Results – Day 4 – Craven Week 2019
It will be North vs South is the main match of this year’s 56th annual Craven Week at Grey College in Bloemfontein. The Blue Bulls booked their spot in the main match after coming out on top by 36-34 in an exciting match against Western Province XV on the fourth day of the tournament.
The Blue Bulls will face the defending unofficial champions, Western Province, in the main match on Saturday.
A try late in the match by inside centre, AJ Johnson, drew scores level with SA Schools’ scrumhalf, Jurich Claassens, converting it to secure the victory. It was the best contest of the Craven Week thus far and a fitting main game as all the matches on the fourth day seemed to lift the intensity of the tournament. Claassens came onto the field as a flyhalf in the second half.
The Blue Bulls’ flanker Simon Miller also proved with a solid performance that he must surely be on the SA Schools’ selectors’ radar. In the back fullback, Geraldo Flusk, was impressive on attack.
For the Western Province XV their scrumhalf, Issy Safodien, and winger Javier Farmer both managed to complete a brace of tries.
A last-minute penalty by flyhalf, Warrick Day, gave the Border a narrow 39-36 victory over the Golden Lions. Day missed an attempt a couple of minutes earlier, but after the hooter slotted the winning penalty from in front of the poles.
For the Golden Lions both their wingers, TJ Maguranyanga and Ngia Selengbe crossed the try-line twice. Border’s winger Indiphile Tyeda scored two vital tries in the second half to keep Border within range of the Lions.
The Griffons kept their unbeaten status intact with a classy performance against the Blue Bulls XV. The Purple People Eaters came out on top by 50-33 with their inside centre, Duncan Amsterdam, bagging a hat-trick of tries.
Amsterdam’s performance in the midfield was excellent as his running lines gave the Blou Bulls trouble throughout. The Griffons’ other star player was the flanker Neil Harmse. He was like the Energizer Bunny and surfaced at the right places at the right time on defence.
The Blue Bulls coaching staff won’t be happy with their team’s effort in the first half. The Griffons led 33-5 at half-time. In the second half the Bulls’ flanker Lohan Potgieter produced the spark that led to his team producing a far better performance in the second half.
The Limpopo Blue Bulls’ captain and fullback, Brandon Cronjé, scored a hat-trick of tries as his team defeated the Golden Lions XV for a second time in 2019. The Limpopo Blue Bulls also defeated the Golden Lions by 38-33 during the Noordvaal Bondedag.
The Man-of-the-Match performance however belonged to flanker Renzo du Plessis. The flanker once again made some bullocking runs and made more than his fare share of tackles on defence.
Eastern Province had too much firepower for Griqualand West as they put them to the sword by 43-12. The visitors from the Eastern Cape scored seven tries to the two of Griquas.
Scorers:
Blue Bulls 36 (10) – Tries: Nolan Pienaar, Wikus Basson, Hope Sandisiwe, Geraldo Flusk, AJ Johnson. Conversions: Jurich Claassens (2), Basson (2). Penalty: Basson. Western Province 34 (29) – Tries: Issy Safodien (2), Javier Farmer (2), Blanks Blanckenberg. Conversions: Kian Meadon (3). Penalty: Meadon.
Border 39 (17) – Tries: Indiphile Tyeda (2), Bulumko Mfundisi, Jarrod Taylor, Sihlalo Benge, Ali Gqaza. Conversions: Benge (2), Warrick Day. Penalty: Day. Golden Lions 36 (17) – Tries: TJ Maguranyanga (2), Ngia Selengbe (2), Izan Esterhuizen. Conversions: Declan Raubenheimer (4). Penalty: Raubenheimer.
Griffons 50 (33) – Tries: Duncan Amsterdam (3), Juan-Roscoe Ruiters (2), Calla Pienaar, Dylan Smith. Conversions: Mekkie Matthews (5), Ruiters. Penalty: Ruiters. Blue Bulls XV 22 (5) – Tries: Werner Kruger, Lohan Potgieter, Carlton Banies, Eddie Wesso. Conversion: Justin Cross.
Limpopo Blue Bulls 46 (10) – Tries: Brandon Cronjé (3), Marvelous Mashimbye, Siphiwe Tjale, Renzo du Plessis, Jody du Preez, Taylor du Plessis. Conversions: Divan van Zyl (3). Golden Lions XV 24 (17) – Tries: Sifiso Dlamini (2), Frans Weideman, Sab Motsage. Conversions: Eulen Redcliffe, Marquin Uren.
Eastern Province 43 (31) – Tries: Christopher Poole (2), Matt Hillary, Ruan Claassen, Juandré Liebenberg, Liyema Matyolweni, Abo Klaas. Conversions: Liebenberg (4). Griqualand West 12 (5) – Tries: Steph Boshoff, Keano Windvogel. Conversion: Boshoff.
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