It’s day of humble pie for Border

It was another humbling day for Border Craven and Academy Week sides as the three teams on show at the U18 Coca-Cola Craven Week all suffered defeats in their second matches of the festival yesterday.

The main Border Craven Week side fell to another disappointing defeat when they were edged 21-19 by valiant South Western Districts (SWD) who weathered an early storm then fought back to clinch a deserved win.

Border will however look back on a match of missed chances, as basic errors like missing touch from penalties and not securing their own lineout cost them dearly in the end.

The Border Country Districts (CD) Craven Week team were then soundly hammered 62-5 by neighbours Eastern Province CD, and then the Border CD Academy team were comfortably beaten 43-8 by the GWK Griquas side.

In all, Border has won just one of eight games at the two rugby weeks, with only the Border U18 Academy team having won their first match, before losing their second against the Sharks on Wednesday.

With the four teams having just one game left each on tomorrow’s final day of play, they will want to redeem themselves and finish with a bang.

In yesterday’s play the Border Craven Week side were stunned by two sucker-punches against the run of play. After dominating the first 10 minutes and squandering a few chances to go in front, they were rocked as they lost their own lineout on the halfway, allowing SWD to break through the Border defensive line. SWD fullback Darren Adonis dotted down under the poles.

Scrumhalf Zinedene Booysen’s successful conversion had SWD 7-0 up completely against the run of play.

Border then missed a penalty from out wide on the left-hand touch on the 10m after SWD were caught offside.

SWD then went further ahead as Border, on attack on the halfway, swung the ball down the line – only for SWD leftwing Damian Bonaparte to intercept. He raced away to score under the poles with Booysen’s extras putting them 14-0 up, despite Border having done almost all of the playing.

Border then struck back three minutes later as a comedy of errors saw them score after they broke into SWD’s 22m. An offload went straight into the hands of an SWD player who then himself passed the ball – then straight back to Border flyhalf David Coetzer who couldn’t believe his luck as he turned around and ran the final few metres and dived over. He then missed the conversion.

A yellow card to SWD skipper Wilhelm van Heerden for grabbing a player’s neck at a ruck then allowed Border to finish the half strong, capitalising on the extra man and breaking into SWD’s 22m. Lock Hennie Otto bashed over for a converted try.

Border then started the second half well and, just before the return of Van Heerden, Border eighthman Hanru Sirgel hit a gap at pace on SWD’s 22m line to run in and score. Coetzer’s conversion put them 19-14 up and ahead for the first time in the match.

But the lead only lasted 17 minutes. SWD rightwing Lithemba Mpoli scored, Booysen converted and SWD went back in front in the 58th minute.

SWD then had further chances to extend their lead with Booysen missing two penalties. In the end the match went down to the wire – with SWD emerging as victors.