GQEBERHA. – The Golden Lions took a major step towards a place in the main match of the FNB u18 Craven Week on Saturday on the Kolisi Field here.
They managed to defeat their neighbours, the Blue Bulls, by 43-32 in the main game of the second day of the tournament on Grey High School’s main field.
The trend of the first two days of the tournament also continued with the team who scored the first points in a match ending on the losing side. All eight matches during the first two days were lost by the team opening their account first.
The Bulls were quick out of the blocks with hooker, Charl Els, crashing over. Flanker Kwagga van der Vyver also powered his way over the tryline to give the Bulls a 12-0 lead.
Van der Vyver received a yellow card five minutes into the second half, and the Lions’ lock Robert Hurn crashed over, with Jaydon Viljoen‘s conversion giving the Lions the lead for the very first time in the encounter. The lead was exchanged six times after that in the second half to keep supporters from both sides on the edge of their seats throughout the encounter.
The Lions took the lead for the last time when inside centre Ethan Lourens scored with a few minutes left on the clock. With only about a minute left, lock Glodi Tshipamba also scored, putting the result beyond any doubt.
For the Bulls, Ruan Fluks (flyhalf), Joshua Gouws (outside centre), Els and Van der Vyver played well.
Griqualand West surprised the Pumas by 43-29 in their opening clash in Gqeberha.
Their fullback, Tyler Campher, was on fire from the back, completing a hat-trick of tries to take the game away.
Their eighthman, Heinrich Swart, was a huge thorn in the Pumas’ side and also deservedly won the Player of the Match award. Swart will definitely have caught the eye of more than one SA Schools selector with this performance. He also completed a brace of tries, troubling the Pumas defence with his hard running.
The twin-engine of the Pumas on the side of the scrum, Siphesihle and Thubelihle Marule, got their side quickly out of the blocks. The latter scored the opening try of the game, while his brother crossed the tryline twice.
Another performance that the selectors would have taken note of was the scrummaging of Pumas tighthead prop, Dewald du Toit.
Scorers:
Golden Lions 43 (10) – Tries: Ethan Lourens, Siya Nkomo, Shaye Lourens, Ndzalama Mbhalati, Glodi Tshipamba, Robert Hurn. Conversions: Jaydon Viljoen (5). Penalty: Viljoen. Blue Bulls 32 (15) – Tries: Charl Els, Stefan van der Vyver, Joshua Gouws, Drewyn Baron. Conversions: Ruan Fluks (3). Penalties: Fluks (2).
Griqualand West 43 (21) – Tries: Tyler Campher (3), Heinrich Swart (2), Tiaan Serfontein, Jay-Dee Isaacs. Conversions: JG van Heerden (4). Pumas 29 (22) – Tries: Thubelihle Marule (2), Siphesihle Marule, Kamo Monkwe, Uzile Mathelela. Conversions: Buhle Mphahlaza (2).
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