitewash, the SWD team’s general interplay resulted in seven different try scorers in the match.
Scorers:
SWD: Tries: Chrisjan du Toit, Cian Wagenaar, Craig Booysen, Logan Stoffels, Lohan Potgieter, Riaan Kleyn, Taswin Da Silva. Conversions: Maurice White (3). Penalty: White.
EP CD: Tries: Brendan Engelbrecht, Glen Flitoor (3). Conversions: Christiaan Nel (2), Gevanhier Blom.
Cheetahs 57 (19) Namibia 34 (20)
Namibia looked set for a famous win and Free State for a third defeat at the Academy Week, but in the second 35 minutes there was only one winner on the field.
The Bloemfonteiners scored 38 points and finally came good, whilst Namibia paid a heavy price for their ill-discipline with two yellow cards.
Stefanus Wessels, who impressed with his straight running lines all week, was rewarded with a hat-trick in the last ten minutes of the match, but it was a more direct approach that brought the elusive win to the Free State.
Scorers:
Cheetahs: Tries: Christiaan Schutte, Johan Steyn, Molefe Monama, Paul de Lange, Stefanus Wessels (3), Thokazani Ngodwana (2). Conversions: Schutte (4), De Lange (2).
Namibia: Tries: Cameron Langenhoven, Gino Wilson, Riaan de Klerk, Schalk Grobbelaar. Conversions: Cliven Loubser (4). Penalty: Loubser (2).
Leopards 76 (45) Border Country Districts 0 (0)
It was a rout as the Leopards finally delivered on their potential, but the Border side will not be too proud of their defensive effort.
The Leopards scored 12 tries, seven of which came in the first half with the North West team totally rampant. The Country Districts team did not offer too much during the week and they conceded 149 points without scoring any.
Scorers:
Leopards: Tries: Adrian Snyman (2), Danie van Wyk, Francois Pelser, Gavin van der Berg, Jan Welgemoed (2), Johannes Pelser, Johannes Barnard, Katleho Thabanchu, Khotso Mohapi, Ofentse Magape. Conversions: Johannes Ten Cate (5), Barnard (3).
Pumas Country Districts 17 (8) KZN Country Districts 5 (0)
With heaps of tries being scored at the HTS Drostdy fields in the early matches on Thursday, it was not the case on the C-Field, where Pumas and KZN just could not get over the tryline after Ruan Viljoen scored in the seventh minute to put the Lowvelders up.
It was left to the kicking prowess of the Ligbron Academy flyhalf, Carl Jacobsy, to help his side over the line. He responded with three penalties and a drop-goal.
Scorers:
Pumas CD: Try: Ruan Viljoen. Penalties: Carl Jacobsy (3). Drop-goal: Carl Jacobsy
KwaZulu-Natal CD: Try: Khuthuzani Mchunu
Blue Bulls 7 (0) Eastern Province 7 (7)
Both teams were desperate to make up for their disappointing shows on Tuesday, but in a well-matched clash found scoring difficult.
The EP side showed more endeavour in the first half and was rewarded with the only points.
The Blue Bulls pressed hard in the second half and scored the important converted try 13 minutes from time. Both sides tried their utmost for the winning points, but could not put themselves in a scoring position to deliver the final blow.
Scorers:
Blue Bulls: Try: Carlo de Nysschen. Conversion: Hendrik Mulder.
Eastern Province: Try: Yomelela Keswa. Conversion: Frederick Mattheus
Boland XV 23 (10) Red Valke 8 (3)
The Boland XV delighted the crowd with a fine win, resulting in them being one of three unbeaten teams at the week.
The home side had a slender lead at the break and kept that gap till the end. They made things difficult for themselves with a yellow card early in the second half, allowing the Valke to score a try. A penalty and converted try by Ruben Brandt confirmed the win though.
Scorers:
Boland XV: Tries: Charl Hugo, Ruben Brandt. Conversions: Brandt (2). Penalty: Brandt.
Red Valke: Try: Samson Zimande. Penalty: Marnus Gruber
Blue Valke 44 (15) Griquas 23 (8)
It was a try fest for the Blue Valke, who found their attacking ability in this match.
Good interplay between forwards and backs and the finishing of try-scoring opportunities helped them along the road to victory and an unbeaten record at the event. Griquas tried hard, but found the Valke to be just one step ahead all the time.
Scorers:
Blue Valke: Tries: Anthony Robertson, Austin Isaacs, Gerhardt Smit, Elvis Molefe, Rudolf Heenop (2), Teboho Mofokeng. Conversions: Heenop (2), Wernich Human. Penalty: Heenop
Griquas: Tries: Daniel Fourie, Ewan Marcus, Lorenzo Malgas. Conversion: Marcus. Penalties: Marcus, Gerhard Badenhorst.
Golden Lions XV 53 (34) Griffons Country Districts 15 (3)
The Golden Lions XV scored nine tries on route to their biggest win of the week. The Griffons found the pace and power of the Golden Lions too much to handle.
The urban team started off very well and scored five tries in the first half. That sealed the match and all that they needed to do in the second was to continue playing the way they were.
Scorers:
Golden Lions XV: Tries: Andile Ngobe, Damian Diedericks, Hendre Saayman, Keketso Maphathe (2), Rashard Fuller, Siyabonga Mahlangu (2), Tatenda Zhoya. Conversions: Fuller (4).
Griffons CD: Tries: Phillip April, Thato Mojaki. Conversion: Angeloo Pienaar. Penalty: Pienaar.
Golden Lions 31 (10) Boland 23 (20)
It was a commanding second half performance by the Golden Lions that resulted in their third win of the week. The first 35 minutes belonged to the hosts though, as they dazzled the Gauteng side with their footwork and interplay.
The Golden Lions kept their cool (and the ball) in the second half and found the home side’s defence disorganised and disinterested.
Scorers:
Golden Lions: Tries: Sibusiso Mngomezulu, Tapiwa Mangwana, Tiaan Schutte (2). Conversions: Justin Taylor (4). Penalty: Taylor.
Boland: Tries: Gevin Scheepers, Jaydrin Kotze, Petrus Wiese, Zayne Farmer. Penalty: Cleo Adams.
DHL Western Province 38 (24) KZN 7 (0)
DHL Western Province totally outplayed KZN in the final match of the day and delivered a very strong first-half performance to blitz the Natalians.
They scored four tries in the opening half and never gave KZN a look-in. The Natal side that played with so much precision on Tuesday struggled against the Province defence and never looked like the side from earlier in the week.
WP, on the other hand, just improved with every match and finished the week as the top team, no doubt.
Scorers:
DHL Western Province: Tries: Andre Manuel, Calvin Nell, Edward Marais, Michael Meyer, Sybrand Du Toit, Taigh Schoor. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (3), Cornel Smit.
KZN: Try: Hayden Tharratt. Conversion: Bader-Werner Pretorius.
