The various DHL Western Province teams all did the blue and white hoops proud over the different SA Rugby Youth Weeks in the last few weeks.
Both the Craven Week and Academy Week teams finished unbeaten at Grey College in Bloemfontein last week, while before that the U16 Grant Khomo Week team also finished top and the U13 Craven Week team lost just one game.
The girls U16 and U18 teams also finished without losing a single game and there was similar success for the U18 LSEN (Learners with Special Educational Needs) side.
The DHL Western Province senior team will get their Currie Cup campaign underway with a North-South derby against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at DHL Newlands at 17h15 on Saturday. Tickets are available from wprugby.computicket.com or any Computicket outlet.
DHL WP in top form in Craven Week finale
A superb all-round performance by DHL Western Province saw them overpower the Assupol Blue Bulls 56-31 in the final match of the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week at Grey College in Bloemfontein.
The victory marked the Capetonians’ third win in the tournament, earning them the status as the only unbeaten side, while it also ensured that they finish the tournament as the top side for the second year in a row.
The win also wrapped up a rewarding day for the union, as the DHL WP side in action in the SA Rugby Academy Week also won their final match.
This wrapped up a thrilling week of Craven Week rugby in which 268 tries and 1787 points were scored in 27 matches over five days of play.
DHL Western Province produced a scintillating second-half performance, which saw them run circles around the Assupol Blue Bulls, to register a pleasing 56-31 victory. The first half proved to be a tight tussle with the teams scoring one after the other, and it reflected on the scoreboard with the Capetonians leading 21-19 at the break.
But they broke loose in a fine display of their skills in the second half, which allowed them to outscore the Pretoria side by eight tries to four. DHL WP fullback Tharquinn Manuel and Connor Evans (lock) each scored twice, while Kade Wolhuter (flyhalf) had a good day with the boot, kicking eight conversions.
The DHL Western Province XV staged a dramatic comeback from 27-21 down to force their way to a 45-30 victory against SWD, with Stephan du Toit (centre) contributing a hat-trick and Dalvon Bradley Blood (winger) two tries.
The defeat for the George side marked their first of the tournament. It was thrilling first half as the teams racked up a combined total of 48 points, and they both continued to give everything as the match progressed. But the Capetonians made better use of their chances, which paid off.
U18 SA Rugby Craven Week Day Five results (Saturday, 6 July – Grey College):
Cell C Sharks 53-13 Thepa Trading Griffons
New Vaal Griquas 31-38 Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions XV
Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions 49-26 Bizhub Free State Cheetahs
Leopards 43-15 Unitrans Limpopo Blue Bulls
Border 43-26 Boland
NWU Valke 26-63 Assupol Blue Bulls XV
SWD Eagles 30-45 DHL Western Province XV
EP Elephants 38-28 Phakisa Pumas
DHL Western Province 56-31 Assupol Blue Bulls
DHL WP U16 end top at Grant Khomo Week
DHL Western Province U16 ended the U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week at High School Rob Ferreira in White River as the top side while DHL Western Province U13 lost their final game.
Both final matches in White River on Friday were against the Sharks’ teams, as the Kwa-Zulu Natal side edged DHL Western Province 26-24 in a nail-biting U13 SA Rugby Craven Week final match, while the Cape side had the upper hand in the U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week, beating the Sharks 34-10.
SWD was the only other team in U16 showpiece that did not to taste defeat, playing to two draws and a win.
The Under-16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week also saw the introduction of the SA Iqhawe team, with the newcomers winning two of their three matches, justifying their invitation.
The two tournaments again gave an exciting perspective of the talent in the school boy ranks as the crowds were treated to a solid display of skill, speed and tries.
No less than 1323 points were scored in the Under-13 SA Rugby Craven Week and 1471 in the U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week.
Grant Khomo Week Final game
DHL Western Province U16 scored 18 tries in their opening two matches and added six more in the closing match of the tournament as they outplayed the Sharks 34-10 after holding a slender 12-10 halftime lead.
Four of those tries came in the second half and more importantly, unopposed as they broke the shackles the Sharks had on them in the opening stanza.
The KZN team started well with an early penalty goal, before the Cape side’s Coetzee le Roux barged over. The East Coast team took the lead again with a splendid try by fullback Munashe Dukuswa, but they were overhauled again just before the break with another five pointer by the Capetonians.
The second half was a one-way street as the DHL WP strike-runners started to find space, with the likes of winger Bevan Simons and lively No 8 Abulele Ndabambi getting well-deserved tries, with scrumhalf Michael Kock setting up Hakeen Kunene before dotting down himself as the Cape skill became too much for the Sharks to handle.
U13 Craven Week final game
In the grand finale of the Under-13 SA Rugby Craven Week, the Sharks edged DHL Western Province 26-24 in a nail-biter of a match.
The KwaZulu-Natal side started very strongly, crossing the DHL WP tryline in the opening minutes to jump to a 7-0 lead. The Capetonians struck back soon after with a try by winger Bena Barthelemie, who was put in space by a delightful pass from flanker Zylan Fortuin, and David Simon (centre) converted.
The Sharks picked up a penalty try when the Cape side took out a defender without the ball to edge them seven points up again, and they extended that lead even further when lively flyhalf Sisonke Ndiela ran through a gap after a tactical move at the back and scored near the poles. That gave them an encouraging 19-7 lead at the break.
DHL WP struck back with two quick tries after the restart, the first by No 8 Chris Cloete and the second by Simon who pounced on a loose ball in the Sharks in-goal. He could not convert his own try and that left his team trailing by two. Cloete, however, earned his second five-pointer under the sticks with a long-range run to nudge the side ahead for the first time in the match.
The Sharks got the lead back again with minutes left when Ndiela got his second and the conversion by fullback Luke Davidson split the uprights. That handed the Sharks a 26-24 lead, and they managed to hang on for a hard-fought win.
Under-13 SA Rugby Craven Week final round results:
Sharks 26-24 DHL Western Province
Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions 12-0 Itec Blue Bulls
SWD 43-15 Forever Resorts Limpopo Blue Bulls
EP Elephants 26-7 Itec Griquas
Boland 71-5 Thepa Trading Griffons
Border 40-17 Old Mutual Zimbabwe
Namibia 20-17 Border Country Districts
Leopards 26-12 Free State Cheetahs
ITS Valke 22-12 Phakisa Pumas
Under-16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week final day results:
Free State Cheetahs 45-12 EP Elephants
SWD Eagles 46-20 Bidvest Golden Lions
DHL Western Province 34-10 Sharks
Boland 25-10 Leopards
Phakisa Pumas 29-24 Thepa Trading Griffons
Blue Bulls 44-43 Border
Old Mutual Zimbabwe 41-13 Namibia
Everest Wealth Pumas XV 28-25 Ford Human Griquas
Valke 35-12 Limpopo Blue Bulls
SA Iqhawe 45-7 Border Country Districts
DHL WP girls end unbeaten
The Under-16 and Under-18 teams of DHL Western Province came through the SA Rugby Under-16 and SA Rugby Under-18 Girls Week undefeated in Johannesburg.
The Under-16 team won all three matches and held sway over Border in their final match of the tournament played at Jeppe Boys High with a 41-12 win. The Blue Bulls and SWD teams earlier played to an exciting draw in their Under-16 clash and were the only other teams not suffering defeats during the 24 matches played since Monday.
In the Under-18 Week, DHL Western Province shared the undefeated spoils with hosts, Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions, who also looked strong en route to their three wins, including a five-try win over Boland.
The Cape side won 17-3 against the Blue Bulls to lower the Pretoria team’s flag for the first time this week.
The two tournaments provided an exciting platform for 736 female players to showcase their talents.
The DHL Western Province U16 Girls team returns to Cape Town undefeated after yet another good showing at the week, beating a strong Border team 41-12. They were in command at the break, leading 22-0 and continued their dominance afterwards, with six players dotting down in total.
The DHL Western Province U18 Girls team claimed bragging rights at the tournament with their 17-3 win over the Blue Bulls. The first half was a tight affair, with winger Alichia Arries dotting down for Province and the Blue Bulls responding via a penalty by flyhalf Cornelia Walker.
The second half opened up and the scoring opportunities arrived for the Cape side, who scored two more tries as they laid down the gauntlet to the Bulls.
SA Rugby Girls Under-16 Week results
Leopards 53-5 Free State Cheetahs
Boland 29-7 Griffons
Pumas 51-0 Valke
Border CD 31-10 Griquas
Sharks 24-20 Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions
EP Elephants 25-5 Limpopo Blue Bulls
DHL Western Province 41-12 Border
Blue Bulls 26-26 SWD Eagles
SA Rugby Girls Under-18 Week results:
Griquas 19-5 Free State
Pumas 42-20 Leopards
Border Country Districts 27-0 Griffons
Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions 31-5 Boland
EP Elephants 15-12 Sharks
Border 36-12 Limpopo Blue Bulls
Old Mutual Zimbabwe 31-10 SWD
DHL Western Province 17-3 Blue Bulls
DHL WP LSEN show their class
DHL Western Province claimed bragging rights at the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week in Bloemfontein.
DHL Western Province finished the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week as the top gong after a very impressive final match against SWD Eagles, emerging as 53-5 winners on the final day at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein.
This match concluded a highly successful tournament in the Free State, where 21 matches delivered no less than 172 tries and 1099 points being scored.
As the score suggests, there was only really one team in command and the Cape side kept their clean slate for the tournament by scoring no less than nine tries to the solitary effort from SWD.
DHL WP’s No 8, Dimitri Gossmann, was a big thorn in the SWD side with his three five-pointers on this occasion, but it was a team effort that resulted in the side crossing the line 22 times in their three matches played at the 2019 Week.
The LSEN Week Day Three results are:
Golden Lions EE 15-10 Pumas
EP Elephants 31-22 Griffons
Free State Cheetahs 45-5 Sharks
Gauteng XV 52-26 Leopards
Blue Bulls 15-14 Golden Lions
Valke 43-28 Boland
DHL Western Province 53-5 SWD Eagles