The DHL Western Province Under-19 team picked up their fifth win of the 2015 Absa Provincial Under-19 season – a 36-34 victory over the Leopards’ Under-19s at DHL Newlands on Saturday afternoon.
The DHL WP U19s raced into a convincing 33-5 lead after 25 minutes, having already secured their four-try bonus point in the 19th minute, but they were then forced to withstand a ferocious comeback from their opponents.
The Leopards ended up outscoring the DHL WP U19s by six tries to five, but the boot of fullback Tiaan Swanepoel once again did the trick for the hosts, as the points-machine landed four conversions and one penalty goal – missing just once at goal for a valuable 11-point haul.
The DHL WP tries were scored by outside centre Justin Heunis (in the second minute), with left-wing Edwill van der Merwe, scrumhalf Paul de Wet (via a great individual effort) and captain Jaco Coetzee also crossing for five-pointer.
Powerhouse lock Jaco Willemse (pictured, above) crashed over in the 25th minute for his team’s fifth try, but from there on it was all the Leopards as they launched a commendable comeback.
Swanepoel kicked a penalty goal 13 minutes from full-time to give his team breathing space at 36-29, but the Leopards’ sixth try, by captain Zandre du Plessis, saw the hosts endure a nervy last ten minutes.
To their credit, however, the 2014 champions held on for the win – as they retained their unbeaten run in Cape Town in 2015 – but they face a tough week on the training field ahead of next week’s trip to Durban.
The scorers:
For DHL Western Province Under-19:
Tries: Heunis, Van der Merwe, De Wet, Coetzee, Willemse
Cons: Swanepoel 4
Pen: Swanepoel
For the Leopards Under-19:
Tries: Foster, Leicher, Janse van Rensburg, Gunter, Silaule, Du Plessis
Cons: Masuku 2
The teams:
DHL Western Province Under-19: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Justin Heunis, 12 Wayne Smith, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Aidynn Cupido, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Jaco Coetzee (captain), 7 Daniel Maree, 6 Mitchell Carstens, 5 Eduard Zandberg, 4 Jaco Willemse, 3 Michael Kumbirai, 2 Ruan Brits, 1 Ruben Terblanche.
Replacements: 16 Jacques van Zyl, 17 Derrick Marais, 18 Jerome Korf, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Saud Abrahams, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 23 Gerard Pieterse.
Leopards Under-19: 15 Tipiwa Mafura, 14 De Wet Terblanche, 13 Wilbri Gunter, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Zweli Silaule, 10 Cooper Masuku, 9 Nkosana Mathaba, 8 Edwards Haas, 7 Adriaan Foster, 6 Dieter Leicher, 5 Zandre du Plessis (captain), 4 Henry Searle, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Ruan Groenewald, 1 Bhekisa Shongwe.
Replacements: 16 Roodt van Zyl, 17 Tshego Moloto, 18 Francois Stemmet, 19 Morne Piater, 20 Jannas van der Walt, 21 Andile Mbingo, 22 Ian Fuller, 23 Roy Brink.
Referee: Archie Sehlako
