The DHL Western Province Under-19s have won through to the 2014 Absa Provincial Under-19 Final, after beating the Free State U19s by 29-22 in Bloemfontein this morning.
It was a remarkable victory for Nazeem Adams’s team – a side that just two weeks ago suffered a heavy 7-38 defeat to this very Free State team at the same venue (Free State Stadium).
The DHL WP U19s, who finished third on the log this season, led by 13-0 at half-time – thanks to a try from scrumhalf Justin Phillips – but faced a stern fightback in the second half of this hard-fought semifinal clash.
The visitors from Cape Town went into the final ten minutes leading 23-15, with wing Leolin Zas having crossed the whitewash in the 53rd minute.
An Ernst Stapelberg penalty goal made it 26-15 with six minutes left, but the Free Staters scored a converted try to make it 26-22 going into the final five minutes.
Another Stapelberg penalty made it 29-22 with time running out – as the flyhalf took his tally to 19 for the day – and the DHL WP Under-19s, with No.8 Rikus Bothma back at the helm, held out for a famous victory and with it a place in the 2014 Absa Provincial Under-19 Final!
The DHL WP Under-19s will face up to the Blue Bulls in next week’s final, at a venue still to be determined.
The scorers:
For Free State Under-19:
Tries: Wiese, Storm, Venter
Cons: Swart 2
Pen: Swart
For DHL Western Province Under-19:
Tries: Phillips, Zas
Cons: Stapelberg 2
Pens: Stapelberg 5
The teams:
Free State Under-19: 15 Darren Baron, 14 Arno van Staden, 13 Tyron Labuschagne, 12 Friedrich Durow, 11 Christiaan Erasmus, 10 Andre Swarts, 9 Tyron Goddard, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Andries Kriek, 6 Refuoe Rampeta, 5 Hendri Storm, 4 Johann Grundlingh, 3 Gunthwer Janse van Vuuren, 2 Reinach Venter (captain), 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Gert Kotze, 18 Erick van Niekerk, 19 Willandre Kotzenberg, 20 Stephen Rautenbach, 21 Ali Mgijima, 22 Lorenzo Gordon, 23 Willem Eloff.
DHL Western Province Under-19: 15 Khanyo Ngcukana, 14 Grant Hermanus, 13 Heinrich Buhr, 12 Ryan Oosthuizen, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Ernst Stapelberg, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Rikus Bothma (captain), 7 Luke Stringer, 6 Christo van der Merwe, 5 David Ribbans, 4 Johan Momsen, 3 Francois van der Merwe, 2 Paul-Martin Wipplinger, 1 Frans van Wyk.
Replacements: 16 Hanno Snyman, 17 Lebohang Mdakane, 18 Kyle Whyte, 19 Ruan du Preez, 20 Graham Geldenhuys, 21 Brendon Nell, 22 Jarryd Sage, 23 Adriaan Carelse.
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys