Rugby Results for Craven Week Day 4.
Boland vs Valke
The day began with a tense clash between Boland and Valke. The first half offered little in terms of fireworks, with Boland holding a narrow six-point lead at the break. Valke failed to capitalize during a 10-minute window where Boland were down to 14 men. However, the second half got off to a dream start for Valke after a Boland error under a high ball led to the opening try of the 2nd half. Things went from bad to worse for Boland with another yellow card, and from there, the Valke machine kept rolling to seal a confident 35–19 victory.
Griquas vs Leopards
Game two was a high-octane encounter between Griquas and the Leopards. The Leopards clawed their way back from a 12-point deficit, and from there, it became an arm-wrestle, with both sides evenly matched. For nearly an hour, just three points separated them. But it was the Leopards who blinked first and a key player was sent to the bin, Griquas took full advantage. Any hopes of a late Leopard resurgence were squashed when Griquas’ No. 5 drove the final nail home, securing a thrilling 46–34 win.
Eastern Province vs Border
Next up, Eastern Province took on Border in what turned out to be a match defined by discipline or lack thereof. Yellow cards flew for cynical play, but it didn’t overshadow the quality on display. EP came out firing and held the upper hand throughout, with flyhalf Kemp expertly managing the scoreboard each time his side crossed the whitewash. Border simply couldn’t match the pace or consistency, and EP walked away deserved 30–12 victors.
Youtube highlights of the match
Sharks vs Western Province
The final match of the day was the headline act from the undefeated Sharks taking on an imposing Western Province side. The Sharks came out hot, posting the first penalty and a quick try. But Province didn’t wait long to respond. Marcus Muller powered over after shrugging off a determined McGough, and that lit the Province fire. Sharks managed only a further three points in the half, while Province added a converted try and a penalty to lead 21–13 at the break. The second half belonged entirely to the Cape side No.1 Jordan Jooste, dotted down from a precision lineout move, and from there, it was one-way traffic. The Sharks’ attacking spark, including star Zekethelo Siyaya, was snuffed out, and Western Province cruised to a commanding 45–13 victory.
Youtube highlights of the match
As we head into Saturday’s final match-ups, only two unbeaten teams remain and both hail from the Western Cape. Province XV and Western Province have shown exceptional rugby IQ and execution, and have marked themselves as the teams to beat. All roads lead to Saturday, where the strongest will look to leave their final statement.
U18 Craven Week day five fixtures (Saturday, 12 July)
A-field:
09h00: EP vs Blue Bulls
10h15: Golden Lions vs WP XV
11h30: Sharks vs Free State
12h45: WP vs SWD
B-field:
09h00: Boland vs Griffons
10h15: Limpopo vs Leopards
11h30: Griquas vs Valke
12h45: Border vs Pumas