Day two of 2025 FNB Grant Khomo Week delivers surprise and tries by the dozen
There were a few more runaway victories, but also at least one big surprise during the action on day two of the 2025 FNB Grant Khomo Week, which is being held at St Albans College in Pretoria this year.
It’s still freezing cold in Pretoria and all day on Wednesday the sun was a little shy to stick its head out properly in the east of the city, but once again these weather conditions didn’t stop the cream of the country’s u.16 rugby talent from playing some great rugby on day two at the 2025 FNB Grant Khomo Week.
With SANRAL in their infinite wisdom deciding to carry out roadworks on the N1 between Lynnwood Drive and Atterbury Road in Pretoria during office hours on Wednesday, there were many frustrated motorists who would have given anything to find a gap and escape the chaos.
Although they were not destined to do so, things were different just a few kilometres east at the St Albans College grounds in Lynnwood Ridge. There, spectators were treated to a great time watching the country’s best u.16 rugby players find gaps on the rugby field.
A few runaway victories may not have provided the necessary intensity expected at a tournament of this stature, but some spectacular tries produced by exciting running rugby were a cure for the cold for many spectators.
Speaking of runaway victories, it started early during the first game of the day on St Albans’ Baloyi A-field, when the Limpopo Blue Bulls scored ten unanswered tries to overwhelm Border Country Districts 60-0.
In the second match on this field, Namibia achieved their first victory of the tournament by beating the Iqhawe XV 43-26.
Other results at the Baloyi A-field were as follows:
- Leopards 39; Valke 15
- Griquas 40; Zimbabwe 25
- EP 27; Pumas 15
On the Moshate field, the day’s action also began with a whitewash, when the Lions scored seven tries to thrash Boland 43-0.
However, it was in the third match on this field that the big surprise of day two occurred when the WP XV – in fact the WP’s second team – beat the Free State quite easily 37-18.
In probably the most exciting and one of the toughest matches of the tournament so far, the Blue Bulls and the Sharks played to a 29-all draw.
Local fans probably thought the young Bulls were on their way to their second win at the tournament, but two tries late in the game by Sharks wingers, Lisa Sijadu and Mojalefa Mogale, enabled the boys from KwaZulu-Natal to pull off a draw.
The Sharks could have even won, but flyhalf Daniel Miskey, who otherwise played brilliantly, missed the final goal kick after Mogale’s try.
However, the drama was not over yet, because the Blue Bulls had a chance to seal the victory in the dying moments of the match, but flyhalf Reuben Smith unfortunately failed with a fairly easy penalty.
Other results on the Moshate field were as follows:
- Griffons 38, Border 17
- WP 29; SWD 21
Meanwhile, both WP teams, as well as the Sharks and the home team, the Blue Bulls, have been rewarded for their performances and unbeaten record since Monday when the fixtures for the final day’s action were made. Matches will also be played on the school’s third rugby field, the Baloyi B-field, on Friday to ensure that the tournament can be concluded shortly after lunch.
Friday’s fixtures are as follows:
Moshate field
- 09:00 – Griffons vs Eastern Province
- 10:15 – Golden Lions vs South Western Districts
- 11:30 – Blue Bulls vs Western Province XV
- 13:15 Western Province vs Sharks
Baloyi A-field
- 09:00 – Zimbabwe vs Namibia
- 10:15 – Border vs Boland
- 11:30 – Free State vs Griquas
Baloyi B-field
- 09:00 – Border Country Districts vs Iqhawe XV
- 10:15 – Pumas vs Valke
- 11:30 – Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Leopards
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