DHL Western Province U18 claimed a convincing 51-14 victory against the home team Bizhub Free State Cheetahs at Craven Week in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
Only two of the eight teams in action in the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week on Wednesday, in what marked their second round of matches, remained unbeaten, namely the SWD Eagles and DHL Western Province. Interestingly, only two of the teams scored less than 30 points on the day.
The rugby on the third day of the SA Rugby Academy Week was also red-hot, with big scores dominating a day’s play in which only three of the 14 teams in action on Wednesday remained unbeaten – the Limpopo Blue Bulls, Pumas CD and DHL Western Province.
The Limpopo Blue Bulls were particularly impressive on attack, scoring 50 points against the DHL Western Province XV, while six other teams registered scores of 30 points or more.
In the Craven Week match DHL Western Province took advantage of a red card to the Bizhub Free State Cheetahs 14 minutes to power their way to a 51-14 victory.
The home side were down to 14 men for 56 minutes of the game, and this provided the extra space for the Capetonians to ease their way through the defence, which saw them touch down seven times.
DHL Western Province held a 20-0 lead at halftime and they continued their dominance in the second half to stretch their score to 51 points. Their scrumhalf Bobby Alexander scored a brace, while Kade Wolhuter (flyhalf) kicked four conversions and two penalty goals.
U18 SA Rugby Craven Week Day Three results (Wednesday, 3 July):
Phakisa Pumas 54-19 Leopards
Boland 36-31 NWU Valke
SWD Eagles 39-31 Cell C Sharks
Bizhub Free State Cheetahs 14-51 DHL Western Province
U18 SA Rugby Craven Week Day Four fixtures (Thursday, 4 July):
09h30 – Unitrans Limpopo Blue Bulls v Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions XV (A Field)
11h00 – EP Elephants v New Vaal Griquas (A Field)
12h30 – Thepa Trading Griffons v Assupol Blue Bulls XV (A Field)
14h00 – Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions v Border (A Field)
15h30 – Assupol Blue Bulls v DHL Western Province XV (A Field)
SA Rugby Academy Week Day Three results (Wednesday, 3 July):
Blue Bulls 19-15 Leopards
Border CD 5-30 Sharks CD
Limpopo Blue Bulls 50-33 DHL Western Province XV
Pumas CD 41-21 Eastern Province CD
Eastern Province 43-19 Zimbabwe
Free State Cheetahs 45-26 Boland
DHL Western Province 41-19 Cell C Sharks
SA Rugby Academy Week Day Four fixtures (Thursday, 4 July):
08h00 – Namibia v Griquas (A Field)
08h00 – Thepa Trading Griffons CD v SA LSEN XV (B Field)
09h20 – Griquas CD v SA LSEN (B Field)
10h40 – Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions XV v Blue Bulls XV (B Field)
12h00 – Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions v SWD Eagles (B Field)
13h20 – Border v Thepa Trading Griffons (B Field)
14h40 – Valke v Phakisa Pumas (B Field)
