The DHL Western Province Under-18 team claimed a brilliant 30-6 win over the Blue Bulls in their fast-paced 2013 Coca-Cola Under-18 Craven Week clash in Polokwane on Wednesday.
The clash between DHL Western Province and the Bulls was thrilling from the outset, as the teams threw everything at each other in a physical battle.
Such was the competitive nature of the clash, WP were reduced to 13 men early on following yellow cards for dangerous tackles; captain Rikus Bothma and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies spending time in the sin bin. But despite this, they scored the first points compliments of a penalty goal by right-wing Grant Hermanus.
The Bulls levelled the scores a few minutes later thanks to a penalty by Jemeel Warnick. But the Cape side dominated proceedings thanks to their powerful forwards, domination at the breakdowns and their smart gameplan to string together several phases on attack. This earned them another penalty and a well-deserved try on the stroke of half-time by skipper Bothma to take a 13-3 lead.
The Bulls fought back with intent in the second half and created two try-scoring chances in the first 10 minutes, but the tenacious Province defence held them out.
The Cape team again took control of the match by bursting over the advantage line and stretching the Bulls’ defence, which earned them two tries in nine minutes in the third quarter – by sin-bin ‘victim’ Jantjies and fullback Heinrich Buhr – to shut the Bulls out and secure an emphatic and well-deserved 30-6 win.
Hermanus kicked six from six on the day for a 15-point haul, as WP made it two from two at the Craven Week tournament – meaning they are one of the frontrunners to play in the 2013 finale on Saturday.
Western Province’s records in the various South African youth weeks in 2013 makes for impressive reading thus far.
The Under-13s, Under-16s, the LSEN team and the Under-18 Girls Sevens team all finished their respective competitions unbeaten, whilst the Under-18 Academy side lost just once (to eventual winners, SWD).
The U16 Girls are currently two from two in their national week, whilst the senior Craven Week team’s big win over the Bulls comes after their strong showing against the Pumas on Day One (on Monday), Province having won 40-24.
* Border, meanwhile, beat Boland by 37-19, with the Pumas – who went down to WP on Monday – beating KwaZulu-Natal by 40-18. In other matches on Wednesday, Namibia thumped Griquas 27-10, whilst Zimbabwe outclassed hosts, the Limpopo Blue Bulls, 43-5.
The DHL WP Under-18 scorers (v Blue Bulls):
Tries: Bothma, Jantjies, Buhr
Cons: Hermanus 3
Pens: Hermanus 3
Coca-Cola Craven Week results (Day Three):
Western Province 30 Blue Bulls 6
KZN 18 Pumas 40
Boland 19 Border 37
Limpopo Blue Bulls 5 Zimbabwe 43
Namibia 27 Griquas 10
Coca-Cola Craven Week, Day Four fixtures:
09h30: Leopards v Border CD
11h00: Valke v Griquas CD
12h30: Griffons v EP CD
14h00: EP v SWD
15h30: Free State v Golden Lions