GOOSAIN ABRAHAMS
WESTERN Province won their 14th consecutive Craven Week game on the trot in emphatic style with an overwhelming 66-14 win over an hapless Eastern Province side at Hoërskool Monument in Krugersdorp yesterday.
It was a vast improvement for the victors on their below-par performance on day one, when they held off the Sharks 36-26.
Province started like a house on fire with a try after 40 seconds when, from the kick-off, they moved the ball out wide and centre Caleb Engelbrecht showed the defence a clean pair of heels with a 50-metre dash to the line for an unconverted try.
From the kick-off, it was very much copy and paste as their backs moved the ball from the 22m, ending with captain and lock Riley Norton finishing off with a converted try.
At 12-0 up, all the momentum was with WP. They were strong in the scrums and their line-outs were functioning effectively.
Such was their dominance up front that EP, under immense pressure, conceded two penalty tries for collapsing mauls, while also copping two yellow cards in the process.
Bizarrely, both players concerned were hookers.
With Engelbrecht completing a brace of tries following yet another flowing backline move, EP were starring down the barrel at 33-0 down.
The Gqeberha side, who barely got their hands on the ball, made rare sorties into the opposition territory.
Province became careless, conceding three penalties in a row, and they were duly punished.
First EP prop Ikechukwe Ukekwe burrowed his way over from a rolling maul, and then flank Tapiwe Zhanda did likewise from a line-out. Both tries were converted by flyhalf Caleb Friskin.
It was desperately needed tries that gave EP hope going into the break trailing 33-14.
However, the second half was very much a repeat of the first, with WP on the scoreboard in the 39th minute when flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed split the defence and found replacement flank Josh Neill ranging on his outside to score an unconverted try.
It was passion on display at the U18 Stadio Craven Week today 🔥@stadio_HigherEd @pura_soda #Buildingboks#YouthWeeks pic.twitter.com/IKS0dEo9OA
— SA Junior Rugby (@SAJuniorRugby) June 25, 2024
With Province now in complete control, further tries by replacement hooker Xabiso Mkiva and a second by Neill, both converted by Viaan Mentoor, extended the lead to 52-14.
The rout was completed when wing Freek de Kock and Markus Mullet, a replacement centre, both scored converted tries to bury EP once and for all.
In the main curtain-raiser yesterday, the Sharks gained their first win of the week with a 28-19 victory over South Western Districts.
It was only two late tries that sealed the game for them as SWD held on to a 19-14 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Other Day Two Results
Valke 36, Leopards 26; Boland 34, Border 26
Today’s Fixtures
Griquas v Limpopo Blue Bulls, Lions v WP XV, Griffons v Pumas, Cheetahs v Blue Bulls