adminMehluli Sibanda in Stellenbosch, South Africa
Zimbabwe Under-18 20-51 Eastern Province Country Districts Under-18
THE Old Mutual Junior Sables face a prospect of returning home from the Under-18 Craven Week winless for a second consecutive year after losing their second match to Eastern Province Country Districts at the Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch yesterday.
Zimbabwe, who lost 12-17 to Griquas Country Districts in their opening match of the schoolboys’ tournament on Tuesday, threw away a five-point first half lead to lose by 31 points.
The Junior Sables now face fellow national side Namibia in their last match of the Craven Week on Saturday.
At last year’s Craven Week held in Middelburg, Zimbabwe emerged second best in their three matches against Eastern Province Country Districts, Griquas Country Districts and Namibia.
Yesterday, Zimbabwe managed to score four unconverted tries in the first half, while their opponents were on fire with seven tries, five conversions and two penalty goals.
Zimbabwe started the match in top gear and got onto the scoreboard first, five minutes into the game when right wing Russell Dinha burst through to score the opening try, but flyhalf Benjamin Meredith was unsuccessful with the conversion, leaving the Junior Sables leading 5-0.
Three minutes later, left wing Tinotenda Vheriwa delivered the second try for Zimbabwe, but Meredith’s kicking let him down again as he missed the conversion kick.
Scrumhalf Ernest Mudzengerere came up with the third try for Zimbabwe, only for Meredith to struggle with his kicking as his conversion shot went wide of the posts.
Two minutes later, Eastern Province Country Districts registered their first try with left wing Grant Dixie going over, but Anthony Dakin’s conversion kick fell short of the posts. Right wing and man-of-the-match Gevanhier Blom scored the second try for Eastern Province Country Districts in the 19th minute, and Dakin’s successful conversion reduced the deficit to three points.
Flank Stuart Dodington scored the Junior Sables’ fourth try when he forced his way through, but Meredith could not add the extra two points with another unsuccessful conversion kick.
Dakin reduced the deficit for Eastern Province Country Districts through a penalty goal, bringing them to within five points of Zimbabwe, who went to the break leading 20-15.
Four minutes after the break, Eastern Province Country Districts took the lead for the first time in the match through a Blom try that was converted by Dakin for the Eastern Cape schoolboys to go ahead 22-20.
Shortly afterwards, Zimbabwe were forced to make a change, with Dinha going off through injury and replaced by Sam Phiri.
Zimbabwe let the game slip further away when they conceded a penalty that Dakin converted. Inside centre Joshua Niewoudt scored the fourth try and Dakin converted to give Eastern Cape Country Districts a 32-20 lead.
Their loose forward Herman du Plessis was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, but the numerical disadvantage did not stop them from scoring a fifth try, and Blom’s third, whose conversion kick was, however, missed by Dakin.
Fullback Chulumanco Chutu came up with the sixth try for Eastern Province Country Districts and Dakin converted the kick to stretch their lead to 44-20.
Dixie delivered the killer blow for Eastern Province Country Districts with his second try of the game at the death, and Dakin’s conversion with the last kick of the match sealed a comprehensive victory for the Eastern Cape schoolboys.
Online Reporter