It’s a Western Province vs Central Gauteng showdown in boys’ u16 final
Western Province A and Central Gauteng A will face off in what promises to be a humdinger of a final of the boys’ u16 section of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London.
The sides will lock horns in the Joan Harrison East Pool at 12:05 on Wednesday.
Western Province was the first side to book their place in the final with a tense come-from-behind 8–7 victory over KwaZulu Natal.
Ross van Schoor’s side looked dead in the water when they trailed 2-5 at halftime. “Our boys showed a lot of tenacity, grit, and determination to come back from that position,” Van Schoor said proudly after the contest.
Western Province headed into the tournament seeking redemption after they finished as the runner-up o KZN last year in Gqeberha. They were determined to improve on that result. Well led by James Malan, Province didn’t panic when they fell behind. They heeded Van Schoor’s reminders to focus on the process.
“We are not focusing on the results. When you focus on the scoreboard, you run the risk of making bad decisions while trying to chase the score,” he explained. “However, if you focus on the process and keep doing the right things, the results will take care of themselves.” the coach had said the day before the tournament started.
By focussing on the process, the Western Province side was able to turn the momentum and shift the pressure from themselves onto KZN. Deep into the final chukka, they edged into a slim one-goal lead, through Timothy Young, and they desperately held on to it until the end to keep their record clean.
Young, Benjamin Bigara, and Matthew Fenn scored a brace each, while James Pinnock and Malan contributed a goal each.
Levi Thom was outstanding for KZN, notching a hat-trick, while Thomas Aylward recorded a double, and Oliver Ludwig and Thomas Francke scored a goal each. Jason Sileno’s side will take on Northerns A for third place on Wednesday. When they met earlier in the tournament, KZN triumphed 13-8.
Central Gauteng A punched their ticket to the final in style. Siya Guzana’s side romped to a 13-2 victory over Northerns A to keep their unbeaten record intact.
It was a second win for Central Gauteng over their neighbours. In their first meeting, they scored an 8-2 victory. There was no complacency in their ranks for their semifinal clash, though, and Guzana’s side scored a more comfortable win the second time around.
“A lot of work has gone into building this team. We haven’t been simply looking at ability, but also character,” Guzana had shared before the showpiece kicked off.
He and the Gauteng coaching staff focused on creating a team with a positive and vibrant culture. They were fortunate that the same players who did well at the Currie Cup earlier in the year fitted the mold. “We have a team of players who go into the pool to play for each other,” Guzana said.
They had each other’s back in the semifinals. Matthew Cross led the scoring with four goals, while Connor McJannet and Ryan Morley registered a brace each, with Danillo Guiricich, Dylan Gander, Cooper Haworth, and David Latilla-Campbell adding one each.
SCORES
Buffalo City 7: Daniel Woodin (5), Reid deConing (1), Michael Russell (1). Eden Districts 5: Rorke Bubanj (2), Connor Keys (1), Jacob Hersch (1), Luca Whitehead (1).
Western Province A 12: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (2), Alex Barrett (2), Harry Oldham (2), Connor Mortlock (1), Aiden Turrell (1), James Malan (1). Western Province B 3: Noah Coleman (3).
Nelson Mandela Bay 4: Carter Rosser (2), Dane Paterson (1), Stefan Polderman (1). Northerns A 7: Ettiene van der Merwe (4), Ruan Engelbrecht (3).
Central Gauteng B 4: Ethan Kemp (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Gui-Nam Chen (1). KwaZulu Natal 9: Thomas Francke (2), Levi Thom (2), Thomas Aylward (2), Oliver Guy (1), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Oliver Ludwig (1).
Zimbabwe 2: Tapfuma Taundi (1), Blaise Scheepers (1). Central Gauteng A 11: David Campbell (2), Matthew Cross (2), Aiden Khoury (2), Luke Shipway (1), Roan Wessels (1), Danillo Guiricich (1), Connor McJannet, Ryan Morley (1).
Buffalo City 12: Joshua Lentz (3), Michael Russell (2), Daniel van Biljon (2), Rael Govind, Daniel Woodin (1), Reid deConing (1), Jadan Grobler (1), Nicholas du Toit (1). Eastern Gauteng 5: Connor Cockcroft (2), Luke Laporte (1), Daelan Brijmohun (1), Matthew Craukamp (1).
Eden Districts 18: Jake Wood (5), Luca Whitehead (4), Rorke Babanj (3), Connor Keys (2), Matthew Tindall (1), Adrian Geldenhuys (1), Jacob Hersch (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1). Northerns B 1: Hawk Lamont (1).
Western Province B 8: Ross Prinsloo (3), Rupert Robinson (2), Umr Firfirey (1), Noah Coleman (1), Noah Viuff (1). Central Gauteng B 9: Matthew Peacock (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Ethan Kempen (1), Morgan Thomson (1), Adam Stoutjesdyk (1), Brayden Macfie (1), Daniel Pronk (1), Travis Kempen (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Adam Ball (4), Dane Paterson (2), Stefan Polderman (1), Samuel Barnes (1), Carter Rosser (1), Taye Colesky (1), Christian Chandler (1). Zimbabwe 7: Patrick Duff (3), Blaise Scheepers (2), Tapfuma Taundi (1), Bongani Dube (1).
Western Province A 8: Matthew Fenn (2), Benjamin Bigara (2), Timothy Young (2), James Pinnock (1), James Malan (1). KZN 7: Levi Thom (3), Thomas Aylward (2), Oliver Ludwig (1), Thomas Francke (1).
Northerns A 3: Ettiene van der Merwe (2), Ruan Engelbrecht (1). Central Gauteng A 12: Matthew Cross (4), Connor McJannet (2), Ryan Morley (2), Danillo Guiricich (1), Dylan Gander (1), Cooper Haworth (1), David Latilla-Campbell (1).
Buffalo City 14: Michael Russell (5), Campbell Dickinson (3), Daniel Woodin (2), Abakhe Ngamlana (1), Daniel van Biljon (1), Ried deConing (1), Joshua Lentz (1). Northerns B 3: Hawk Lamont (1), Raghard Bosman (1), Liam Russell (1).
Eastern Gauteng 3: Connor Cockcroft (1), Campbell Hustler (1), Daniel Rheeder (1). Eden Districts 5: Rorke Bubanj (2), Joshua Arbuzova (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1), Jacob Hersch (1).
