Western Province Under-21 scored a deserved 14-6 win over the Blue Bulls in a hard-fought Provincial Under-21 encounter at City Park on Saturday.

DHL WP scored the only try of the game, through replacement flanker Eital Bredenkamp (pictured, above), with flyhalf Tim Swiel adding three penalty goals in tough kicking conditions.

Most of the match was played in heavy rain, but the home side showed great commitment and discipline to record their second win of the season – having lost away to the FS Cheetahs in Week One and beating the Leopards 55-10 last weekend.

The scores were tied at 6-6 at half-time, before Swiel put WP into the lead at 9-6 after four minutes of play in the second half.

Benn then crashed over from a powerful WP scrum, as the game move towards the final quarter, to put the hosts ahead by 14-6 (with Swiel missing the tough conversion).

Both sides had a few scoring chances in the final ten minutes of play, but WP’s trademark determined defence kept their noses in front as the game moved well into injury-time.

The WP Under-21s have a bye next week, before resuming their 2013 campaign against Border at DHL Newlands on August 10.

Coach John Dobson told wprugby.com: “It’s a pleasing win. Conditions were not great out there, but I was proud of the players who showed a lot of guts and character on the day to beat a very, very good Bulls team.”

The DHL WP Under-21 scorers:
Try: Bredenkamp
Pens: Swiel 3

The DHL Western Province Under-21 team: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 JP Lewis, 13 Patrick Howard (vice-captain), 12 Kobus van Wyk, 11 Devon Williams, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Rayn Smid, 7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6 Josh Katzen (captain), 5 Jean Kleyn, 4 Carel du Preez, 3 Justin Ackerman, 2 Stephan Coetzee, 1 Oliver Kebble.
Replacements: 16 Freddie Kirsten, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Jurie van Vuuren, 19 Cobus Nel, 20 Eital Bredenkamp, 21 Jean Nel, 22 Craig Barry.

Referee: Oregopotse Rametsi