The Vodacom Blue Bulls were in rampant form as they scored 10 tries to book their spot in the SA Rugby Under-21 Championship Final with an impressive 72-26 win over the Cell C Sharks at Emirates Airline Park on Sunday.
 
The men from Pretoria held a 20-0 lead at the break and kept increasing that margin in a second half that saw 78 points being scored.
 
In the second match on Sunday, DHL Western Province, scored a crucial try at the final buzzer as they beat Toyota Free State by 47-28, keeping alive their chances to make it to the Final on 30 October.
 
The late try secured the Capetonians a bonus point as they moved from the bottom of the log to third place and back into contention with one round of pool matches remaining.
 
Next Sunday, the Cell C Sharks and Toyota Free State (both with four log points) will kick-off at 10h30, and the match between DHL Western Province (five points) and the Xerox Lions (nine points) – which is likely to deliver the other finalist – starts at 13h45.
 
The Vodacom Blue Bulls are the defending champions and have a bye next Sunday, but their big win over the Cell C Sharks guaranteed them top spot on the log (15 log points), so all eyes will be on the remaining four teams next Sunday, all of whom still have a mathematical change to qualify for the 30 October showpiece.
 
Match reports of today’s matches below:
 
Ten-try Vodacom Blue Bulls smash Cell C Sharks
 
Ten tries, seven of which came in a whirlwind second half of their match against the Cell C Sharks, eased the Vodacom Blue Bulls into a very convincing 72-26 win in their final SA Rugby Under-21 Championship pool game.
 
The coastal side had no answer to the support play shown by the team in blue, and did themselves no favours with some ill-discipline earlier in the match, which helped the Vodacom Blue Bulls to break the shackles and apply some score board pressure on their opponents.
 
In fact, the 20-0 scoreline after half an hour of play saw the Cell C Sharks chasing the game from early on.
 
The KwaZulu-Natalians’ flyhalf, Ryhardt Jonker, had an early opportunity with a long range penalty attempt, but the ball bounced off the upright. Instead, it was his opposite number, David Coetzer, who got the first points after nine minutes in what started a mini-scoring spree from the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
 
Coetzer then missed two long range efforts before the water break, which saw the Pretoria outfit with a three point lead. The next ten minutes were telling though.
 
First Stravino Jacobs was worked over in the right hand corner. The Vodacom Blue Bulls attacked well down the blind side, the wing was got the ball in space and he dotted down. Richard Kriel, who took over the kicking duties, slotted the tight conversion.
 
That lead was extended two minutes later when a Taakir Abrahams kick was charged down by Diego Appollis and his midfield partner, Jay-Cee Nel pounced. The centre kicked ahead and gave Kriel a second and much easier conversion.
 
After 30 minutes and 17-0 down, the Cell C Sharks suddenly were chasing the game. The Vodacom Blue Bulls, on the other hand, kept their composure and waited for their opponents to make mistakes. And there were plenty, allowing Kriel to slot a penalty goal from right in front with the first half siren looming.
 
The lanky left-footed Kriel kicked another penalty goal shortly after the restart before a fine try by Appollis extended the lead to 28 points. The outside centre found space on a counter-attack and ran in from 45m, outsprinting the desperate Cell C Sharks cover defence.
 
The coastal side pulled one back shortly after, when Lucky Dlepu scored. The scrumhalf took a quick tap from a penalty 10m out and stepped past a number of Vodacom Bulls defenders.
 
Kriel enjoyed his responsibilities as goal kicker and slotted a long range effort after 55 minutes to take the lead out to 31-5.
 
The Cell C Sharks scored their second try just under the hour mark when Jean Roux (wing) kicked ahead and found the bounce to his favour. Jonker kicked a good conversion from wide out to cut back the lead to 31-12 with 20 minutes to play.
 
From the restart, the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ hooker Janco Uys scored his side's fourth try. The Cell C Sharks failed to gather the kick-off, the men in blue pounced and Uys ran onto the final pass to get his third try of the tournament.
 
A minute later Sebastiaan Jobb ran impressively down the right hand touch to add his name to the score sheet. A turn-over ball saw the Vodacom Blue Bulls attack the blind side and found the wing speeding away from the cover defence for a 41-12 lead.
 
An hour into the game, Cell C Sharks midfielder Le Roux Malan scored after a strong run and Jonker's conversion cut the lead back to 41-19.
 
Jacobs got his second of the match and fifth try of the tournament when he stepped inside his man to dot down in the corner.
 
Jan-Hendrik Wessels scored their seventh try as the Vodacom Blue Bulls outworked the Cell C Sharks on attack. The ball was moved across the field in a number of phases and Wessels broke the final tackle to dot down under the posts.
 
Try number eight was another stunner by the Vodacom Blue Bulls when their replacement centre Marnus Potgieter ran a great line from a lineout attack and his pass found Hendrik du Toit (replacement flanker).
 
A minute later, Ruben Beytell was over as well as the replacement flyhalf ran a great support line to receive the final pass.
 
Malan scored his second for the Cell C Sharks after a counter-attack from way inside their own half, but that try was of academic nature only.
 
Wessels just restored the dominance with a quick-tap penalty from close range, getting his second of the half. Kriel's final kick went wide, but he still managed to contribute 19 points to the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ tally.
 
Scorers:
 
Vodacom Blue Bulls 72 (26) – Tries: Stravino Jacobs (2), Jay-Cee Nel, Diego Appollis, Janco Uys, Sebastiaan Jobb, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (2), Hendrik du Toit, Ruben Beytell. Conversions: Richard Kriel (5). Penalty goals: David Coetzer, Kriel (3).
 
Cell C Sharks 26 (0) – Tries: Lucky Dlepu, Jean Roux, Le Roux Malan (2). Conversions: Rynhardt Jonker (2), Malan.
 
DHL Western Province stay in hunt with first win and late bonus point try
 
DHL Western Province scored seven tries, including a second hat-trick in as many matches by Blitzbok speedster Angelo Davids (left wing), en route to a 47-28 win over the Toyota Free State at Emirates Airline Park.
 
Crucially the seventh try, by Waqar Solaan (centre), confirmed a crucial bonus point the Capetonians, who are still in the running, despite their slow start.
 
DHL WP side started with more intent than their opponents from the heartland. De Wet Marais (flanker) scored in the opening minutes following sustained pressure by his side.
 
Their pack had the early dominance and Chris Schreuder (flyhalf) used his loose forwards to punch holes in the Free State defence. It was off such a play that the loose forward bust through and over the line for the opening score.
 
The Free Staters gained momentum as DHL WP conceded a number of penalties and from one of those, near the Province line, Toyota Free State opted for a scrum. This worked in their favour as Cohen Jasper (fullback) blitzed through a gap to score, with Charles Williams (flyhalf) levelling the scores after 17 minutes.
 
Davids then outpaced the Cheetah defence with a 55m run, showing the Bloemfontein cover defence a clear pair of heels for his first of the afternoon. Schreuder converted to give his side a 14-7 lead at the first water break after 20 minutes of play.
 
DHL Western Province kept the momentum after the first stop in play and five minutes later, Dian Bleuler (prop) crashed over from an attacking lineout.
 
Davids extended the lead with his second try, showing his great pace as he ran onto a kick from DHL WP scrumhalf Thomas Bursey.
 
The Cheetahs were still in it though, thanks to good first phase play and following an attacking lineout, William Moffat (hooker) scored at the back of the maul to bring score back to 26-14 after 31 minutes.
 
A good try by DHL WP fullback Sibabalwe Xamlashe edged his team further ahead, with a yellow card to Cheetahs wing Cham Mzondeki not helping their cause.
 
Toyota Free State struck despite being a man down with Cornel Korff dotting down after some patience on attack and good inter-passing between forwards and backs saw the scrumhalf dotting down under the sticks.
 
Davids blitzed in for his third as the team from Bloem completely missed the kick-off and the wing collected the ball to run in unopposed.
 
Toyota Free State were starting to push hard though and a well-timed run by Jasper saw him in for second try as they attacked to the left side from a scrum in the middle of the field, and Jasper looped around to find open space and the try-line.
 
Schreuder kicked two long range penalty goals to ease DHL WP out to a 42-28 lead with 12 minutes to play, and while the Free Staters came close, Solaan had the last say with his crucial try in the corner after the final buzzer.
 
Scorers:
 
DHL Western Province 47 (31) – Tries: De Wet Marais, Angelo Davids (3), Dian Bleuler, Sibabalwe Xamlashe, Waqar Solaan. Conversions: Chris Schreuder (3). Penalty goals: Schreuder (2).
 
Toyota Free State 28 (14) – Tries: Cohen Jasper (2), William Moffat, Cornel Korff. Conversions: Charles Williams (4).
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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The Xerox Lions lowered the flags of the Vodacom Blue Bulls (26-17) and the Cell C Sharks outplayed DHL Western Province (45-24) in the third round of the SA Rugby U21 Provincial Championship at Emirates Airline Park on Monday, with both wins crucial for teams hoping to reach the final.
 
The home side, boosted by two tries in the opening 10 minutes, held on to hand the Vodacom Blue Bulls their first defeat of the competition, while the Cell C Sharks managed their first win and kept the Cape side winless and at the bottom of the log halfway through the competition.
 
The Xerox Lions have now moved into the second place on the log standings, but have a bye in round four, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls, despite their defeat, still stays top, courtesy of two strong wins in their first two matches.
 
The latest standings after three rounds of action is here.
 
• The next two matches are on Sunday, when DHL Western Province will be looking for their first win when they take on Toyota Free State (who had a bye today) in the early match at 10h30. The Vodacom Blue Bulls will meet the Cell C Sharks at 13h45 in the second match of round four.
 
Below are match report summaries of today’s matches.
 
Cell C Sharks strike early to beat DHL Western Province
 
The Cell C Sharks delivered a strong first half performance to dominate DHL Western Province for a morale-boosting 45-24 victory in their SA Rugby U21 Championship clash at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Monday.
 
The KwaZulu-Natalians held out in the second stanza as the Cape side fought back bravely, which allowed them to secure their first win of the tournament.
 
The Durbanites’ industrious backline sealed the deal early on, scoring three tries in the first quarter to get daylight between themselves and DHL WP, who have now suffered consecutive defeats.
 
It took only 15 minutes of play for the Cell C Sharks to build up an encouraging 21-0 lead, which paved the way for them to run away with the match.
 
The compulsory water break after 20 minutes came just in time for the shell-shocked DHL WP, as it allowed them regroup and sharpen up their focus.
 
They delivered a much better display as the half progressed, but the real damage had already been inflicted and they were forced to play catch-up rugby for the remainder of the match.
 
DHL WP flyhalf Ruan Mostert had an early penalty goal attempt for his team, but pulled it wide, before the Cell C Sharks scored three sublime tries.
 
Thaakir Abrahams (fullback) scored from wide out after a great attack by his teammates from inside their own half.
 
Paul Roux (wing) ran strongly and Abrahams took the final pass to score, while Boeta Chamberlain (flyhalf) slotted over the conversion from the touch line.
 
Cell C Sharks outside centre Donald Falconer was next on the score sheet barely a minute later after Chamberlain found Caleb Dingaan with a cross-kick, with the winger passing to Celimpilo Gumede (flanker) on his inside before Falconer received the try-scoring pass.
 
Chamberlain kicked the conversion and he had another successful attempt at the goal posts when Le Roux Malan (centre) burst through strongly.
 
Chamberlain missed a long-range penalty goal attempt after the water break and it was no surprise when DHL WP scored their first try on the 30-minute mark. Captain and flank Marcel Theunissen barged over after his team attacked relentlessly. Mostert converted, but that score was cancelled out again just before the half-time hooter.
 
The commanding Cell C Sharks pack drove strongly from a lineout and captain and Fez Mbatha (hooker) touched down, with the successful conversion handing them a 28-7 lead, which left the Cape outfit with a big mountain to climb.
 
The second half saw the Sharks on the front foot again thanks to a long-range effort from Chamberlain which extended their lead to 31-7.
 
DHL WP were shocked into action and a strong lineout drive saw Dian Bleuler (prop) crashing over near the corner flag.
 
Roux then lost the ball over the line thanks to a try-saving tackle by Andre-Hugo Venter (replacement hooker), but the Cell C Sharks were rampant, with Abrahams scoring  his second try after a powerful scrum.
 
Evan Roos (No 8), who was hugely imposing in the clash, picked up at the base of the scrum and broke the advantage line, before soft hands found the fullback in space and he dropped over the line, with Chamberlain kicking another pearler from wide out.
 
Venter then turned from try-saver to try scorer as Province attacked from all corners. The Cell C Sharks were found napping after a penalty and Venter could burst through following a quick tap.
 
The Cape side continued their comeback effort with a try by Simon Taylor (replacement flank), who charged over after a good lineout drive, but with only five minutes left, it was too little too late.
 
The Cell C Sharks’ dominance and win were amplified by Roos, who scored off the back of another powerful scrum to round off a strong personal and team performance.
 
Scorers:
 
Cell C Sharks 45 (28) – Tries: Thaakir Abrahams (2), Donald Falconer, Le Roux Malan, Fez Mbatha, Evan Roos. Conversions: Boeta Chamberlain (5), Rynhardt Jonker. Penalty goal: Chamberlain.
 
DHL Western Province 24 (7) – Tries: Marcel Theunissen, Dian Bleuler, Andre-Hugo Venter, Jarred Taylor. Conversions: Ruan Mostert, Kade Wolhuter.
 
Xerox Lions outlast northern neighbours in U21 nail-biter
 
It was a massive Monday afternoon slog between the two top teams in the SA Rugby Under-21 Championship, but in the end the Xerox Lions outlasted the defending champions, the Vodacom Blue Bulls, to remain in contention for the final with a 26-17 victory at Emirates Airline Park.
 
The two packs of forwards had a proper go at each other, but in the end the Xerox Lions probably had the upper hand upfront, played their territory better and used their opportunities, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls made too many mistakes, were ill-disciplined and seemed lethargic at stages.
 
The visitors from north of the Jukskei river scored three tries to two, but it was the boot of Luke Rossouw that proved the difference, with the Xerox Lions inside centre kicking four second half penalty goals and two conversions for a personal haul of 16 points.
 
The Xerox Lions started this match against their Gauteng neighbours like a house on fire, realising that a win will keep alive their hopes of reaching the final.
 
And the Xerox Lions’ tighthead prop, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, was the man who hurt the men in blue with two tries in the opening 10 minutes.
 
The former Junior Springbok prop’s first try was an opportunistic piece of play from an over-thrown lineout, and a few minutes later he barged over under the uprights after a good build-up by the Xerox Lions.
 
It was just the start the Xerox Lions had wanted, as they took a 14-0 lead after just nine minutes.
 
Try as they might, the Vodacom Blue Bulls struggled to get going with stern Xerox Lions defence and unforced errors keeping the men from Pretoria scoreless for most of the first half.
 
In fact, they seemed to get frustrated as the Xerox Lions fluffed a number of promising attacks, with some negative play creeping into the hosts’ defensive play.
 
After 30 minutes, the referee, Divan Uys, sent the Xerox Lions’ Shaun Baxter (fullback) to the bin for repeated infringements and the Vodacom Blue Bulls used this numeric advantage to work Stravino Jacobs (wing) over in the left corner, with Qamani Kota (replacement fullback) putting in a superb run in the build-up to the try.
 
This try saw the teams go into the break with the hosts leading by 14-5, but the Vodacom Blue Bulls were getting into their stride as they were looking to secure a place in the final as they have a bye in the last round.
 
But the Xerox Lions had other ideas, with Rossouw adding the first two of his four penalty goals early in the second stanza to stretch his team’s lead to 20-5.
 
The Vodacom Blue Bulls came back strong though and closed the gap to just three points with two converted tries in four minutes.
 
First Jay Cee Nel crashed over from a good period of sustained attack after a lineout on the home team’s 5m-line, and then David Coetzer scored from a turnover deep in the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ own half when the Xerox Lions lost the ball just outside the Pretorians’ 22, and they quickly counter-attacked to send the flyhalf over under the sticks.
 
But with mistakes creeping back into the men in blue’s game, Rossouw stepped up to the plate and added another penalty goal just before the second water-break to give his team some breathing space on the score board.
 
Despite getting their hands on the ball quite often, the Vodacom Blue Bulls still lost possession with silly mistakes, and with less than five minutes remaining, Rossouw added three more points, all but securing victory for the Xerox Lions.
 
Scorers:
 
Xerox Lions 26 (14) – Tries: Asenathi Ntlabakanye (2). Conversions: Luke Rossouw (2). Penalty goals: Rossouw (4).
 
Vodacom Blue Bulls 17 (5) – Tries: Stravino Jacobs, Jay Cee Nel, David Coetzer. Conversion: Qamani Kota.
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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Vodacom Blue Bulls continue to dominate SA Rugby U21 Championship
 
The Vodacom Blue Bulls scored an impressive 19-0 bonus point win over the Toyota Free State at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Thursday, as they remained the only unbeaten side after two rounds of the SA Rugby Under-21 Championship, while the Xerox Lions proved too slick for the Cell C Sharks, beating them 32-16.
 
The Pretoria team scored their second consecutive bonus point win against the Free Staters, who started the competition with a good victory on Sunday, while the Cell C Sharks were slow out of the blocks after their first round bye as they went down to the tournament hosts earlier in the day.
 
The Vodacom Blue Bulls now take on the Xerox Lions in round three on Monday, while in the early match-up, the Cell C Sharks will be looking to rebound against DHL Western Province, who had a bye today. Toyota Free State have a break on Monday.
 
Both matches are scheduled to be live streamed by SuperSport on their DSTV Now platform (channel 245).
 
Xerox Lions 32 (8), Cell C Sharks 16 (6)
 
The Xerox Lions scored a much-needed win against the Cell C Sharks in the opening match of the day, outscoring their coastal rivals by three tries to one.
 
It was a match full of errors, with referee Morné Ferreira penalizing both teams for repeated infringements, especially around the rucks.
 
The Cell C Sharks started best, and their first attack yielded results. The home side was penalized for offside play at the breakdown and Boeta Chamberlain (flyhalf) slotted the opening penalty goal to give his side a 3-0 lead within five minutes of play.
 
The Xerox Lions hardly touched the ball in the first 10 minutes of the match and got their best scoring opportunity after 15 minutes, when they were first ruled short of the tryline and then missed an attacking lineout.
 
Chamberlain added his second following another breakdown penalty, with the pivot slotting the kick from just inside his half for a 6-0 lead after 18 minutes. Cell C Sharks head coach, Phiwe Nomlomo, must have been smiling at that stage, but that was about to change.
 
The Xerox Lions had a sniff just after the first water break, but Marc Morrison (flyhalf) struck the upright with his penalty attempt.
 
But the men from Johannesburg were changing gears and from a rolling maul two minutes later, Cal Smid scored his first try of the competition, delivering a powerful burst from close range to score. The conversion was unsuccessful.
 
The remainder of the half delivered a mixed bag for both sides. The ill-discipline at the breakdown kept Ferreira busy and some erratic handling by both teams spurned promising attacks on either side. The home side took the lead before the break, courtesy of a Luke Rossouw (centre) penalty goal.
 
That lasted only a short while though as Chamberlain landed another penalty goal to put his side back into a 9-8 lead early in the second half.
 
The Xerox Lions were starting to put their coastal foes – a man down due to a yellow card – under pressure but fluffed another opportunity close to the Cell C Sharks’ line when they lost possession.
 
After yet another penalty for an arriving player going off his feet at the ruck, Rossouw kicked his side back into the lead with his second penalty goal, a lead the home side would not surrender again.
 
Rossouw extended the lead with a long-range effort to put his team 14-9 up and when Prince Nkabinde scored two minutes later, the Cell C Sharks were suddenly on dry ground.
 
An attempted chip kick by Chamberlain was charged down, the ball was kicked by Nkabinde and the Xerox Lions wing raced 50m to score. This handed them a 19-9 lead, soon to be extended by another Rossouw penalty goal.
 
The visitors from KwaZulu-Natal finally managed some error-free phases and Caleb Dingaan scored their first try with minutes remaining. The former Junior Bok wing took a nice inside pass from Rynhardt Jonker (replacement flyhalf), with the conversion giving them a glimmer of hope.
 
A fifth Rossouw penalty goal sealed the deal though and after a strong burst by Ngia Selengebe (wing), Runaldo Pedro (scrumhalf) added a well-deserved third try to his team’s tally that sealed the 32-16 win.
 
Scorers:
 
Xerox Lions – Tries: Cal Smid, Prince Nkabinde, Runaldo Pedro. Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse. Penalty goals: Luke Rossouw (5).
 
Cell C Sharks – Try: Caleb Dingaan. Conversion: Rynhardt Jonker. Penalty goals: Boeta Chamberlain (3).
 
Vodacom Blue Bulls 19 (7), Toyota Free State 0 (0)
 
Brimming with confidence from their opening round victories, the evenly-matched Vodacom Blue Bulls and Toyota Free State teams’ defences held sway in the early part of the match, and in the first 20 minutes, neither team gave an inch.
 
The Free Staters conceded a yellow card though after 23 minutes following a high tackle by Gustav Meyer (flanker) and that gave the Vodacom Blue Bulls the momentum they needed as they started to attack from all angles. The men from Bloem were hands on hips soon afterwards as the tempo started to take its toll on the players.
 
The Vodacom Blue Bulls were rewarded for their renewed vigour with a first kickable penalty after 26 minutes of play, but Ruben Beytell (flyhalf) could not convert the pressure into points though.
 
A dust-up resulted in two more cards, with Janko Swanepoel (Vodacom Blue Bulls lock) and Johan Schutte (Toyota Free State prop) shown yellow. The Bloem side then conceded another yellow when Pierre Uys (lock) pulled down a lineout drive.
 
This resulted in an inevitable maul try for the Vodacom Blue Bulls, with Janco Uys (hooker) dotting down at the back of a bulldozing pack. Beytell converted to give the Pretoria side a 7-0 lead at the break.
 
The second half proved more of the same. The men in blue kept the ball amongst their forwards while Uys was off the field, but that delivered no short-term results. Instead, the Free Staters almost scored, but spilled the ball near the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ line.
 
Part of that comeback was due to some ill-discipline by the Pretoria team, who gave away a number of penalties, helping Toyota Free State to get good field positions to attack from.
 
The slow poison handed out in heaps in the latter part of the first half was starting to work for the Vodacom Blue Bulls though. Richard Kriel made a telling break in a flowing backline move, but the fullback was overhauled just short of the Free State line.
 
The men in blue jerseys were getting confident with ball in hand and in another flowing attack, where a number of players offloaded at the right time, Uys darted 30m to dive over in the corner for his second try.
 
David Coetzer (replacement back) kicked a beauty from the touchline to extend the lead to 14 points, but then missed a long range effort with the water break looming.
 
Toyota Free State – hard as they tried – could not work themselves into a try-scoring position and it was rather the Vodacom Blue Bulls who struck just before the end. Kriel made a strong run and when Bernard van der Linde (replacement scrumhalf) took the final pass to score in the corner, the bonus point try was the reward.
 
Scorers:
 
Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Janco Uys (2), Bernard van der Linde. Conversions: Ruben Beytell, David Coetzer.
 
Toyota Free State – 0.
 
Third round fixtures for Monday (12 October):
 
DHL Western Province v Cell C Sharks
Kick-off: 12h00
Referee: Egon Seconds
 
Xerox Lions v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 15h30
Referee: Divan Uys
 
Bye: Toyota Free State
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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Toyota Free State recorded a dramatic 31-30 victory in the final play of their match over the Xerox Lions at Emirates Airline Park on Sunday to start their SA Rugby Under-21 Championship on a high, whilst defending champions, the Vodacom Blue Bulls, used their pack of forwards to subdue DHL Western Province in a 36-25 win, scoring six tries in the process.
 
The opening round in Johannesburg provided 17 tries in the two matches, but it was the driving mauls in both encounters that dominated proceedings.
 
The Free Staters scored three of their tries – including the match-winner – from a maul, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls also used their drives to great effect as they outplayed their Cape Town counterparts.
 
The Cell C Sharks, who had a bye today, take on the Xerox Lions in round two on Thursday, while in the early match-up, the Vodacom Blue Bulls will take on Toyota Free State, with DHL Western Province having a break. Both matches are scheduled to be live streamed by SuperSport on their DSTV Now platform (channel 245).
 
Match reports from Sunday’s matches below:
 
Vodacom Blue Bulls 36 (12), DHL Western Province 25 (6)
 
A blistering second half start and a powerful display by their pack of forwards eased the Vodacom Blue Bulls to a comfortable 36-25 win over DHL Western Province in the opening match of the 2020 SA Rugby Under-21 Championship at Emirates Airline Park on Sunday.
 
The Pretoria side held a slender 12-6 lead at the break in Johannesburg but scored three tries in quick succession early in the second half to take a 29-6 lead after 55 minutes, which all but sealed the deal for the defending champions.
 
The Capetonians came back gamely from that salvo, with three tries by their Blitzboks winger, Angelo Davids, some reward for their scratchy effort.
 
In the end, the Vodacom Blue Bulls outscored their opponents six tries to three, a fair reflection of the dominance they enjoyed. Flyhalf Ruben Beytell missed six kicks at goal that prevented a total blow out score.
 
The first half saw Beytell and WP’s Ruan Mostert both missing with opening penalties, before Mostert put his side ahead after 12 minutes.
 
Five minutes later, the men in blue scored a beautiful try as Stravino Jacobs (wing) was worked over in the corner, following a strong scrum, with Beytell converting from the touchline.
 
Mostert kicked a long range penalty goal after 22 minutes to cut the lead to one. Beytell missed a long range effort of his own, but the Bulls’ lead was extended after a powerful rolling maul by his pack saw Joe van Zyl (hooker) scoring. The conversion was wide, leaving the Pretoria side with a six point margin at the break.
 
Three tries in ten minutes at the beginning of the second half broke the Cape side’s back.
 
Diego Appolis (centre) got the first of those from a storming run by Jan-Hendrik Wessels (prop) before a mighty scrum from Wessels and company allowed Johan Mulder to score after darting around the blind side which caught the defence napping.
 
Not to be outdone by Wessels, Eduan Swart (tighthead prop) scored the third of the second half following a power run. He was put in possession 30m out and bulldozed his way over the line. Beytell converted for a 29-6 lead.
 
A rash of replacements by both coaches halted the rhythm of the match and as fatigue set in, mistakes increased.
 
The impact from the bench added some direction to the Cape side's attack and Davids finished off a sustained attack with a fine try in the left corner. One of those replacements, Kade Wolhuter, kicked a good conversion to close the gap.
 
The Vodacom Blue Bulls regrouped quickly. Another powerful scrum by their pack forced DHL WP on the backfoot and Jacobs got his second after good interplay with fullback Richard Kriel.
 
DHL WP realized their best chances were in their winger’s hands and Davids did not disappoint. He got his second after a good backline attack  and his third after a good 40 meter run, with an inside swerve beating the cover defence.
 
Scorers:
 
Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Stravino Jacobs (2), Diego Appolis, Joe van Zyl, Johan Mulder, Eduan Swart. Conversions: Ruben Beytell (2), Jay-Cee Nel.
 
DHL Western Province – Tries: Angelo Davids (3). Conversions: Kade Wolhuter (2). Penalties: Ruan Mostert (2).
 
Toyota Free State 31 (12), Xerox Golden Lions 30 (17)
 
In the end, the Toyota Free State’s fifth and most important try, scored by Gideon van Wyk (No 8), proved their greater endeavor on attack, with the Xerox Lions only scoring three tries.
 
Much of the Xerox Lions’ scoreboard pressure was created by Marc Morrison (flyhalf), who kicked three conversions and three penalties to keep his side in the lead for most of the match.
 
Van Wyk opened the scoring from a strong rolling maul after only six minutes and the conversion by Charles Williams eased the Free State into a 7-0 lead.
 
Former Free State age-group player, James Mollentze, waltzed his way past his former teammates for a fine individual effort and the midfielder's effort was converted by Morisson to draw scores level after ten minutes.
 
Morrison missed a penalty ten minutes later as the Bloemfonteiners were ruled offside, but nailed his next just before the water break.
 
The Free Staters came back strongly with another driving maul from an attacking line-out and Janus Venter (hooker) dotted down for a 12-10 lead after 30 minutes of play.
 
That was soon overturned when the home side got some numbers out wide following a strong run by Prince Nkabinde (wing), with Mark Snyman (flank) dotting down. Morrison converted to extend the lead to 17-12.
 
The Free State lineout misfired twice in good attacking positions and the Xerox Lions enjoyed the five point lead at the break.
 
Morrison kicked two penalties early in the half to extend the lead to ten points and when Cheetahs lock, Ruben Cronje, was ruled for a double movement as he went for a try, the momentum moved towards the home side.
 
The Bloem side changed their approach slightly, starting to use their forwards again to drive towards the Xerox Lions’ line. They created some good pressure, but credit to the Jozi team, who defended very well and with good discipline.
 
The continued attacks from Free State were chipping away at the home side's composure though and after a ruck penalty, they forced an attacking line-out. Cornel Korff (scrumhalf) sniped through the slightest of gaps for the Bloem side and Williams kicked the conversion to cut the lead to four points with 20 minutes to play. 
 
The second water break provided some respite for the home side and whatever was said by the coaching staff was taken to heart. And action, as the Xerox Lions executed a perfect driving maul from close range, with Ebot Buma (prop) crashing over for his side's third try. Morrison nailed the conversion to extend the lead to 11 points again.
 
Toyota Free State kept chipping away at that lead, using their pack to good effect. From one such a drive, the ball was sent wide and Shayne Bolton (fullback) managed to score in the corner, leaving his side with a converted try away from victory. That is exactly what they salvaged for a deserved win.
 
The final lineout maul saw Van Wyk being driven over and with the final act of the match, Franco Smith slotted the winning conversion.
 
Scorers:
 
Toyota Free State – Tries: Gideon van Wyk (2), Janus Venter, Cornel Korff, Shayne Bolton. Conversions: Charles Williams (2), Franco Smith.
 
Xerox Lions – Tries: James Mollentze, Mark Snyman, Ebot Buma. Conversions: Marc Morrison (3). Penalties: Morrison (3).
 
Second round fixtures for Thursday (8 October):
 
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Toyota Free State
Kick-off: 12h00
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron
 
Xerox Lions v Cell C Sharks
Kick-off: 15h30
Referee: Morne Ferreira
 
Bye: DHL Western Province
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communication

The 2020 SA Rugby Under-21 Championship, featuring five provincial sides, will kick off on Sunday 4 October and will be played at one venue – Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg – culminating in the final on 30 October, SA Rugby announced on Wednesday.

The Xerox Lions Under-21 side will welcome their counterparts from the Cell C Sharks, Toyota Free State, DHL Western Province and Vodacom Blue Bulls to their iconic stadium for this exciting, action packed and streamlined tournament.

All teams will play each once, with semi-finals and a final to conclude this showpiece of the best emerging South African rugby talent, with two matches to take place every four days.

The hosts will take on Toyota Free State in their opening match on Sunday 4 October, a couple of hours after the North-South derby between DHL Western Province and defending champions, the Vodacom Blue Bulls. The Cell C Sharks have a bye in the first round.

SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, expressed his excitement with the tournament.

“The Under-21 competition provides an important pipeline in our player development and scouting set-up, as well as a showcase for unions in terms of contracting senior players,” said Erasmus.

“Traditionally, some exciting players emerged from this tournament and this time it will be no different. It will be great to see this age group showcasing their talents.

“A lot of the players have already been spotted in our Elite Player Development structures, and we will be monitoring their progress with keen interest.”

All five teams will be based in Johannesburg for the duration of the tournament. Current COVID-19 regulations will be in effect, with no spectators allowed and limited working personnel allowed in the stadium on match days.

The SA Rugby U21 Championship fixtures for 2020 are (kick-off times to be confirmed):

Sunday 4 October (Round One)
DHL Western Province v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Toyota Free State v Xerox Lions
Bye: Cell C Sharks

Thursday 8 October (Round Two)
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Toyota Free State
Xerox Lions v Cell C Sharks
Bye: DHL Western Province

Monday 12 October (Round Three)
DHL Western Province v Cell C Sharks
Xerox Lions v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Bye: Toyota Free State

Friday 16 October (Round Four)
DHL Western Province v Toyota Free State
Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Bye: Xerox Lions

Tuesday 20 October (Round Five)
Toyota Free State v Cell C Sharks
Xerox Lions v DHL Western Province
Bye: Vodacom Blue Bulls

Semi-finals: Sunday 25 October

Final: Friday 30 October

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said on Friday that while the cancellation of the World Rugby U20 Championship and the Junior Springboks’ warm-up matches was disappointing, these steps were necessary to assist in countering the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
World Rugby – following consultation with Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) – announced on Friday that the World Rugby U20 Championship, which was set to be hosted in Verona, Viadana, Calvisano and Parma from Sunday 28 June to Saturday 18 July, was called off with the wellbeing of the global rugby family at heart.
 
This followed an announcement by SA Rugby last week that an international series featuring the national Under-20 teams of Georgia and Argentina as well as the Junior Boks, which was set to take place in South Africa in April, has been cancelled as well as a planned tour by the team to the United Kingdom in May. 
 
“It is obviously very disappointing for Chean Roux, his players and the team management, but these drastic steps are vital to ensure the safety of the players, team management and match officials,” said Roux.
 
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, and as world citizens it is important that we all take the necessary measures to try to contain this pandemic.
 
“I would like to thank the players, coaches and management for all their hard work in the last few months, and encourage them to keep on putting in the hard yards albeit outside of a team set-up given the current need for social distancing.”
 
Roux added: “We will continue to monitor the situation and start planning possible scenarios with the Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and his department regarding the way forward for the Junior Springboks and the Under-19 High Performance squad for the rest of the season.”
 
Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux said: “Yes, we are disappointed but everyone understands the situation and we’ll do whatever is needed to play our part in curbing this pandemic. Working with the players over the last few months, I’ve realised yet again what immense talent we have at our disposal at junior level, and I believe that many of these players have bright futures ahead.”
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux named a fresh mix of players for the fourth and final SA Rugby U20 alignment camp in Stellenbosch next week, with nine players set to make their first appearances at the camp.
 
The new players in the group of 22 are Diego Appollis, Christie Grobbelaar, Dawid Kellerman, Boitumelo Tsatsane, Brendan Venter (all centres), Cohen Jasper, Richard Kriel, Zeilinga Strydom and Siba Xamlashe (all fullbacks).
 
Former SA Schools captain Muzi Manyike (centre) was invited to the camp, but had to withdraw due to injury, which made way for Bernard van der Linde (scrumhalf) to make a return.
 
Four of the nine players were members of the SA U19 team that won back-to-back Internationals against Georgia in Tbilisi late last year, taking the total number of players in the group on the tour to 15.
 
Roux looked forward to working with the new group of players and said: “We are excited to welcome these players to the alignment camps and we believe their presence will add even more enthusiasm and energy to the group, as this is their first time with us.
 
“The objective of these camps was to assess the talent on offer with an eye on the SA Rugby Academy programme and the Junior Springbok squad in the next few months, and by casting our net wide over the four weeks of alignment camps, we have achieved that.
 
“Over the last three weeks we have been able to familiarise ourselves with the players on and off the field, and we have made good strides in exposing the players to our structures and the standards we expect, and next week will be no different.” 
 
Fourth SA Rugby U20 alignment camp squad:
Adriaan Alberts (Xerox Golden Lions; lock)
Diego Appollis (Vodacom Blue Bulls; centre)
Christie Grobbelaar (SA Rugby Sevens Academy; centre)
Celimpilo Gumede (Cell C Sharks; flanker)
Hanro Jacobs (Cell C Sharks; prop)
Stravino Jacobs (Vodacom Blue Bulls; winger)
Cohen Jasper (Toyota Free State; fullback)
Dawid Kellerman (Vodacom Blue Bulls; centre)
JJ Kotze (DHL Western Province; hooker)
Richard Kriel (Vodacom Blue Bulls; fullback)
Thabiso Mdletshe (Cell C Sharks; prop)
Zwelendaba Mnombo (DHL Western Province; centre)
Lunga Ncube (Cell C Sharks; lock)
Evan Roos (Cell C Sharks; No 8)
Sibusiso Sangweni (Xerox Golden Lions; looseforward)
Zeilinga Strydom (Vodacom Blue Bulls; fullback)
Boitumelo Tsatsane (Xerox Golden Lions; centre)
Bernard van der Linde (Vodacom Blue Bulls; scrumhalf)
Cullen van der Merwe (Cell C Sharks; hooker)
Emile van Heerden (Cell C Sharks; lock)
Brendan Venter (DHL Western Province; centre)
Siba Xamlashe (DHL Western Province; fullback)
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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Four players will make their first appearance at the third SA Rugby Under-20 alignment camp in Stellenbosch this week after being invited by Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux as the planning phase continues for the SA Rugby Academy and SA U20 season in the next few months.
 
Thabo Ndimande (looseforward), JJ Kotze (hooker), Keenan Opperman (looseforward) and Simon Miller (utility forward) will feature in the camps for the first time in a group of 18 players.
 
Ndimande and Kotze, in particular, are familiar with a number of the squad members, as they played alongside some of them in the SA Under-19 team on their two-match tour to Georgia late last year.
 
Of the 18 players, 12 attended the two opening camps, and another two players – 2019 Junior Springbok player of the year Jaden Hendrikse (scrumhalf), and Rynhardt Jonker (centre) – attended the second camp last week.
 
“The alignment camps have been valuable in allowing us to work with the players and to guide them in terms of our standards and expectations with an eye on the talent identification process for the SA Rugby Academy programme and the Junior Springbok squad,” said Roux.
 
“The players who have attended the last two camps are grasping the structures well, so we are pleased with the progress we are making.
 
“This week we welcome JJ, Keenan, Simon, Thabo and I am sure they will slot in with ease since they have either played with or against most of the players in this group at some stage.”
 
The fourth and last alignment camp will follow from 24 to 27 February, while the SA Rugby Academy will run from Thursday, 12 March, to mid-May.    
 
Third SA Rugby U20 alignment camp squad:
Adriaan Alberts (Xerox Golden Lions; lock)
Dewald Donald (Vodacom Blue Bulls; prop)
Sphekahle Dube (Cell C Sharks; prop)
Morne Brandon (Xerox Golden Lions; flanker)
Celimpilo Gumede (Cell C Sharks; flanker)
Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks; scrumhalf)
Hanro Jacobs (Cell C Sharks; prop)
JJ Kotze (DHL Western Province; hooker)
Rynhardt Jonker (Cell C Sharks; centre)
Keanan Opperman (Vodacom Blue Bulls; looseforward)
Thabiso Mdletshe (Cell C Sharks; prop)
Simon Miller (Vodacom Blue Bulls; utility forward)
Lunga Ncube (Cell C Sharks; lock)
Thabo Ndimande (Xerox Golden Lions; flanker)
Evan Roos (Cell C Sharks; No 8)
Sibusiso Sangweni (Xerox Golden Lions; looseforward)
Cullen van der Merwe (Cell C Sharks; hooker)
Emile van Heerden (Cell C Sharks; lock)
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communication

Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux named a group of 20 players featuring strong international flavor for the second SA Rugby alignment camp in Stellenbosch this week, with 16 players in the group having represented South Africa at age-group level.
 
Five players – Celimpilo Gumede (looseforward) Jaden Hendrikse (scrumhalf), Thabiso Mdletshe (prop), Sibusiso Sangweni (looseforward) and Emile van Heerden (lock) – participated in the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championship in Argentina, while they also travelled to Georgia in December last year with another 11 members of the squad as part of the SA U19 team.
 
The alignment camp is the second of four scheduled camps to be hosted at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport, and will run from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 February.
 
The week will be particularly memorable for the Hendrikse brothers, Jordan (DHL Western Province scrumhalf) and Jaden Hendrikse – the SA Under-20 Player of the Year in 2019 – who will have the opportunity to train together.
 
Ten of the 20 players attended in the first camp, while Jordan Hendrikse, Thomas Bursey (scrumhalf), and Juan Mostert (flyhalf) participated in selected training sessions at that camp.
 
The other seven players – Jaden Hendrikse, Lionel April, Bernard van der Linde, and Ross Braude (scrumhalves), Stravino Jacobs (winger), Rynhardt Jonker (utility back), and Ethan Wentzel (flyhalf) – make their first appearances at the camp.
 
Roux was satisfied that they had achieved their objectives at the first alignment camp and he looked forward to welcoming a few new players for their second camp.
 
“The main purpose of the alignment camps is to give us an idea of the talent available with an eye on the season ahead, as the SA Rugby Academy programme and the Junior Springboks play a vital role in developing and grooming the top age-group players in the country for first class rugby,” said Roux. 
 
“It was good to see the players at the first camp in action and get to know them, and we intend building on the progress made at this camp. We are also excited to see what the players have to offer.
 
“Fortunately, most of the players in this squad have come through SA Rugby’s junior structures, so they know what is expected of them.” 
 
Players invited to second SA Rugby alignment camp (in alphabetical order):
Adriaan Alberts (Xerox Golden Lions; lock)
Lionel April (Vodacom Blue Bulls; flyhalf)
Morne Brandon (Xerox Golden Lions; flanker)
Ross Braude (Vodacom Blue Bulls; scrumhalf)
Thomas Bursey (DHL Western Province; scrumhalf)
Celimpilo Gumede (Cell C Sharks; flanker)
Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks; scrumhalf)
Jordan Hendrikse (DHL Western Province; flyhalf)
Hanro Jacobs (Cell C Sharks; prop)
Stravino Jacobs (Vodacom Blue Bulls; winger)
Rynhardt Jonker (Cell C Sharks; utility)
Thabiso Mdletshe (Cell C Sharks; prop)
Juan Mostert (DHL Western Province; flyhalf)
Lunga Ncube (Cell C Sharks; lock)
Evan Roos (Cell C Sharks; No 8)
Sibusiso Sangweni (Xerox Golden Lions; looseforward)
Cullen van der Merwe (Cell C Sharks; hooker)
Bernard van der Linde (Vodacom Blue Bulls; scrumhalf)
Emile van Heerden (Cell C Sharks; lock)
Ethan Wentzel (Vodacom Blue Bulls; flyhalf)
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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