As promised, the final day of the FNB U18 Craven Week delivered crunching tackles, sensational stepping and thrilling tries!

Middelburg Hoërskool in Mpumalanga played host to a week-long spectacle of provincial schoolboy rugby, which culminated in the announcement of the SA Schools squads. Western Province have the most representatives across the two groups.

Here’s what you need to know from the last day’s action.

EP vs Bulls

Bulls flyhalf and captain Ruben Groenewald of Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool got the action underway on the A-field. However, it was the opposition flyhalf, Tristan Kemp of Grey High School, who opened the scoring, slotting a penalty awarded to his side in the fifth minute. He also won the early kick-tennis battle, putting his side within 5m of the tryline with a well-placed 50:22. EP flanker Liyema Katikati (Kingswood College) cut through the Bulls’ defence, just as he did against Border on Thursday, to score the opening try. Tristan converted.

EP went at a point-per-minute ratio, scoring another try – this time by centre Erin Nelson (Graeme College). Tristan converted it as their tally reached 17 points in as many minutes. At this stage, it looked like it was going to be a long day at the office for the team in blue, but a good cross-field kick by captain Ruben resulted in winger Junaide Stuart (Hoërskool Garsfontein) dotting down for a try.

Ruben added the extras from about 5m in from the touchline. Minutes later, flanker Elwin Jansen van Vuuren (Affies) pulled the Bulls within five points by scoring in the same corner. This time, however, Ruben failed to add the two extra points. The pendulum seemed to have swung as EP lost their opening momentum.

A try by Bulls No 8 and vice-captain Stefan McDonald of Affies saw Ruben’s conversion put his side in the lead for the first time as half-time approached. The captain kept the hammer down, kicking a 50:22 to set up a Bulls lineout. In classic Bulls fashion, a rolling maul followed, and replacement hooker Charl Els (Affies) scored. Ruben added the conversion and at half-time, the Bulls had turned things around to lead 26-17.

The Bulls started the second half with real intent. Prop Jeffrey Singo of Pretoria Boys High School powered through a couple of EP defenders to score his second try of the tournament. Not long after, centre Dylan Stumke (Die Hoërskool Menlopark) – the schoolboy who grabbed headlines with a mammoth penalty kick last year – added another five-pointer. Ruben converted the first of the two tries, as well as No 7 Elwin’s second of the match (and his team’s seventh), to take the score to 45-17.

EP were not down and out yet, with No 10 William Stevens (St Andrew’s College) adding five points to their total, plus two more by Tristan as the score read 45-24 with 20 minutes to go.

The Bulls hit the 50-point mark when fullback Junade Pasensie (Garsfontein) scored a try. Ruben failed to convert, but added the extras when winger Thabiso Simelane (St Alban’s College) scored his fifth try of the tournament. The conversion sent the Bulls’ score to 57 points with just over 57 minutes played. Another Affies schoolboy, Zirk Meyer, scored the Bulls’ 10th try, and Ruben took his personal tally to 14, and his side’s to 64. Ruben set up winger Thabiso’s second of the match, and his sixth of the tournament, with another good cross-kick. He missed the conversion.

EP had one last attack but failed to score, and a turnover saw Bulls No 12 Dylan score his side’s 12th try to put the cherry on top of a convincing Bulls win. Ruben’s conversion meant the combined scoreline hit the 100-point mark when the final whistle was blown: 76-24.

Lions vs WP XV

Lions flyhalf Jeandre Uithaler (Hoërskool Noordheuwel) opened the scoring with a penalty. Fullback and vice-captain Ty Ax of Helpmekaar Kollege extended his side’s lead with his second try of the tournament, and the match’s first five-pointer. Jeandre’s boot took the score to 10-0.

WP XV hooker Thomas Muller’s (Paarl Boys’ High School) try was correctly ruled out by the television match official (TMO), as he knocked the ball on before the tryline. A large part of the match was an uncharacteristic scrappy affair with no points scored until less than five minutes to go until the break.

Lions fullback Matthew Hunt (Northcliff High School), who played Academy Week earlier this week, extended his side’s lead to 15 points, with Jeandre adding the extras.

At 17-0, the Lions looked in control, but on the stroke of half-time, WP XV flyhalf Leighton Brinkhuis of Paarl Boys’ High showed individual brilliance and scored a sublime try to get his side on the scoreboard. He converted his try, and the half-time score was 17-7 for the Lions.

Lions winger Aidan Bester (Noordheuwel) added five more points in the opening stages of the second half. From near the touchline, Jeandre slotted the conversion to take the score to 24-7. Minutes later, he added another three points after WP XV were penalised at a breakdown.

The score was 27-7 with 15 minutes to go. A yellow card to Lions No 8 and captain Chinedu Amadi of King Edward VII School, for a dangerous tackle, saw WP XV capitalise on the numerical advantage. Lock Gershom Pieters of Paarl Boys’ High scored a try, converted by Leighton. However, he failed to add the extras when replacement Caleb Koeberg (Paul Roos Gimnasium) scored his third try of this year’s showpiece. As the hooter went, Caleb Bell of Rondebosch Boys’ High School – another player who featured in the Academy Week earlier this week – scored a five-pointer. Centre Iwan Jordaan of Boishaai took over the kicking duties and converted from the touchline. Despite WP’s valiant efforts, at full time, the score was 27-26 in favour of the Lions.

Sharks vs Free State

Sharks fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya (Westville Boys’ High School) – a SA Schools selection hopeful – got the penultimate match on the A-field underway. It was the Free Staters who opened the scoring, through hooker Marinus Oosthuizen’s (Grey College) try from a rolling maul, just over 14 minutes in. A fellow Grey learner, flyhalf Darius Erwee, was unable to add the extras.

The Sharks failed to score from an attacking lineout 5m from the Free State tryline. Little scoring action followed, but spectators were treated to a fullback match-up after Free State 15 Lamla Mgedezi (another Grey schoolboy) showed dazzling feet and then a chip-and-chase kick, ultimately gathered by counterpart Zekhethelo. The Sharks’ No 15 came out on top in this mini-battle, stepping his opponent, who ended up on the ground.

It took another 14 minutes for more points to be scored. This time, Free State flyhalf Darius’ kicking shoes were on and he sent a penalty kick through the uprights to give his side an 8-0 lead with just over seven minutes left in the half. Another rolling maul by the Free Staters saw captain Xander Smit of Grey adding five more points as the hooter went. Darius failed to kick the conversion over, but with the Sharks scoreless, Free State had a 13-point lead at half-time.

In the 41st minute, the first red card of the tournament was shown to Sharks winger Rourke O’Sullivan (Michaelhouse) for a dangerous tackle. The resulting penalty, and two more later on in the match, were scored by Darius. The Free State had a 22-point lead when replacement Toriq Schambreel (Grey College) thought he scored a five-pointer, but the try was rightly chalked off by the TMO for a forward pass in the build-up. The Sharks finally got onto the board in the 60th minute, when winger Jadrian Afrikaner (Westville Boys’ High School) scored a try. Zekhethelo missed the conversion, and the scoreboard read 22-5.

Free State’s magic man Lamla showed brilliance as he scored his fifth try of the showpiece, but Darius again failed to add the extras. Toriq got his try minutes later, and Darius finally landed his first conversion of the tournament, despite having already slotted a few penalties, to extend his side’s lead to 34-5. It was, however, the Sharks who had the final say, with Zekhethelo conjuring a five-pointer out of nothing. This was his second try of the tournament.

Sharks replacement Stefan Moolman of Michaelhouse slotted in the conversion, and the Free Staters won 34-12.

WP vs SWD

The Eagles came flying out of the blocks, dominating possession in the opening minutes of the unofficial final. Flyhalf Virgil Pockpas (Hoërskool Outeniqua) put the first points on the board with a successful penalty. He did so again just 10 minutes in, extending his side’s lead to 6-0.

Turnover ball by WP got the boys in the blue and white hoops onto the scoreboard, when No 15 Jadon Ocks (Hoër Landbouskool Boland), playing on the wing, scored a try. Flyhalf Ethan van Biljon (Stellenberg High School) had a difficult conversion from the touchline. He failed to convert – only his second miss of the week. SWD’s one-point lead disappeared shortly after when WP captain and flanker Josh Neill (Rondebosch Boys’ High School) scored from a rolling maul. The conversion, again from the touchline, was missed by Ethan, but WP had a 10-6 lead.

SWD flyhalf Virgil cut the deficit to one point with a successful penalty. Province extended their lead thanks to a five-pointer by No 8 Quintin Potgieter (Paarl Gimnasium) – his third of the week. Kicking duties were taken over by scrumhalf Jayden Brits (Hoër Landbouskool Boland), who took the half-time score to 17-9 in favour of WP.

There were 35 minutes to go for WP to bag their sixth consecutive victory in the main game of the final day. WP flyhalf Ethan returned to kicking duties with a successful penalty in the opening minutes of the second half. The boys in blue then put their feet down. A strong run by Markus Muller of Paarl Gimnasium sparked an attack that led to No 14 Jeneall Davids (Paarl Boys’ High School), playing fullback, scoring a try. Ethan had a tough kick from the touchline, but converted to put the score at 27-9.

WP were reduced to 14 players when hooker Altus Rabe (Paul Roos Gimnasium) was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements by his team. The Eagles showed their wings were not yet clipped as they made the numerical advantage count. Prop Kai Pratt (Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale) scored a try, but the missed conversion by fullback Reinhart Viljoen (also from Oakdale) meant WP led 27-14.

Their fightback was made tougher when replacement Jade Petersen (Outeniqua) was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. A rugby collision saw the match halted due to a head injury to Reinhart. With five minutes left on the clock, WP No 15 Jadon was the third player in the match to be yellow-carded. He was temporarily suspended in the final minute due to a deliberate knock on. The Eagles could not score from the resulting lineout, but earned an attacking opportunity from a scrum close to the WP tryline.

They made things interesting as a try by centre Anrich Scheffer (Oakdale), followed by a conversion from scrumhalf Jandrian Goosen (also Oakdale), closed the gap to six points ahead of the final restart. The Eagles had one last opportunity, but a darting run towards the tryline ended with a kick that landed in WP’s hands. Province then kicked the ball out to seal a 27-21 victory.

More rugby action was witnessed on the B-field, and these were the results:

• Boland beat Griffons 38-36.
• Leopards thrashed Limpopo 54-7.
• Griquas beat Valke 26-19.
• Pumas thumped Border 48-12.

That’s full-time on the Craven Week for 2025.