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A bonus in Jo’burg for DHL WP Under-19s

PUBLISHED: October 2, 2015


The DHL Western Province Under-19s recorded a 40-20 bonus point win over the Xerox Golden Lions’ Under-19s, as they took a giant step towards a home semifinal in the 2015 Absa Provincial U19 competition.

The DHL WP U19s are now 42 log points from 11 matches, with the Blue Bulls’ U19s (on 39 points) due to face the EP Kings’ U19s (46 points) in Pretoria later today.

A win for EP would secure a home semifinal for the DHL WP U19s, but a Bulls win would keep a possible first-place finish alive for Province as they take on the selfsame Kings in Cape Town next weekend.

The DHL WP U19s led by 20-10 at half-time, thanks to tries by replacement loose forward Mitchell Carstens and loosehead prop Ruben Terblanche, the latter’s score a brilliant run-in after a barn-storming run by No.4 lock Jaco Willemse.

As one has come to expect in 2015, fullback Tiaan Swanepoel kept the scoreboard ticking over for his team – despite an uncharacteristic first-half miss! – allowing them to lead by 26-10 in the early stages of the second half.

Flanker Saud Abrahams crossed for his team’s third try in the 49th minute, giving them hope of a four-try bonus, which eventually came on the stroke of full-time when scrumhalf Paul de Wet reacted quickly from turnover possession to speed away for the valuable bonus point.

Swanepoel ended with a match haul of 20 points, as he took his season tally past the 100-point mark.

The scorers:

For Xerox Golden Lions Under-19:
Tries: Venter, Jonas 2
Con: Mulder
Pen: Mulder

For DHL Western Province Under-19:
Tries: Carstens, Terblanche, Abrahams, De Wet
Cons: Swanepoel 4
Pens: Swanepoel 4

The teams:

Golden Lions Under-19: 15 Arno Maree, 14 Stean Pienaar, 13 Johannes van Tonder, 12 Tshepo Thulo, 11 Nazo Nkala, 10 Hendrick Mulder, 9 Wynand Botha, 8 Len Massyn, 7 Juandré Michau, 6 James Venter, 5 Kevin du Randt (captain), 4 Reinhardt Nothnagel, 3 Koos Tredoux, 2 Le Roux Baard, 1 Tijde Visser.
Replacements: 16 McMillan Muller, 17 Henco Smit, 18 Mitchell Fraser, 19 Morney Moos, 20 Pikkie de Villiers, 21 Curtis Jonas, 22 Barend Smit, 23 Kenneth van Niekerk.

DHL Western Province Under-19: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Gerard Pieterse, 13 Eduan Keyter, 12 Edrich Venter (vice-captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Aidynn Cupido, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Jaco Coetzee (captain), 7 Daniel Maree, 6 Saud Abrahams, 5 Eduard Zandberg, 4 Jaco Willemse, 3 Michael Kumbirai, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 Ruben Terblanche.
Replacements: 16 Brenton Greaves, 17 Derrick Marais, 18 Nathan Meilhon, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Mitchell Carstens, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Justin Heunis, 23 Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Referee: Johan Greeff