GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 17: Drewyn Nathan Baron of the Blue Bulls during the match between Blue Bulls and Western Province XV on day 1 of the U16 Grant Khomo Week at Grey High School on 17 June 2024, in Gqeberha, South Africa. Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images
The Blue Bulls are on track to make the main match of the Grant KhomoWeek for a second consecutive year, but Boland might have other plans.
The side from Northern Gauteng kicked off their campaign in exciting fashion against a spirited Western Province XV on Monday, the first day of the tournament, securing a nail-biting 26-24 win, which hands them the chance to make it through to face either Western Province or TheSharks in the prestigious main match on the final day.
The light blues, however, will first need to get past a Boland side which has upsets on its mind.
In their first outing, the Bolanders took down Gauteng’s Lions, exhibiting some exciting play on offence and a determined defence.
Province, also, faces a big challenge when they take on the team from KwaZulu-Natal, who impressed in their opening encounter. The boys in black and white made a major statement by beating last year’s runners-up, the Free State, 26-20.
Their prowess on attack begs the question: can Province hold out for the entire 60 minutes?
WEDNESDAY, 19 JUNE, FIXTURES
Kolisi Field
09:20 – Pumas vs Free State 10:45 – Border vs Griffons 12:00 – South Western Districts vs Western Province XV 13:15 – Blue Bulls vs Boland 14:30 – Western Province vs KwaZulu-Natal Sharks
Pollock Oval
09:20 – Namibia vs Border Country Districts 10:45 – Zimbabwe vs Limpopo Blue Bulls 12:00 – Valke vs Free State XV 13:15 – Leopards vs Griquas 14:30 – Golden Lions vs Eastern Province
Western Province 34 (22) – Tries: Bryce Paulsen, Petrus Auret, Chesvigo Brown, Travis Eberhardt, Mikaeel Frieslaar. Conversions: Zachery September (3). Penalty: September. South Western Districts 8 (3) – Try: Whelan Maxim. Penalty: Luan Augustyn.
Boland 43 (29) – Tries: Leathon Johannes (2), William Bishop, Elgan de Wet, Henwhill Scholtz, Björn Matthews, Caleb Phillipus. Conversions: Johannes (3), Ruben Gilliomee. Pumas 17 (7) – Tries: Holsen Mojalefa, Mabutfo Pilson, Loghan de Beer. Conversion: De Beer.
Blue Bulls 52 (45) – Tries: Henrico van Zyl (3), Sandile Majola (2), Sebastian Nel, Divan van der Westhuizen, Tidi Senyatsi. Conversions: George Terblanche (6). Free State 0.
Blue Bulls B 19 (7) – Tries: Ruwald Cilliers, Izak Meyer, JW Erasmus. Conversions: Stian Roets (2). South Western Districts B 12 (12) – Tries: Cyril Strydom, Diego Stalmeester. Conversion: Stalmeester.
Western Province B 13 (3) – Try: Dieter von Finckenstein. Conversion: Daniel Jackson. Penalties: Jackson (2). Golden Lions B 11 (8) – Try: Kian Viljoen. Penalties: Jean-Luke Parsons, Divan Coetzee.
Free State B 14 (7) – Tries: Willem Pretorius, Romique Smit. Conversions: Cullen Keuris (2). Eastern Province B 10 (7) – Try: Tyler Merrington. Conversion: Connor Viljoen. Penalty: Waney Neff.
PRETORIA. – The unofficial defending champions of the u13 Craven Week, Western Province, started their 2024 campaign with a convincing 36-12 victory over Griqualand West on Menlopark’s main field.
Griqualand West did trouble WP in the first half as the team from the Western Cape could only manage a 19-5 lead at the break. The Peacock Blues’ flanker, Luan Coetzee, kept their defence busy.
The big star for Western Province was their left wing, Tyron Strauss, who scored four tries thanks to his exceptional pace.
Western Province will face South Western Districts in their second clash of the tournament.
The Blue Bulls probably produced the most impressive performance of the opening day as they smashed Eastern Province by 60-7. The match was stopped two minutes before the final whistle was supposed to be blown.
The winning side’s flanker Luan MacDonald scored five of his side’s tries. He could have scored a couple more but decided to give the final pass to his teammates.
The Bulls will face the Free State in their second clash of the week. The Free State defeated the Sharks by 36-19 in their opening match.
History was made during the opening day of the u13 Craven Week at the Hoërskool Menlopark as the Pumas thrashed Border Country Districts by 50-0 on the main field.
The match was stopped after only two minutes in the second half. The first time since 1972 that a match was stopped due to the scoreline. The Pumas already enjoyed a lead of 43-0 at half-time.
All matches during this year’s tournament will be stopped once the score difference becomes 50 points.
Scorers:
Western Province 36 (19) – Tries: Tyron Strauss (4), Christiaan van der Watt, Travis Eberhardt. Conversions: Zachery September (3). Griqualand West 12 (5) – Tries: Luan Coetzee, Joshie Rowan. Conversion: Strauss van Heerden.
Boland 42 (30) – Tries: Caleb Phillipus (2), Tyron Oncke, Elgan de Wet, Henwhill Scholtz, Bjorn Matthews, Giovani van der Berg. Conversions: Chanville Zaal, Scholtz. Penalty: Zaal. Limpopo Blue Bulls 12 (0) – Tries: Ramathope Shai, Matthew de Beer. Conversion: Antoon du Plessis.
Blue Bulls 60 (31) – Tries: Luan MacDonald (5), Rea Mosoeunyane (2), Sebastian Nel, Henrico van Zyl, Tsebo Aphane. Conversions: George Terblanche (4), Justin de Jonge. Eastern Province 7 (0) – Try: Tyrese Wood. Conversion: Sergio Jordaan.
Golden Lions 20 (14) – Tries: Reynardt Knighton, Lorenzo Jardim. Conversions: Menahem van Schoor (2). Penalties: Ariel Meij (2). Valke 10 (5) – Tries: Rametsi Sebake (2).
South Western Districts 15 (0) – Tries: Jameal van Staden, Jordan Fortuin, Stantonio Karelse. Leopards 12 (12) – Tries: Daniël Bester, Dimpho Skoonberg. Conversion: Dandré Allers.
Pumas 50 (43) – Tries: Zuvann Lessing (2), Siphosihle Dlamini (2), Franco Roodt, Poloko Mokoena, Mmabaledi Mashego, Loghan de Beer. Conversions: De Beer (4), Brian Moosa. Border Country Districts 0.
Namibia 29 (15) – Tries: Ruben Kotze (2), Adrian van der Westhuizen (2), Rijk Duvenhage. Conversions: Jacques Bruwer (2). Zimbabwe 12 (5) – Tries: Rasheed Zivhu, Talahole Haufiku. Conversions: Takudzwa Chimbumu.
B TEAMS
Golden Lions B 10 (7) – Tries: Chad Pollak. Conversion: Jean-Luke Parsons. Penalties: Divan Coetzee. Border B 8 (5) – Try: Alwaba Mkabile. Penalty: Ubenathi Kapa.
Western Province B 38 (17) – Tries: Frank van der Walt, Dieter von Finckenstein, Leighton Hendricks, Xolani Gobinca, Zorian Sassman, Carter Weber. Conversions: Jackson (4). Free State B 7 (7) – Try: Romique Smit. Conversion: Bjorn Maree.
South Western Districts B 19 (12) – Tries: Raywin Links (2), Tyler Gelderbloem. Conversions: Jordan Lourens (2). Griffons B 7 (0) – Try: Jan-Pieter Els. Conversion: Kirstein Kruger.
Blue Bulls B 46 (24) – Tries: Stian Roets (2), JW Erasmus, Ryan Bezuidenhout, Gosiame Moatshe, Mbuyelo Ngomana, Ayo Baderin. Conversions: Roets (4). Penalty: Roets. Pumas B 0.
Boland B 36 (19) – Tries: Martiens Labuschagne (2), Indiphile Dlumane, Divan Ellis, Samuel Swanie, Jeno Jacobs. Conversions: Duren Baron (2), Cruden Williams. Valke 5 (0) – Try: Bernard Bezuidenhout.
Sharks B 31 (5) – Tries: Luyana Mgabhi (2), Hasaan Mtshali, Tiaan Labuschagne, Blessing Mndaba. Conversions: Sam van Loenen (2), Taine Lawson. Limpopo Blue Bulls B 7 (7) – Try: Rudo Rheeders. Conversion: Kiano Govender.
Leopards B 19 (12) – Tries: Craig van den Heever, Henku Botha, Ben Steyn. Conversions: Lappies Labuschagne, Steyn. Eastern Province B 15 (5) – Tries: Jaydon Stoman, Ruan Jacobs, Ahlonele Mekuto.
After three days of gruelling football and 86 matches, only nine out of the 117 teams that participated in the Gauteng leg of the qualifier tournament made it through to the Engen Knockout Competition, which is scheduled to take place next month.
Heading into the event, there was significant pressure on a number of Gauteng Development League(GDL) teams, among them Panorama FC, Highlands Park, Sevens Academy, NWU Vaal, Kathorus Hyper Academy, School of Excellence and Rosina Sedibane.
The qualifiers also featured teams that compete in the lower leagues of the Gauteng region, with many eager to embrace the opportunity of pulling off an upset.
The challenge was tough, but three of those sides got it right, with Meadowlands Academy topping Group F, Stars of Africa finishing atop Group D, and Transition Football taking first place in Group H.
All three, thus, progressed to the knockout stage of the tournament and their success meant that GDL clubs, School of Excellence and NWU Vaal, missed out.
A number of teams stood out as head and shoulders above their competition.
Panorama FC enjoyed a strong showing, beating a determined University of Johannesburg team 3-0, which was followed by a 0-0 draw against Hammanskraal Sports Academy, a 4-1 win over Remember Elite Sports Academy, and a 2-1 victory over West Youth Academy.
That run of success secured Panorama FC’s qualification for the Engen Knockout Tournament for a third year in succession. Much of that success can be attributed to their coach Boy Gcabashe.
Before his tenure with the u18 boys began, Panorama had never made it through to the Engen Knockout Competition, which puts Gcabashe’s impact at the academy into context. It has been impressive.
Randburg AFC was also in good form throughout the long weekend. They went unbeaten in Group B, with a 3-0 victory over White City Spurs on the opening day, followed by a 4-1 defeat of Opopo FC, a 1-0 win over fellow GDL side, Sevens Academy, and a 2-1 triumph against West Youth Academy, which kept intact their 100 percent win record.
The “Lions of the North“, Highlands Park, also breezed past their Group C opponents. They were pushed hard by the Dlamini XI Experience in their opener, which they won 4-3. Next, they thrashed The Best Football Academy 6-0, but were then held to a goalless draw by GDL club, Joburg City. They finished with a 2-0 defeat of Capital City to secure a place in the main tournament.
There was further success for GDL teams, with Rosina Sedibane topping Group E, Kathorus Hyper Academy winning Group G, and Jomo Cosmos taking the honours in Group I.
Kearsney College travelled from KwaZulu-Natal to St Stithians College in Gauteng for their final fixture of the season on Saturday, 15 June.
The 1st XV showdown began well for Saints, however, when their flyhalf Chris Anderson, with a show and go, followed by a sniping run, put them into the lead with a try. His attempted conversion struck the left upright, but the hosts were 5-0 to the good.
Kearsney handled the early setback well and responded strongly, running in three tries of their own.
The first was set up by Doan Nel after he made a clean break through the midfield before putting Cameron Veenstra away for the try. Veenstra knocked over the conversion, too, to make it 7-5 to the visitors.
A good turnover at a breakdown from right-wing Valentino Lenge gave him an opportunity to work his magic in space. With individual brilliance, he beat a number of defenders and raced through to score under the posts. Another successful conversion gave Kearsney a 14-5 lead.
Then, working with good possession, Kearsney moved the ball down the backline to left-wing Bhuko Hlwatika, who beat his defender to score in the corner. Once again, the conversion was on target and the boys from Botha’s Hill enjoyed a 21-5 lead.
Anderson, the St Stithians’ no. 10, then doubled his personal haul with another try after gathering an exit kick and charging through a would-be tackler before cutting inside and sprinting away to dot down next to the uprights, which made it 21-12 at the break in favour of the visitors.
Kearsney hit their stride in the second half, producing some exciting running rugby, which brought them four tries without a reply from Saints.
Their path to the first five-pointer of the half was started by Daniel Eager, who, after counterattacking, set up an attacking ruck when he went to ground. The ball was quickly shifted out wide and Callum Steer provided the finish. Veenstra’s kicking boots remained dialled in and the extra two points lifted the visitors into a 28-12 advantage.
Kearsney had momentum on their side, and they kept turning opportunities into points. After a line-break from Valentino Lenge and sustained pressure on the line, Connor McIntyre picked up the ball from the base of the ruck and powered over for Kearsney’s fifth try. The conversion was good and coach Neil van Heerden‘s charges led by 23 points.
Then, Saints made the mistake of putting in a cross kick on the fleet-footed Valentino Lenge. He turned it into a 65m runaway try. The conversion was off target for the only time on the day, but Kearsney had reached 40 points.
The One-Stripe then struck from deep inside their 22. Royden Madatt stabbed through a well-place grubber, which was collected by Cameron Veenstra. Then, with one man to beat, the Sharks’ Craven Week speedster drew the defender and passed to Doan Nel, who raced in to score beneath the uprights. Veenstra added the extras to make it 47-12 lead.
A penalty kick, in the final minute of the contest, saw Kearsney breach the 50-point barrier for the first time in the 2024 season. The 50-12 victory was their fourth in succession, following wins over Glenwood, Clifton and Michaelhouse.
Scores
St Stithians College 12 (12) – Tries: Chris Anderson (2); Conversions: Chris Anderson. Kearsney College 50 (21) – Tries: Valentino Lenge (2), Cameron Veenstra, Bhuko Hlwatika, Callum Steer, Connor McIntyre, Doan Nel; Conversions: Cameron Veenstra (6); Penalty: Cameron Veenstra
Other results
u19 – St Stithians II 13 Kearsney II 5; St Stithians III 0 Kearsney III 31; St Stithians IV 0 Kearsney IV 32
u16 – St Stithians A 13 Kearsney A 12; St Stithians B 5 Kearsney B 36
u15 – St Stithians A 10 Kearsney A 41; St Stithians B 17 Kearsney B 7; St Stithians C 23 Kearsney C 46
u14 – St Stithians A 7 Kearsney A 26; St Stithians B 25 Kearsney B 5; St Stithians C 5 Kearsney C 53
One of the SASHOC National Week‘s dark horse teams, Southern Gauteng B, aka Witsies, delivered an exceptional performance on day two, after having claimed a hard-fought draw on Sunday, to remain unbeaten.
Western Province B, meanwhile, recorded a 3-1 upset win over Border A.
They made their intentions clear when Gemma Purcell struck from a penalty corner within the first five minutes of their match. However, Princess Mcinga responded to make it 1-1.
Purcell broke open the tie once more in the 33rd minute, forcing Border onto the defensive.
Then, in the dying minutes of the contest, Purcell struck again to grab a hattrick and secure a shock 3-1 victory. Her three-goal haul has placed Purcell among the top five goal scorers at the tournament.
Witsies started their quest on Sunday against KwaZulu-Natal Inland. It was a tight contest, with the defences ruling the roost, and it, thus, finished in a goalless draw.
“Player of the match Tori Tanner-Ellis controlled the midfield.” Witsies’ coach Lance Louw said.
It was the latest in a long list of hard-fought matches between the sides. In 2017, they shared a 2-2 draw. In 2018, Inland came away with a 3-1 victory. Last year, they repeated that winning margin, with Leah Kriel, Sphume Shandu and Cara Waud scoring for Inland and Tylo Myburgh replying for Southern Gauteng B.
This year, Witsies appear to have the right ingredients to make some noise. Coach Louw explained how he and his coaching team have gone about building the side: “Our approach, as a coaching staff, was to look for girls who are willing to work hard for each other, while also giving players opportunities who have not been exposed to this level before.
On Monday morning, Southern Gauteng B failed to score, but they kept another clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with Boland.
Louw’s side frustrated their opponent, who were made to pay for a number of fouls. Leah du Plessis picked up a green card, and a second one then turned into a yellow, while Jodi Oostendorp, and Jordan Boer were also shown yellows.
Louw lauded his team for sticking to the game plan: “It is always tough playing against a team like Boland, with big-name players and a bunch of big-name hockey schools. We stuck to our guns, put in a great defensive effort, and kept their big-name players quiet.
“We also had our chances. However, we could not convert to reward ourselves for the great defensive effort that was put in.
“We had a few bumps and bruises during the game but because of the togetherness in the team players could step up and grab the opportunity with both hands. The player of the match was Nicole Bailey.”
Louw admitted that it had been a tough challenge to lock horns with Boland. But, he said, his team will continue to work hard for one other, and they will focus on their unity while making sure they are having fun at the same time.
“We have a lot of u17 girls and young ladies who are playing for the first time in the SASHOC National Week. There are also a lot of girls who are not from your so-called big hockey schools in Johannesburg. To name a few, Heronbridge College, Trinity House Randpark Ridge, Rand Park High School, Parktown High School for Girls, Northcliff High, Fourways and Hoërskool Noordheuwel,” he concluded.
It was a brawl in the Pool B clash between Southern Gauteng A and Northern Gauteng A at the Grey College Astroturf. Photo credits: TeamPhotoSA
After a rather scratchy start to the SASHOC National Weekon Sunday, the Southern Gauteng u18A side made up ground on Monday, recording impressive victories over Southern Free State A and Northern Gauteng A.
On Sunday, despite producing some good play, Southerns were held to a 2-2 draw by Eastern Province(EP) in their Pool B opener, with Fynn Campbell and Zeyad Davids netting for the Gautengers.
Heading into day two, they had set their sights on fixing some of the errors that had cost them a victory against EP.
In their morning game, coach Anthony Woodhouse’s team took on a fierce Southern Free State side, which was also in search of a first win after they drew 1-1 with KZN Coastal A the previous day.
From the start, both teams went at it hard. Gauteng controlled the midfield battle, while Ben Benjamin, Ryan Venter, and Nashaan Matross threatened in attack.
However, it took until the fourth chukka for the deadlock to be broken and it was Southerns’ captain Tyler-Reed Napier who made the breakthrough, scoring from close range.
Free State found a reply with eight minutes remaining when Matthias Visser sent a thunderbolt drag flick into the opposition goalbox.
On Sunday, the hosts had snatched a draw with a late equaliser. This time around, however, they fell victim to a late goal as Matt Eichweber struck from a penalty corner to claim the winner for Southerns.
In the afternoon, it was time for a clash of neighbours as Southerns and Northern Gauteng met.
Northerns had enjoyed an encouraging opening day, beating KZN Inland A 2-1, before drawing 1-1 with Eastern Province on Monday morning.
It’s fair to say that the battle of the teams separated by the Jukskei River lived up to expectations, with both sides showing passion, hunger, and desperation to claim the win.
Coach Kagiso Mathaba’s Northerns’ side led 2-1 at halftime, courtesy of penalty corner goals from Hein Seebach and captain Zac Richardson, while Matt Eichweber scored for Southerns.
After half-time, Southern Gauteng gained the ascendancy. Eichweber added another two goals to his personal haul, to complete a hattrick, before his skipper, Napier, scored a screamer to make it 4-2.
Luken Brunette, who has been in superb form for Northerns, pulled one back. It made for a tense finish with emotions getting the better of some, but, in the end, Southerns came away with a 4-3 win.
“We saw lots of fight from the team, which I appreciated,” Woodhouse told SuperSport Schools Plus after the heated encounter.
“It was great to see our PC fire, and we scored some good flicks. Tyler-Reed Napier again scored a special goal.
“It’s very positive to see in a Southerns’ group that guys have a lot of fight and energy. It’s not something we’ve always had in our DNA, but we are trying to fix that in the province. But, with that said, I’m really happy with the progress.”
Southern Gauteng’s next big challenge is facing the two KZN sides, Inland A and Coastal A.
On day three, they’ll take on KZN Coastal, after coach Cam Mackay’s team picked up its first win, edging out Eastern Province 3-2 on Monday afternoon. Tuesday’s showdown is scheduled for 15:35.
Woodhouse said his charges will prepare for what he described as “tournament-defining matches.”
“We are definitely in the tournament, and in a good position based on the results that have come out of the pool,” he said.
“We still have to work hard and win the next games, because we don’t want to be in a situation where we are relying on [others’] results
“We have to be clinical in trying to break a well-coached KZN side and work hard in defence to keep some of their best players at bay,” he concluded.
In other Pool B encounters, KZN Coastal and KZN Inland shared a 2-2 draw. Coastal followed that up with their win over Eastern Province.
Boland captain, Michael du Toit in action for his side on day two of the SASHOC National Week. Photo credits: TeamPhotoSA
Matters appear to be much clearer in Pool A, where Western Province A and Boland are setting the pace.
Boland, after a 4-0 win over Border on Sunday, handed Western Province B a 3-1 defeat on Tuesday. Reuben Sendzulstole the show for the Bolanders, scoring a hattrick of goals.
Western Province also bagged a second win of their campaign, thumping Border 9-0.
Litha Kraai, who was on the scoresheet on day one, netted four times, while Zachary Gibbon scored a brace, and further goals from Josh le Roux, Dayle Gertson, and Reece Theunis completed the drubbing.
Southern Gauteng B also recorded their first win of the tournament, edging out KZN Coastal B 4-3 in a heated clash.
The action resumes on Tuesday morning at 08:30 when Western Province B takes on Southern Gauteng B.
Boland A 3 (2): Reuben Sendzul (3). Western Province B 1 (0): Noah Arries
Western Province A 9 (6): Litha Kraai (4), Zachary Gibbon (2), Josh le Roux, Dayle Gertson, Reece Theunis. Border A 0 (0).
KZN Coastal B 3 (2): Seth Simpson (2), Sahil Matai. Southern Gauteng B 4 (3): Murray Halstead-Cleak, Aiden Blatch, Benjamin Simon, Ezray Stadt.
Pool B
Southern Gauteng A 2 (0): Tyler-Reed Napier, Matt Eichweber. Southern Free State A 1 (0): Matthias Visser.
Northern Gauteng A 1 (1): Zandrè Nel. Eastern Province A 1 (1): Luke Tait.
KZN Coastal A 2 (1): Matthew De Oliveira, Trent Jessop. KZN Inland A 2 (0): Julian Koningkramer, Banele Dlamini.
Southern Gauteng A 4 (1): Matt Eichweber (3), Tyler-Reed Napier. Northern Gauteng A 3 (2): Hein Seebach, Zac Richardson, Luken Brunette.
KZN Coastal A 3 (2): Josh Mungherera, Sithsaba Siyoyo, Lumi Matwele. Eastern Province A 2 (1): Ben Ristow, Zack Willimott.
Results | Section B
Pool X
KZN Inland B 2-1 North West
Mpumalanga 2-1 Eastern Province B
Boland B 4-0 Southern Free State B
KZN Inland B 1-1 Mpumalanga
Pool Y
Northerns Blues 2-0 Eastern Gauteng
Limpopo 2-1 Northern Cape
Eden 3-0 Northern Free State
Day 3| Fixtures
Pool A
08:30 – Western Province B vs Southern Gauteng B
09:55 – Western Province A vs Boland A
11:20 – KZN Coastal B vs Border A
15:35 – Western Province A vs KZN Coastal B @Grey College
17:00 – Southern Gauteng B vs Boland A
Pool B
12:45 – KZN Inland A vs Eastern Province A
14:10 – Northern Gauteng A vs Southern Free State A
15:35 – Southern Gauteng A vs KZN Coastal A
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 17: Yuvrah George of the Blue Bulls during the match between Blue Bulls and Western Province XV on day 1 of the u16 Grant Khomo Week at Grey High School on 17 June 2024, in Gqeberha, South Africa. Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images.
Both the Western Province and Eastern Province sides will be nursing some sore bodies after their first taste of u16 Grant Khomo Week action.
Eastern Province certainly made their next two opponents sit up and take notice after the hosts, despite suffering a 24-38 defeat to Western Province on Monday, impressed in the main match of day one.
In the first half, especially, the home side flexed their muscles and made a statement that they were here to compete.
Their outside centre, Erin Nelson, showed why he wears the no. 13 jersey. His ability to attack the smallest of gaps had the side from the Western Cape grasping for air twice as he broke through to cross the whitewash for a well-deserved double.
Up front, there was none better than the hardworking lock, Joshua van Zyl. He put his body on the line time and time again, racking up a huge tackle count.
WP hit their straps in the second half, however, and demonstrated the importance of being clinical in the opposition’s 22-metre area. Tiaan Basson, Province’s outside centre, turned the tables to put Nelson under loads of pressure with his intimidating runs in the midfield.
Displaying better continuity, Western Province turned the screws tighter. Their tighthead prop, Lehan Barnard hammered the EP defence, which finally gave way, allowing him to score a try he’ll, no doubt, be talking about for quite a while.
Their workhorse at eighth-man Hendrik Goosen and twinkle-toed utility back Tevez Cupido added tries to break open a very tight contest and see the visitors to a comfortable victory.
Western Province’s second stringers came close to causing a major upset of the unofficial defending champions, the Blue Bulls. Led by their powerful prop Qiraan Hermanus, they made life tough for the light blues from up north.
Hermanus lit the fire among the big men up front with his burly carries. Juan Visagie, their no. 8, followed suit. Their hard work was rewarded with tries.
It was, however, the light blues’ left wing, Yavrah George, who stole the show. George, looking like a young Kurt-Lee Arendse, danced his way through WP’s defence on two occasions.
Complementing George’s remarkable performance, Vihan Pretorius, the Blue Bulls’ replacement flyhalf, kept the scoreboard ticking, slotting three penalties and a conversion, which ultimately proved enough for the northern powerhouse.
A double from South Western Districts‘ Adrian Smith helped the Eagles bag an important 26-6 victory over Namibia.
If there was a theme on the day, it was of the no. 8s scoring tries and Jacobus de Villiers joined the rest of the men who play at the back of the scum, finding his way onto the scoresheet, too.
The Leopards wasted no time in making their voices heard. The side from the North West Province ran in six tries to bag the biggest victory of the day, thumping the Limpopo Blue Bulls 40-7.
The foundation for their victory was laid by their pack, which allowed their dangerous backline to give the ball some air and expose loads of space at the back.
Tighthead prop, Christo Minnie, stole the show with his energetic play, even bulldozing over for one of his side’s six tries. His flyhalf, who hails from Hoërskool Wesvalia, Wian du Preez, was in good form off the kicking tee, nailing five conversions.
Scorers
Western Province 38 (14) – Tries: Tylo Hess, Lehan Barnard, Ethan van Biljon, Hendrik Goosen, Tevez Cupido. Conversions: Travis Pheiffer (4). Penalty: Pheiffer. Eastern Province 24 (15) – Tries: Erin Nelson (2), Lucretia Magua. Conversions: William Stevens (2). Penalty: Leighton Lawrence. Drop goal: Lawrence.
Blue Bulls 26 (20) – Tries: Yarah George (2), Wandile Mbatha. Conversion: Vihan Pretorius. Penalties: Pretorius (3). Western Province XV 24 (10) – Tries: Qiraan Hermanus, Juan Visagie, Ithandile Nkohla, Achmat Behardien. Conversions: Behardien (2).
South Western Districts 26 (11) -Adrian Smith (2), Jacobus de Villiers. Conversion: Mark-Hein Fourie. Penalties: Caleb Williams (2), Fourie. Namibia 6 (6) – Penalties: Sergio Pamplin (2).
Ruby Kraus and Arista van Zyl were in top form as they led their sides, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal A and Northern Gauteng A, to victories on Monday, the second day of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein.
The tournament began on Sunday, 16 June, and ends with the last of playoff matches on Friday, 21 June.
Kraus scored three goals across two matches to help KZN Coastal register back-to-back victories and maintain their spot at the summit of Pool B.
The KZN side is one of only two unbeaten teams in the tournament. The other is Natasha leRoux’s Southern Gauteng A. They lead Pool A with three wins from three outings.
Coastals were a better version of themselves when they walked onto the University of Free State’s Field 1 in the first match of the second day. They had shaken off their first day’s nerves and looked comfortable on the ball. Not even the biting Bloemfontein cold could stop them.
“We did a bit of video analysis last night and noted that we let EP into the game yesterday. We spoke about being better in our defensive shape. We felt that let us down against EP,” Jacinta Wedderburn, the Coastal coach, said. “Today they were tight, holding good lines, and turning over the ball convincingly.”
Despite winning their first match 3-1, Wedderburn felt her side had conceded a soft goal that could have been avoided. The coach’s impression of the game was shared by her captain, Tara Pakendorf, who is having an excellent tournament so far.
“I feel like our team played well together,” Pakendorf said. “We had amazing connections throughout the whole game. We had composure on the ball. Everyone was communicating and unselfish and encouraging towards one another.”
Kraus scored a brace as Coastals walloped Northern Free State 8-1, winning by the widest margin of the tournament so far.
“We started hard and finished hard. We scored our last goal in the last second and that showed that we didn’t stop pushing. It took us a bit of time to acclimatise to the different environment and altitude, but today we found our rhythm and I hope we can keep building from there,” Kraus said.
The Durban Girls’ College learner recorded her third goal of the day when KZN Coastal squeezed past Boland A 1-0 in the late afternoon.
Northern Gauteng A shrugged off a loss to their arch-rivals Southern Gauteng A on day one to record a 4-1 win over Southern Free State A.
When they walked out to face the defending champions, the Mmamorena Manthata-captained side had clarity of purpose.
“I think, as a team, we kept the vibe up; nobody dropped their head because of yesterday’s result. Everyone kept their chin up. At the end of the day, one bad game doesn’t mean a bad tournament,” Arista van Zyl said after the tie.
Sinoxolo Mbekeni, the Northern Gauteng A coach, felt that his side’s loss to Southern Gauteng A in the Jukskei derby had more to do with mindset than skill.
“Yesterday, we were uptight before our match against Southern Gauteng A. We were going up against a side with players they meet at school level, and instead of focusing on our gameplan and skills, we became reactionary,” he said.
Van Zyl opened the scoring for Northern Gauteng A with a field goal in the 12th minute. It didn’t take long before she struck again to place Southern Free State A firmly on the back foot.
“I liked the second goal better because we started from the back and had a great build-up. It was completely a team goal,” she shared.
Van Zyl is currently the only player with a hat-trick to her name and is the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals. Hot on her heels are Coastals’ Ruby Kraus and Bianca Rees-Gibbs, of Southern Free State, with four goals each. They are followed by Gemma Purcell (Western Province B), Ella Shuttleworth (KZN Inland A) and Hannah Smyth (Southern Gauteng A) with three goals each.
The prolific Northerns’ striker summed up her approach, saying: “When we started playing, my coach told me, ‘If you buy a lotto ticket, you can win. So, if you keep taking the shots, you can score goals. If you don’t take the shots, you don’t score.’”
Their victory against Southern Free State A lifted Northerns into second place in Pool A, tied with Southern Free State on points but with a better goal difference. Southern Gauteng A is top of the pool standings.
RESULTS
KZN Coastals A 8-1 Northern Free State
Southern Gauteng B 0-0 Boland A
KZN Inland A 2-2 Eastern Province A
Western Province A 0-1 Southern Gauteng A
Northern Gauteng A 4-1 Southern Free State A
Border A 1-3 Western Province B
Boland A 0-1 KZN Coastal A
Northern Free State 1-3 KZN Inland A
Day 3 Fixtures
08:45 – Southern Gauteng A vs Western Province B 10:10 – Southern Free State A vs Western Province A 11:35 – Border A vs Northern Gauteng A 13:00 – KZN Coastal A vs Southern Gauteng B 14:25 – Boland A vs KZN Inland A 15:35 – Western Province B vs Western Province A 15:50 – Eastern Province A vs Northern Free State
The KZN Inland u18A side has found the going much harder over the opening two days of this year’s SASHOC National Weekthan last year’s event, which was also hosted in Bloemfontein at the University of Free State.
On Monday, they played to a 2-2 draw against their arch-rivals, KZN Coastal A. The draw followed a shock 1-2 defeat against a gritty Northern Gauteng team on the opening day.
In that clash, Tino Hove scored to give the Inland team the lead. His goal was, however, cancelled out by set piece strikes from Northerns’ skipper Zac Richardson, and Luken Brunette.
KZN Inland, captained by Hilton College’s Jarred Kitto, is focussed on bagging points from wins in Pool B, which is proving to be much tighter than many had predicted.
Coastal A, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Southern Free State A on Sunday, are also chasing a first victory.
The game started slowly, but KZN Coastal dominated possession in the early going as Andre Strydom, Matthew De Oliveira, and Lumi Matwele controlled the midfield.
Discipline was an issue in the second chukka, with players from both teams being shown their marching orders.
Inland’s Dane Jackson picked up a yellow card after a poor tackle on a Coastal player, before Coastal’s Josh Beck headed to the naughty seat after receiving a green card late in the chukka.
Coach Cameron Mackay’s Coastal side did, however, open the scoring soon after that when De Oliveira netted to give his side a slender 1-0 lead at halftime.
In the third stanza, Inland momentarily changed the momentum of the match. After surviving a few waves of attack, coach Damian Kimfley’s team scored twice in quick succession through Julian Koningkramer and Banele Dlamini.
Koningkramer’s goal came from smart interlinking play from Dlamini on the left-hand touchline. After a darting run, the speedster entered the circle and played the ball across to Koningkramer, who, with space and time on his side, calmly slotted the opportunity to level the scores.
Soon after that, good vision from the Inland side saw them move the ball quickly up to the strikers and Dlamini was in on goal. He didn’t miss and put his side 2-1 ahead.
They held onto that lead for most of the fourth chukka, but, with five minutes remaining, Coastal struck again, this time, via a short corner. Trent Jessop made it count when it mattered the most and executed a drag flick to perfection to make it 2-2.
After the match, coach Kimfley told SuperSport Schools Plus his charges had performed better than they did on Sunday: “I think we were better in terms of energy and how we pressed.
“We spent a lot of time on video analysis last night. We had about three video sessions, one last night, and two this morning, to get the guys in a better place, and I think they all fulfilled their roles today.
“We were 2-1 up for large parts of the final moments, and we just let it slip at the end. We will take the point and move on.”
With two days of round-robin action remaining, Pool B is still wide open, and KZN Inland will need to win all of their remaining matches to sneak into the top end of the playoffs.
Kimfley said that’s a pressure that he and his coaching team relish. “We enjoy the pressure. The boys do, too,” he reckoned.
“Today, I put a lot of pressure on them to perform, because we lost yesterday, and we needed to get the win. The boys stepped up, and that was good to see.
“They know we have to win the next three games. Our backs are against the wall, but we will come out fighting. We’ll do our video prep, as normal, and hold the boys accountable for their performances,” he concluded.
Inland will be back in action on Tuesday when they take on Eastern Province A at 12:45.
Day four will see them play a doubleheader against Southern Gauteng A and Southern Free State A. All of the action will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
Scorers
KZN Coastal A 2 (1): Matthew de Oliveira, Trent Jessop. KZN Inland A 2 (0): Julian Koningkramer, Banele Dlamini.
After three days of gruelling football and 86 matches, only nine out of the 117 teams that participated in the Gauteng leg of the qualifier tournament made it through to the Engen Knockout Competition, which is scheduled to take place next month.
Kearsney College travelled from KwaZulu-Natal to St Stithians College in Gauteng for their final fixture of the season on Saturday, 15 June.
One of the SASHOC National Week‘s dark horse teams, Southern Gauteng B, aka Witsies, delivered an exceptional performance on day two, after having claimed a hard-fought draw on Sunday, to remain unbeaten.
Ruby Kraus and Arista van Zyl were in top form as they led their sides, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal A and Northern Gauteng A, to victories on Monday, the second day of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein.