The DHL Western Province Under-21 team played to a 32-32 draw against the Sharks Under-21s in Absa Provincial U21 action in Durban on Saturday.
The DHL WP U21s had to deal with the aftermath of the cardiac arrest suffered by hooker Daniel Mills du Plessis this past week and went into today’s match with a late change at flyhalf when Brandon Thomson pulled out with a hip pointer injury.
Having put the difficult week behind them – as well as the late change at flyhalf and overturning an 18-25 half-time deficit – the DHL WP U21s looked on course for yet another bonus point win.
However, the Sharks scored on full-time – through captain Marius Louw – with flyhalf Innocent Radebe adding the easy conversion to hold the log-leading Province Under-21s to a high-scoring draw.
Chris Smith had earlier been handed a starting role in the No.10 jersey and the late change did not seem to bother the Robbie Fleck-coached side as they led by 10-6 after 24 minutes.
Six minutes from half-time it was 15-13, before a double try blitz from the hosts – the second coming from a fortuitous bounce from a kick-ahead – saw them lead 25-15 just before half-time.
A penalty by Grant Hermanus cut the gap to 18-25 at half-time, before Province scored from a rolling maul ahead of the 60th minute to make it 25-25.
Inside centre Ryno Eksteen, who by then had been moved to flyhalf, scored a predatory try 14 minutes from full-time – having caught an attempted chip kick from Radebe (from his own 22) – with Hermanus converting for a 32-25 lead. (Crucially, it was also the DHL WP U21s’ fourth try.)
To their credit the hosts did not take the latest deficit lying down and they kept the pressure on the DHL WP Under-21s, kicking to touch twice in the final three minutes in search of the draw – Hermanus having just missed a long-range penalty attempt in the 69th minute.
Eventually the pressure told and skipper Louw sliced through the defence as the full-time hooter sounded, with Radebe landing the simple conversion to limit the DHL WP U21s to a match-haul of three points.
The DHL WP U21s still top the 2015 Absa Provincial Under-21 log with 36 points from nine games, the Free State Under-21s in second place with 30 points from nine games and the Lions in third place with 27 points from seven games.
The Bulls’ Under-21s are in fourth position on the log with 23 points from eight matches. Province’s U21s will host the selfsame Bulls in Cape Town next Friday (kick-off 16h45), with the main game – between the DHL WP and the Bulls senior sides – getting underway at 19h00.
The scorers:
For Sharks Under-21:
Tries: Geldenhuys, Marwana, A Eksteen, Louw
Cons: Radebe 3
Pens: Radebe 2
For DHL Western Province Under-21:
Tries: Ribbans, Ngcukana, Stringer, R Eksteen
Cons: Hermanus 3
Pens: Hermanus 2
The teams:
Sharks Under-21: 15 Alrin Eksteen, 14 Neil Maritz, 13 Nkululeko Marwana, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Sipho Mkhize, 10 Innocent Radebe, 9 Rowan Gouws, 8 Graham Geldenhuys, 7 Retief Marais, 6 Sias Koen, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Johan du Toit, 3 Ruan Kramer, 2 Andrew du Plessis, 1 Mzamo Majola.
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Barend Potgieter, 18 Mthunzi Moloi, 19 Jean Droste 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Lotter Pretorious 22 Riaan O’Neill.
DHL Western Province Under-21: 15 Grant Hermanus, 14 Khanyo Ngcukana, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Ryno Eksteen (vice-captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Luke Stringer, 5 David Ribbans, 4 Johannes Momsen (captain), 3 Frans van Wyk, 2 Chad Solomon, 1 Wesley Adonis.
Replacements: 16 Martin Wipplinger, 17 Liam Hendricks, 18 Devon Nash, 19 Christo van der Merwe, 20 SP Ferreira, 21 Jarryd Sage, 22 Sibahle Maxwane.
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni