Mitchell Carstens slips past two KwaZulu-Natal defenders

Rugby, or particularly junior rugby, is alive and well in the Western Cape. It is no surprise that they rule the roost in the under age groups, it’s a phenomena that we have come to expect and sometimes take for granted.

The challenge for the men in the board rooms of WP Rugby Union is how to hang onto all the talent. They are lambasted on an annual basis for those that they “let slip away” and credit for those they managed to secure is few and far between. Are we, as supporters, always fair in our criticism of our respective unions? How can anybody be 100% sure that a player will make the step up.

Tim Swiel is a good case in point, when news broke that he signed at the Sharks social network went into overdrive with unhappy Western Province supporters taking shots at Allister Coetzee, Rob Wagner and Thelo Wakefield. This was a kid who showed immense talent while playing for Bishops and then went on to help Western Province win the Under 21 Currie Cup.

Yet, hardly 6 months later he is being lambasted on rugby sites by Shark supporters who blame him for their loss against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein a week ago. Jake White, after losing Pat Lambie to injury in March, placed his faith in young Swiel, but that seems to also now be misplaced. Swiel has been dropped from the match 23 a week after he was the starting fly half.

It’s impossible to retain every young talented player, so here’s hoping that the WP Rugby Union do manage to keep their hands on some of these youngsters that has done the union so proud this week.

Western Province thrashed KwaZulu-Natal 38-7 in the final of the U18 Academy Week at HTS Drostdy in Worcester on Thursday.

It was expected to be a clash of the titans, as both sides headed into the match undefeated. Instead it turned out to be a one-sided affair, with Western Province steamrolling their opponents into submission. With four unanswered tries by wing André Manuel, No 8 Michael Meyer (captain) and locks Sybrand du Toit and Calvin Nell, of which flyhalf Danrich Visagie converted two, Western Province raced to a 24-point lead at the halfway mark. After the break, they continued where they left off, this time prop Edward Marais was on hand to take the final pass for a well-worked team score. Hayden Tharratt’s five-pointer, converted by the impressive Bader Pretorius, eventually put KwaZulu-Natal on the scoreboard, but when they conceded a sixth try, the result was a foregone conclusion and Western Province were crowned the unofficial champions.

Western Province have now won the 2014 U13 Craven Week, U16 Grant Khomo Week and the U18 Academy Week.

In other results, the Golden Lions beat hosts Boland 31-23, the Pumas struggled past the Griffons 26-23, Griquas CD lashed LSEN 41-27, Border crushed the Limpopo Blue Bulls 41-10, SWD easily beat Eastern Province CD 44-26, the Cheetahs demolished Namibia 57-34, the Leopards hammered Border CD 76-0, the Pumas CD beat KwaZulu-Natal CD 17-5, the Blue Bulls and Eastern Province drew 7-all, the Boland XV took down the Red Valke 23-8, the Blue Valke downed Griquas 44-23 and the Golden Lions XV trounced the Griffons CD 53-15.

Western Province (38) – Tries: André Manuel, Michael Meyer, Sybrand du Toit, Calvin Nell, Edward Marais, Taigh Schoor. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (3), Cornell Smit.
KwaZulu-Natal (7) – Try: Hayden Tharratt. Conversion: Bader Pretorius.

Western Province on Thursday took the honours as the unofficial champions at the Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week for the third successive time as they registered a convincing 26-11 victory against hosts, the Blue Bulls, at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria.

The Cape side built on their victories against Border and the Golden Lions on the opening two days by delivering another impressive attacking performance, which they supported with a solid defensive effort to secure the victory.

The match marked a repeat of the final game last season, which Western Province won 22-15, while the Cape side pipped the Free State 10-7 in the 2012 tournament. Eastern Province, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State also finished the tournament on a high note with memorable victories.