Rugby youth weeks continue to thrill in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein

Thrilling rugby action was again the order of the day in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, where the SA Rugby Youth weeks continued for a second day at Jeppe High School and Sentraal High School.

The SA Rugby u-18 Girls Week kicked off on June 18, following a successful start to the u-16s on Monday, while only three teams remain undefeated in Bloemfontein after the second round of matches at the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week.

Only DHL Western Province, SWD and the Golden Lions are undefeated following the second day of high-scoring action in the Free State capital, where 54 tries were added to the 61 scored on Monday.

The LSEN Week has a rest day on Wednesday and the final round of matches will be played on Thursday.

There was some stunning rugby delivered at Jeppe Boys High School in the u-18 girls week, with a number of teams showing good skills and intent. The rest day will be well received after some bruising encounters, with the SA Rugby u-16 girls week continuing at the same venue.

SA Rugby u-18 Girls Week

Border started their tournament with a bang by claiming a convincing 38-12 triumph win over Limpopo Blue Bulls in their opening match of the 2019 week in Johannesburg.

Flank Andiswe Mbilase and centre Aphelele Nchukana scored a brace each as the Eastern Cape side outscored the Limpopo side by six tries to two. The first half was pretty tight as Border were restricted to just two tries for a 12-0 lead, but they scored four more in the second half, while conceding two.

The Free State claimed a 27-17 win over Pumas in a tight affair. The Bloem side held a 10-5 lead at the interval and eventually outscored their opponents by five tries to three; however, they made it difficult for themselves by earning no less than three yellow cards during the match.

In the end, a good team performance helped them along, with the Pumas banking on the power of prop Kamu Mokoena, who scored two tries.

The Blue Bulls looked impressive in their 27-5 win over Griquas. The Pretoria side held a 12-0 advantage at half-time with two good tries and although Vianca Boer (centre) pulled one back for Griquas, a brace by midfielder Sharlean Netshandama eased the Blue Bulls into a deserving win.

Tournament hosts Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions did not disappoint. They outplayed Griffons 43-0 and scored six tries on their way to a flying start. They managed to build up a 24-0 advantage at the break, with the pace of winger Mardiya Usman a threat throughout, while fly half Liela Chammai showed some deft touches and converted three tries.

The SWD ‘Ea-girls’ team started well this year. They managed a 24-0 success over Border Country Districts, who must be said refused to give up even though they were outplayed. SWD were 5-0 in front at the break and scored three more tries without reply in the second half. Their fly half, Jo-anne Phillips, delivered a stunning performance by scoring three tries and two conversions for a personal tally of 19 points.

The Boland versus Leopards clash was a tight affair and it was the team from the Winelands who prevailed 15-12 in the end. They looked solid in the opening half, which netted them two tries; however, the North West side came back strongly in the latter part of the game to score two tries of their own.

The solo Boland try in the second half scored through nippy centre Lee-Ann Tsokotsiyana proved the difference in the end.

The DHL Western Province continued with their strong showing in the tournament on Tuesday by beating Eastern Province 17-0 after enjoying a halftime 12-0 lead. All three tries came from their flyer, Donelle Snyders, who scored twice in the first half and once in the second stanza to bag her hat-trick. Snyders, who is also a South African touch rugby player, displayed her deft touches on many occasions as she left numerous defenders in her wake.

The final match of the day in Johannesburg proved a good one to end the day with as Zimbabwe outplayed the Sharks 26-12. The visitors from up north had a solid second half display to thank for their efforts. They were up 14-12 at the break, but did not allow the Natal side to score again, while they added two tries of their own and lay down a marker for the rest of the competitors.