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The clash between the Junior Springboks and England promises to deliver another epic battle between the two rugby rivals when they meet in a crucial Pool A match at the World Rugby U20 Rugby Championship in Rovigo on Friday. The match will kick off at 18h00.

The Junior Boks come into the clash on the back of a resounding 73-17 victory over Australia in Calvisano last Sunday, while England defeated Scotland 56-19 in their opening-round meeting on the same day in Verona.

England downed the SA U20’s 17-12 in a hard-fought battle in the pool stage on their way to lifting the world title last year in Cape Town.

South Africa’s impressive win over the Aussies was the result of a perfect blend of forward power and potent back play, with wing Siya Ndlozi and scrumhalf Haashim Pead each scoring a brace of tries as the Junior Boks bagged 11 tries overall against a quality Australian side.

Immediately afterwards, a satisfied captain Riley Norton spoke mainly of things the Junior Springboks could have done better and what aspects of their game they will need to improve to beat reigning champions England in their next match.

It was a common thread of the Junior Bok message this week in the build-up to their clash with the defending champions.

Attack coach Melusi Mthethwa said during the team announcement media conference on Wednesday, they have focused heavily on the things the Junior Boks want to improve.

“England are not world champions for nothing; they have earned that right, and we will be facing a formidable team,” said Mthethwa.

“We have a huge amount of respect for them and are excited about facing them.

“There are always things to improve on, such as our execution and the things we want to achieve from certain plays. The players continue to work and grow together in units and as a team.”

Pead is a vice-captain of the team and one of several leaders in the Junior Bok side, with the bonus of playing in last year’s championship in South Africa.

“We have done our homework and prepared well for them. We respect England and they we do expect them to play an exciting brand of rugby, as well being solid with their kicking game,” said Pead, adding that the Junior Boks will not deviate from their approach.

“We are just going to stick to our DNA, which is our physicality, set-piece and kicking game. Myself and (flyhalf) Vusi Moyo have been training well for the past few months – I actually feel our connection is good and the way we connect with the rest of our teammates have been excellent so far.”

However, the livewire scrumhalf was quick to praise the effort of the hard-working South African forward pack: “Against Australia, the forwards provided us with an excellent platform, which we are grateful for, because at the end of the day rugby is a team sport and you can’t do anything without other people helping you.

“A massive challenge and opportunity for us as a team against England, and we are excited to be involved in such a game,” said Pead.

The match will be televised from 18h00 on SuperSport Rugby.

Stats and facts provided by Opta:

 

• South Africa (908) and England (579) gained more metres from their carries than any other sides in the opening round of this year’s World Rugby U20 Championship and were also the only two teams to make over 10 line breaks (South Africa –13, England – 11).

• England retained possession from 41% of their kicks in play against Scotland in Round 1 (7/17), the highest rate of any team last Sunday.

• South Africa made the most dominant tackles of any team in the opening round, while England made the joint-fewest (4, also Wales, Australia and Spain); however, England maintained the second-best tackle success rate of any nation (87.9%), behind France (89.7%).

• England were one of two teams, alongside South Africa (Ndlozi and Pead), to see two of their players score a brace of tries in the opening round of this year’s Championship in the form of Jack Bracken and Kane James –Bracken also ranked first for line breaks (10) and turnover-winning tackles (5) in the 2025 U20 Six Nations.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

The annual u13 Craven Week is hosted by Selborne College in East London.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Scorers:

Boland 20 (7) – Tries: Chamielo Smith, Anslin Plaatjies, Ajanda Nel. Conversions: Anslin Plaatjies. Penalties: Chamielo Smith. Sharks 5 (5) – Tries: Johan Pansegrouw.

Western Province 31 (12) – Tries: penalty try, Rudi Coetzee, Isak Swanepoel, Rohland Roos, Lihlombe Mabengu. Conversions: Jonathan Van Der Byl (2). Pumas 12 (0) – Tries: Mathys Stoltz (2). Conversions: Brussow Francke (Captain).

South Western Districts 31 (7) – Tries: Jordan-ronan Sydon (2), Keanan Agulhas, Sian Potgieter, Gideon Boshoff. Conversions: Sian Potgieter (2), Lucan Scholtz. Griffons 5 (5) – Tries: Lebohang Lesapo.

Free State 8 (5) – Tries: Jozua Heckroodt. Penalties: Falie Oelschig. Golden Lions 7 (0) – Tries: Zac Stark. Conversions: Hanno De Beer.

Limpopo Blue Bulls 10 (0) – Try: Eben Smit. Conversion: FC Thirion. Penalty: Thirion. Eastern Province 5 (5) – Try: Jaquin Billet.

Leopards 10 (5) – Tries: Jordan van Rooyen, Janco Naudé. Griqualand West 0.

Blue Bulls 48 (15) – Tries: Legae Masalesa (2), Armand Bothma, Hanru Louwrens, Jaun Hattingh, Rhoan Lubanzadio, Jason Steyn, Phenyo Fanqa. Conversions: Louwrens (4). Border Country Districts 3 (3) – Penalty: Hlumelo Kilana.

Border Central 17 (17) – Tries: Karabo Chaleka (2). Conversions: Motheo Mabe (2). Penalties: Motheo Mabe. Valke 17 (12) – Tries: Gert Booysen (2), Aidyn Hiscock. Conversions: Rossouw Nieuwoudt.

Anathi Fukweni fired the Western Province boys’ team to a vital victory, scoring the only goal of the final, to see his side to the u13 SASHOC National Week title, at King Edward VII School, in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

In a tense, close contest, Province edged out Eastern Province 1-0 to complete an unbeaten campaign.

From their opening fixture, it was clear that Western Province was a serious title contender.

They began their title challenge with a hard-fought 1-0 win over KZN Inland, with Joseph Zach opening their tournament account. Later that day, they flexed their attacking muscle in a 5-1 thrashing of Limpopo, which set the tone for what was to come.

On day two, Province continued their excellent form with two very different but equally impressive wins.

They cruised past Northern Gauteng 4-0, showing composure in possession and ruthlessness in the final third.

Later, they were pushed to the limit by a determined Border side, who took an early lead via Mofenyi Ngcobo’s penalty corner. However, Province responded with a championship mentality, levelling only two minutes later through a brilliant field goal from Cayden Roman before Siya van Wyk struck the winner to make it 2-1.

They were at their best in their semifinal encounter against KZN Coastal, delivering a commanding display. Western Province was structurally and defensively sound, and they punished the KZN boys on the counter, running out comfortable 4-0 winners to book their place in the final.

In a tense and tactical title-decider, chances were few and far between. But it was Fukweni’s decisive moment in front of the goal that separated Western Province and Eastern Province and kept Western Province’s clean record intact.

The runner-up, Eastern Province, battled bravely in the final and showcased consistency throughout the tournament. Damain Scott’s side lost only in the title game, and they sneaked a narrow 3-2 win over the hosts, Southern Gauteng, in a shootout in the semi-finals.

Third went to KZN Coastal, who sparkled on their way to the final four. After their loss to Western Province, they bounced back impressively to defeat Southern Gauteng 1-0 to win the bronze medal.

Southerns produced some outstanding performances during an unbeaten run in the group stages. They outplayed Mpumalanga 5-2 in their opener, followed by a convincing 4-0 victory over North West. In their final group match, they downed Boland 1-0.

Then, in the quarterfinals, they handed their neighbours, Eastern Gauteng, a 3-0 defeat. Eastern Province side put a stop to their flawless run in the semifinals, winning in a shootout after regulation time had finished level at 1-1.

Boland completed the top five after beating the Northern Blues 3-0, thanks to goals from Dax Henn, Kwand’okuhle Moletsane and Jay-Ronn Isaacs.

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Western Province
2. Eastern Province
3. KZN Coastal
4. Southern Gauteng
5. Boland
6. Northern Blues
7. Eastern Gauteng
8. Border
9. Mpumalanga
10. KZN Inland
11. Eden
12. Limpopo
13. Southern Free State
14. North West
15. Northern Cape
16. Northern Free State

Two teams – Clifton College and St Andrew’s School – emerged unbeaten from the u18 Independent Schools Rugby Festival (ISRF), which wrapped up on Wednesday at St Charles College, in Pietermaritzburg.

Both recorded emphatic wins, with Clifton beating St Benedict’s 54-26, while Saints ran out 54-5 winners over CBC Boksburg.

In their last game, Clifton produced the best first half of rugby played by any team in the event by a country mile. It was astonishing. The power, pace, and continuity were top notch, and they ran rings around Bennies to surge into an eye-opening 42-0 lead at halftime.

That statement about Clifton’s performance above might, also, be eye-opening to rugby followers, who would have seen a team that struggled this season, but I challenge them to watch the game on SuperSport Schools and then assess it. The Durban school has some fine talent in its younger ranks, it seems.

Bennies, though, deserve a huge amount of credit. They fell 0-54 behind but proceeded to score the last 26 points of the game. That character and fight was hugely impressive. It must be extremely rare that a team trails by such a big margin at the break but then comes back to win the second half comfortably.

Clifton College’s Director of Rugby Jose dos Santos, rightly, called it a game of two halves. “It was a brilliant first half, ” he told SuperSport Schools Plus, “but our fitness levels dropped in the second half.

“We gave the whole squad a rotation today, but they’ve got to bring the energy when they come onto the field. But seeing that first half was very exciting. Respect to the coaches, it has been good.”

Winning all three games – Clifton also beat Cornwall Hill College 33-14 and CBC Boksburg 54-13 – was a big confidence boost, Dos Santos added.

Finishing had been an issue for Clifton in the 2025 season, but they averaged 47 points a game at St Charles. Winning certainly breeds confidence and belief.

St Andrew’s School won 19-14 over St Benedict’s in their opener. They were most impressive in their second outing, handing St David’s Marist Inanda a 26-5 defeat, and they overran CBC Boksburg 54-5 in their last match on Wednesday.

It wasn’t their best performance, but the Bloemfontein boys had too much firepower for the boys from Boksburg.

Saints will admit that their game had dropped off in recent years, but they’ve identified where they need to improve and have at times called in specialist coaches to concentrate on areas of specific need, and that approach is clearly starting to pay off.

Director of Rugby Lieben Pietersen was pleased to come away with a clean record at the Independent Schools Rugby Festival. It was the first time that St Andrew’s School had managed that feat under his leadership, and they did it while looking as if they were truly enjoying their time on and off the field.

St Stithians College had a chance to go unbeaten, too, but they were blown apart by Hilton College, who scored a bruising 43-7 victory.

The local lads were minus a significant number of players who are on provincial duty for The Sharks, but the school’s trademark style was clearly visible. That’s down to a good, cohesive coaching.

When Hilton gets onto the front foot, they are a handful and difficult to contain, and St Stithians, winners over St Andrew’s College and the Brisbane Barbarians, was unable to deal with the relentless pounding of the Hilton pack, which laid a superb foundation for victory.

Somerset College impressed, too, with their strong structure and organisation. Like Hilton, it’s a case of slow poison wearing down the opposition. They scored a 28-7 win over Cornwall Hill College in their last outing.

St Alban’s College and St John’s College produced an exciting back-and-forth clash, which saw fortunes ebb and flow.

The Pretoria school turned the tide late in the game with a tackle rip behind the St John’s try line, which resulted in a seven-point play and they came away with a 38-25 win.

In a tightly contested clash, St Andrew’s College was pushed all the way by St David’s Marist Inanda. In the end, though, the Makhanda crew claimed a 21-15 victory.

The hosts, St Charles College, celebrating their 150th anniversary in 2025, weren’t in action on the final day. They had been forced into playing two teams after a late withdrawal from the festival, but those sides showed up well and were competitive.

“It was a good litmus test of the commitment of our boys and our families,” St Charles Director of Sport, Rowan Irons, told SuperSport Schools Plus. “Pretty much everyone, the players and the families, jumped in. It was great.

“The teams were very competitive, so I think Craig Dwyer and his coaching team did very well to balance the teams. A couple of matric boys were also involved, and they role-modelled some stuff to the youngsters. I was really pleased with how those two teams went.

St Charles Blue went down 5-36 to St John’s College in their opener, but then beat St Alban’s 33-8, and St Alban’s went on to beat St John’s. That’s why you play the games! They’re not won on paper.

St Charles Gold beat Somerset College 36-5 and then went down 24-47 to Brisbane Boys’ College, which proved to be the top team at the festival. The Queenslanders beat Hilton 29-24 in their opener.

Irons paid tribute to Director of Rugby Craig Dwyer, saying: “He’s got a magic touch when it comes to the composition of teams, and he tried lots of things between the two teams this past weekend.

“There were a lot of interesting positional changes, and there were boys coming through [from the younger age groups]. He’s got a plan that he’s working on, and I could see some of it coming out, so it’s exciting for next year.”

With St Charles bringing back the majority of their 1^st XV in 2026, Dwyer is very excited about the Pietermaritzburg School’s prospects.

Results

Clifton College 54-26 St Benedict’s College
St Andrew’s School 54-5 CBC Boksburg
Hilton College 43-7 St Stithians
Somerset College 28-7 Cornwall Hill College
St Alban’s 35-28 St John’s College
St Andrew’s College 21-15 St David’s Marist Inanda

Western Province A planted one foot in the semi-finals of the SASHOC National Week when they drew 0-0 with Western Province B at Maritzburg College on Tuesday.

Coach Natalie Esteves’ side hasn’t lost, recording three wins and a draw in their four outings.

Province has one more match to go on Thursday and a win in that fixture would confirm their passage into the semi-finals.

Making it to the top four would be a huge improvement over their seventh-place finish in the 2024 tournament.

Province has 10 points from four games. A draw against second-placed KZN Coastal, whom they meet on Thursday morning, would put them into the final four.

Coastal, meanwhile, has nine points and would need Northern Gauteng A and Province B to do them favours should they fail to beat Province A.

The KZN girls kept their semi-final dream alive with a tight 1-0 win over Northerns. The three points they picked up for the win kept them three clear of their neighbours, KZN Inland.

However, unlike Coastal, who have played four games, Inland has played only three matches and has two games to go on Thursday.

Coach Morne Odendaal‘s side inserted themselves into the conversation for a semi-final berth by beating Border A 4-1 on Wednesday, with goals from Emma Williams, Annabelle Balmer, Jasmin Kelly, and Siphokazi Mpontshane. Busiwe Mayekiso replied for Border.

Border has found the going tough at the SASHOC National Week and had scored only one goal ahead of their clash with KZN Inland, by Tarelle Jones in a 1-3 loss to Northern Gauteng A.

That defeat was followed by an 0-7 setback against Western Province A and a 0-5 defeat at the hands of KZN Coastal A.

It looked as if they might be in for more of the same as KZN Inland made a blistering start, drawing blood in the first minute of play with a wonderful field goal from Emma Williams.

However, in a move that was uncharacteristic of their form, Border issued an almost immediate response to Inland’s goal with a reply from Busiwe Mayekiso in the fourth minute. For the next 32 minutes, it remained 1-1.

Six minutes into the second half, Balmer broke the stalemate with a penalty corner conversion. Then, in the final stages of the contest, the host province executed a one-two punch to put the match beyond Border’s reach.

Kelly increased their advantage to 3-1 with a field goal, which was followed soon after by Mpontshane’s second goal of the IPTs and Inland’s fourth.

Odendaal’s side has an opportunity to put the top two teams under pressure when they go up against last year’s runners-up, Northerns, at 07:30.

Should they make it past Northerns, they will have an opportunity to punch their ticket to the semi-finals when they face Western Province B at 17:25.

The top of the table contest between Western Province A and KZN Coastal will be in the spotlight at 10:20.

Results

Western Province A: 0. Western Province B: 0.
KZN Coastal A: 1 – Jada Blair. Northern Gauteng A: 0.
KZN Inland A: 4 – Emma Williams, Annabelle Balmer, Jasmin Kelly, Siphokazi Mpontshane. Border A: 1 – Busiwe Mayekiso.

The 2025 SASHOC National Week has reached its halfway mark, and coaches, spectators, and parents are calculating where the teams they support could potentially finish.

By the close of play on Wednesday, day three of the tournament, only Western Province (WP) A and Northern Gauteng A remained unbeaten.

WP sits comfortably atop Pool A with 12 points after four matches, while Northerns occupies second spot in Pool B with nine points from three outings, and with two matches in hand.

The third day of the tournament, which is being hosted at Maritzburg College, in Pietermaritzburg, and St Anne’s DSG, in Hilton, delivered some scintillating action, upsets, and a bucketload of goals.

Western Province A, after beating Boland B 5-0 and Eastern Province A 8-1, faced their toughest test yet against an unpredictable but highly regarded Southern Gauteng A side.

The clash was labelled a potential top-of-the-pool decider, with the winner expected to progress comfortably to the semifinals.

It was a fiery contest from the get-go, with Gauteng piling early pressure on their opponents and winning a short corner.

Their set piece execution was lacking, however, and coach Kyle Reddy’ boys were punished only minutes later when Litha Kraai opened the scoring in the seventh minute.

Southerns, with their large contingent of supporters cheering them on, weren’t going to lie down and they responded in the 19th minute through Zeyad Davids. That, however, was their only goal of the game.

Western Province took charge, ran wild, and tore through Southern Gauteng. In the third chukka, they scored three goals in quick succession, with Kraai netting from a penalty corner, followed by strikes from Joe Gitlin and Daniel Fisher, which made it 4-1.

Province was not yet done, though, and it was that man, again, Kraai, who showed off some insane skills inside the circle to complete his hattrick.

Coach Jody Erasmus’s side then took on KZN Coastal B in their second match in the early evening.

It was one-way traffic, with WP romping to a 10-2 win, which included four goals from captain Jo le Roux. That one-sided victory ensured Province’s passage into the semifinals, and it also ensured they will finish in first place in Pool A.

While WP dominated on Pape’s Astro, Northerns also kept their chance of reaching the semifinals alive with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Southern Gauteng B.

Coach Steven Paulo’s side had impressed on day two with a 3-1 victory against Boland A, and they picked up from where they left off.

Luken Brunette was on the scoresheet once again, and Andrea Clerihew made it two.

The boys from Pretoria have a tricky doubleheader on day four when they face Western Province B and Southern Free State A. The Province B team is atop Pool B but has played a game more than Northerns.

A win in either of those contests will guarantee Northerns a place in the last four.

Permutations

Pool A

Western Province is already through to the semifinals, but there are still spots up for grabs in both Pools.

In Pool A, Southern Gauteng A did themselves a huge favour by beating a Boland B side that played without a goalkeeper 8-1.

After three days of action, they occupy second place with nine points. A win in their final match of the group stages against KZN Coastal B will see them progress to the top four.

Boland B, meanwhile, is in third place with six points and will face Eastern Province A on Thursday.

If Boland wins that clash and Southern Gauteng loses, Boland would likely still miss out on goal difference after conceding eight against Southerns.

KZN Inland A, KZN Coastal A, and Eastern Province are all out of the running.

Pool B

As previously mentioned, Western Province B is in first place in Pool B ahead of Northern Gauteng, who have two games in hand.

Province B tackles Northerns on day four. If they win, they’ll be through to the semis.

The equation for Northerns is quite simple. They need two points from their remaining two matches to progress. Western Province B and Southern Free State will challenge them.

Southern Free State could also sneak into the top two if they win both their matches on Thursday, but they would also need other results within the group to go their way.

Boland A also needs three points against Free State to progress to the playoffs.

Pool B is closer than many think, and it could come down to goal difference. Meanwhile, Southern Gauteng B is out of the running and will be playing to avoid relegation.

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR SECOND REPORT OF DAY 3 ACTION.

Day 3 | Results and scorers

Pool A

Boland B 3: Noah Hendricks (2), Johen Pietersen. KZN Inland A 2: Dane Jackson (2).

Western Province A 5: Litha Kraai (3), Daniel Fisher, Joe Gitlin. Southern Gauteng A 1: Zeyad Davids.

KZN Coastal B 3: Bo Mokoena, Ethan Schilz, Tye Milne. Eastern Province A 2: Keegan Le Roux, Seth Groener.

Southern Gauteng A 8: Zeyad Davids (3), Jared Bailings (2). Ezray Stadt, Khanyisa Kraai, Aiden Blatch. Boland B 1: Noah Hendricks.

Western Province A 10: Jo le Roux (4), Zachary Gibbon (2), Reece Theunis, Daniel Fisher, Aiden Topper, Aidan Hughes. KZN Coastal B 1: Ethan Schilz, Murray Wicks.

Pool B 

Western Province B 3: Cameron Groves, Litha Mbiko, Charlie Naylor. Southern Free State 0.

Northern Gauteng A 2: Luken Brunette, Andrea Clerihew. Southern Gauteng B 1: Jordache Arnold

KZN Coastal A 4: Sitshaba Siyoyo, Zach Williamson, Joshua Mungherera, Christopher Abrahams. Boland A 3: Christo Swanepoel (2), Callum van Oudtshoorn.

DAY 4 FIXTURES

Pool A

11:45 – Southern Gauteng A vs KZN Coastal B
13:10 – Eastern Province A vs Boland B
14:35 – Western Province A vs KZN Inland A

Pool B

07:30 – Boland A vs Southern Free State A
08:55 – Northern Gauteng A vs Western Province B
10:20 – KZN Coastal A vs Southern Gauteng B
16:00 – Northern Gauteng A vs Southern Free State A

Late drama on the second day of the 2025 Grant Khomo Week at St Alban’s College, in Pretoria, saw the defending champions, Western Province, and Sharks, book a showdown in the main match on Friday.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

In a dramatic finish to 60 minutes of high intensity rugby, the Sharks fought back in spectacular fashion to snatch a 29-29 draw with the hosts, the Blue Bulls.

A victory of 44-35 on the first day over the Golden Lions (44-35), who thrashed Boland 43-0 earlier today, ultimately secured the Sharks their spot to compete for ultimate honours. The side from KwaZulu-Natal would nevertheless be kicking themselves for the string of unforced errors, due to overeagerness as well as rock-solid defence by the opposition, during the first 45 minutes of their encounter with the Blue Bulls

The Pretoria-based outfit, on the other hand, managed to turn opportunities into points, putting the men in black and white under early scoreboard pressure. Reuben Smith‘s performance at flyhalf had the majority of the large crowd at the Moshate Field believing the hosts had secured a second consecutive victory. At the time, Smith had scored a try and converted three, for the Bulls to lead 29-12.

However, the Sharks refused to toss in the towel and wave after wave of attack finally paid dividends at the death.

Left winger Lisa Sijadu‘s relentless runs, with him regularly beating the first defender, were rewarded with a desperately needed brace of tries that got his side back in the running, before Lwanzo Vyambwera dived over to level the score.

Despite this memorable fightback, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool lock, Keegan Fourie, delivered a rousing performance to walk away with the man of the match spoils.

In the main match, Western Province handled a spirited South Western Districts side, claiming victory by 29-21 despite some lapses in judgement and poor discipline. The WP pack laid the foundation through their strong driving malls and physical dominance, with locks, James Swart and Peter Krige, the sons of former Springboks Justin Swart and Corné Krige, stealing the show upfront.

Krige had to move to lock as a concussion replacement for the injured Rocco Buchanan, while Swart, despite receiving the week’s first red card, was named man of the match for an otherwise solid performance, especially at lineout time.

On the Baloyi Field, the Griquas remained unbeaten with another good showing against Zimbabwe, with Hoërskool Upington’s Stephan Fourie running in a brace. In addition, the No. 8’s tireless work ethic established the necessary platform from which Griquas could launch a 26-point onslaught in the second half for a 40-25 victory.

Eastern Province did enough in the first half to secure a first victory of the week, handing the Pumas their second defeat (27-15) in as many matches. Tighthead prop, Entle Ngcaba, of St Andrew’s College in Mkhanda, was in rampant form, charging across for two well-deserved tries.

Scorers: 

Moshate Field: 

Western Province 29 (14) – Tries: Luka van der Westhuizen, Ziyaad Jappie, Jake Dave, Ridah Johnson. Conversions: Dave (3). Penalty: Dave. South Western Districts 21 (7) – Tries: Reese Lewaa, Penalty Try (2).

Blue Bulls 29 (15) – Tries: Reuben Smith, Kyle van Staden, Ethan Williams, Keegan Fourie. Conversions: Smith (3). Penalty: Liam de Jager. Sharks 29 (12) – Tries: Lisa Sijadu (2), Elgenio Oersen, Mojalefa Mogale, Lwanzo Vyambwera. Conversions: Daniel Miskey (2).

Baloyi Field: 

Eastern Province 27 (24) – Tries: Entle Ngcaba (2), Selunathi Mfundisi. Conversions: Nathan Trytsman (3). Penalty: Trytsman (2). Pumas 15 (10) – Tries: Menzi Siyaya, Lihle Nkadimeng. Conversion: Kgontse Masilela. Penalty: Masilela.

Griquas 40 (14) – Tries: Stephan Fourie (2), Jay-Dee Isaacs, Lee-Marquin Cronjé, Keanu Miles, Hanco Klopper. Conversions: Cronjé (4), Isaacs. Zimbabwe 25 (15) – Tries: Nicholas Mangwiro, Mukudzei Chisi, Miguel Mavera, Tafara Gara, Liam Britten.

The fixtures for the final day, Friday, 04 July, are: 

Moshate Field: 

09:00 – Griffons vs Eastern Province
10:15 – Golden Lions vs South Western Districts
11:30 – Blue Bulls vs Western Province XV
13:15 – Western Province vs Sharks

Baloyi A Field: 

09:00 – Zimbabwe vs Namibia
10:15 – Border vs Boland
11:30 – Free State vs Griquas

Baloyi B Field: 

09:00 – Border Country Districts vs Iqhawe XV
10:15 – Pumas vs Valke
11:30 – Leopards vs Limpopo Blue Bulls

There is a common perception of ‘B’ teams when it comes to the SASHOC National Week. They’re not first-choice lineups and, thus, often regarded as stepping stones for A-teams to secure “easy wins” and three points.

That’s not the case at the SASHOC National Week, which is on the go at Maritzburg College, in Pietermaritzburg, and St Anne’s DSG, in Hilton.

On Tuesday, the Western Province u18B boys, competing in Pool B, stunned KZN Coastal A, usually a title-contending team, 2-1, courtesy of goals by Jacques van Dyk and Ryan Groenewald.

That win for coach Gary Stevens and his charges sent shockwaves through the Pool and opened up paths for other sides to potentially stake a claim to a semifinal place.

With Province B showing how to do it, other B-sides felt inspired, and, on Wednesday, Boland B produced another stunning result, defeating KZN Inland A 3-2 on Pape’s Astro.

The Boland B team entered the clash on the back of a 2-1 win over KZN Coastal B, while Inland A had suffered a tight 0-2 loss at the hands of Southern Gauteng A on Tuesday.

Inland was favoured, but Boland B seemed to have an answer for almost every question coach Damian Kimfley’s boys asked.

After a tight first chukka, the Western Cape side opened the scoring in the second quarter through Johen Pietersen.

Inland responded and drew level through a thunderbolt drag flick by skipper Dane Jackson. At the break, it was 1-1.

The second half belonged to Noah Hendricks. The Hoërskool Swartland pupil shone and stole the spotlight with a brace.

Jackson, once again, pulled one back for the home side, but it proved to be too little too late. Boland, to their credit, also played the final chukka without a goalkeeper after Joe van Coller left the field with an injury.

Inland, without a goalkeeper in sight, still couldn’t score, and the match ended in favour of the Western Cape outfit.

The action intensified after that clash, and KZN Coastal B, who were yet to register a win, came up against Eastern Province A.

EP suffered a hefty 1-8 loss to Western Province A on day two, so they were aiming to redeem themselves.

However, those plans were quickly thrown out the window as the Coastal side brought the heat while putting on a show for their supporters.

They scored quick, fiery goals in the first half through Bo Mokoena, Ethan Schilz, and Tye Milne.

EP was rocked. They need to respond, somehow. When Keegan Le Roux provided the answer from a short corner, they suddenly had hope.

Seth Groener, then, netted a field goal in the 41st minute to drag his team to within a goal, but that proved to be the final goal of the game as KZN Coastal B held on for a 3-2 win.

While the B-teams in Pool A made their mark at Maritzburg College, Western Province B was in action at St Anne’s DSG’s lower AstroTurf.

Pens, as they’re affectionately known, took on Southern Free State A and were brimming with confidence after beating KZN Coastal A the night before.

The boys from the Western Cape were clinical and solid defensively, but most importantly, they used their opportunities and punished Free State.

Captain Charlie Naylor opened the scoring for his side in the 26th minute, and four minutes later, Litha Mbiko netted a field goal to make it 2-0.

In the 36th minute, Cameron Groves fired home a PC to make it three, which sealed an impressive victory over the Grey College-laden outfit.

Boland B and KZN Coastal B were in action again later in the day, against Southern Gauteng A and Western Province A, respectively.

Boland, again, played without a keeper after Van Coller was ruled out. They fought hard against a star-studded Gauteng side but being without a netminder cost them dearly, and they succumbed to a 1-8 loss.

KZN Coastal B, meanwhile, went down 2-10 against the free-scoring Western Province A side.

While the two B-teams ended day three with losses, they will be proud of their efforts and how they showed up against the so-called “stronger teams”.

Day 3 | Results and scorers

Pool A

Boland B 3: Noah Hendricks (2), Johen Pietersen. KZN Inland A 2: Dane Jackson (2).

Western Province A 5: Litha Kraai (3), Daniel Fisher, Joe Gitlin. Southern Gauteng A 1: Zeyad Davids.

KZN Coastal B 3: Bo Mokoena, Ethan Schilz, Tye Milne. Eastern Province A 2: Keegan Le Roux, Seth Groener.

Southern Gauteng A 8: Zeyad Davids (3), Jared Bailings (2). Ezray Stadt, Khanyisa Kraai, Aiden Blatch. Boland B 1: Noah Hendricks.

Western Province A 10: Jo le Roux (4), Zachary Gibbon (2), Reece Theunis, Daniel Fisher, Aiden Topper, Aidan Hughes. KZN Coastal B 1: Ethan Schilz, Murray Wicks.

Pool B 

Western Province B 3: Cameron Groves, Litha Mbiko, Charlie Naylor. Southern Free State 0.

Northern Gauteng A 2: Luken Brunette, Andrea Clerihew. Southern Gauteng B 1: Jordache Arnold

KZN Coastal A 4: Sitshaba Siyoyo, Zach Williamson, Joshua Mungherera, Christopher Abrahams. Boland A 3: Christo Swanepoel (2), Callum van Oudtshoorn.

Abigail Holderness scored a second hat-trick in three days to lead Eastern Province A to a 4-1 win over Southern Free State A in their SASHOC National Week contest at St Anne’s DSG, in Hilton, on Wednesday.

The victory extended Eastern Province’s winning streak to four in a row and guarantees them a semi-final slot with a game in hand.

That’s a far cry from 2024 when Eastern Province endured a rough campaign, finishing fifth in their pool and ninth in the tournament.

“The IPT was quite tough last year, but I have learnt a lot and hope to create a happy and positive environment with my team as this experience will be a memory forever,” Holderness, the Eastern Province captain, told Supersport Schools Plus.

Holderness, who is the tournament’s leading goal-scorer, with nine goals to her name, opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a penalty corner conversion.

She doubled Eastern Province’s lead in the 33rd minute with another short corner conversion. Then, in the 50th minute, Holderness slotted again from a penalty corner to complete her hattrick.

“It is always nice to have a few goals behind your name. However, goals require a number of intercepts, passes, leads, etc. to make it happen, so each goal is a collection of small moments from the team,” Holderness said.

Tavia Williams got Free State on the board with a goal in the 57th minute, but that was too little too late. By then, the die had been cast.

In the final minute of the match, Linathi Goniwe hammered the final nail into the Southern Free State coffin as the Eastern Province Express continued on its merry winning way.

While Holderness is enjoying the moment and her team’s strong campaign so far, the DSG Makhanda learner understands that the tournament is far from over and matters will get tougher as the showpiece heads towards its conclusion. With that in mind, she refuses to sit on her laurels or bask in past glory.

“We need to keep looking forward and thinking about the next job. Nothing is ever possible without a team. We just need to keep working hard and play for one another out there,” she said.

Sarah-Ellen Groenewald, with two goals, and Minke Botha were on target for Boland A as they romped to a comfortable 3-0 win over Northern Gauteng B on Wednesday morning.

That triumph left Boland with one foot in the semi-finals. They’re in second place, trailing only Eastern Province, with three wins from four outings.

A draw or a win in their final group match will see coach Chris Gerber’s side into the final four. However, they’ll face a stiff challenge from a motivated Southern Gauteng A side that is also on the hunt for a semi-final berth at 11:45 on Thursday morning.

Southerns, the defending champions, have a spring in their step following a 7-0 hammering of Southern Gauteng B. Amber Fairon fired home four goals, while Kate Horton, Kristen Cikes, and Raffael Abrahams added a goal each.

After that result, they’re two points behind Boland in the standings, with two wins, one draw and a loss to Eastern Province from their four matches. Only a win will do when they take on the Western Cape side on Thursday.

Eastern Province has a Thursday afternoon appointment with Northern Gauteng B, at 14:35, when they’ll go for their fifth win on the trot.

Results

Eastern Province A: 4 – Abigail Holderness (3), Linathi Goniwe. Southern Free State A: 1 – Tavia Williams.
Boland A: 3 – Sarah-Ellen Groenewald (2), Minke Botha. Northern Gauteng B: 0.
Southern Gauteng A: 7 – Amber Fairon (4), Kate Horton, Kristen Cikes, Raffael Abrahams. Southern Gauteng B: 0.

The Junior Springbok starting fifteen to face England in their crucial World Rugby U20 Championship pool match in Rovigo on Friday shows just one change from the side that defeated Australia last Sunday in Italy, with Gino Cupido replacing Demitre Erasmus, who is suffering from illness, at centre.

SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote has also made two tactical tweaks on the bench, with Ceano Everson (scrumhalf) and Dominic Malgas (utility) now amongst the replacements, in place of Erich Visser and Ian van der Merwe.

The rest of the players who gave such a commanding performance in Calvisano are retained for what promises to be another classic battle between the U20 teams of South Africa and England, who won the tournament last year after beating France in the final in Cape Town.

With lock Riley Norton again leading the side, Foote said there is a lot of excitement building for Friday’s important clash.

“There is a huge amount of excitement around Friday and the magnitude of this match,” said Foote.

“We know how important this is, playing against the defending champions. It’s an honour to be involved in such a game and a real challenge for us this week. We can’t wait for it.

“With Demitre suffering from a bit of heat stroke, we brought in Gino at outside centre, while Ceano and Dominic cover scrumhalf, centre and flyhalf on the bench.

“Demitre, Erich and Ian all played well against Australia, but we are going with a combination that we feel is well suited for us against England.”

In the aftermath of the Junior Boks’ resounding win over the young Wallabies, the South Africans emphasised the need to keep their feet firmly on the ground, especially with a huge challenge such as England looming next.

“We are very proud of the guys in terms of how focused and humble they’re staying after the victory over Australia, and just how hungry they are for the next challenge against England,” said Foote.

The Friday evening pool match, which kicks off at 18h00, will be broadcast live on SuperSport Rugby.

Junior Springbok team to face England in Rovigo:

15 Gilermo Mentoe
14 Cheswill Jooste
13 Gino Cupido
12 Albie Bester
11 Siyabonga Ndlozi
10 Vusi Moyo
9 Haashim Pead
8 Wandile Mlaba
7 Bathobele Hlekani
6 Xola Nyali
5 JJ Theron
4 Riley Norton (captain
3 Herman Lubbe
2 Siphosethu Mnebelele
1 Simphiwe Ngobese

Replacements:

16 Jaundré Schoeman
17 Oliver Reid
18 Jean Erasmus
19 Jaco Grobbelaar
20 Matt Romao
21 Ceano Everson
22 Dominic Malgas
23 Jaco Williams

Issued by SA Rugby Communications