The second day of the FNB U16 Grant Khomo Week at St Alban’s College served up a feast of rugby drama that had fans on the edge of their seats, headlined by a pulsating 29-29 draw between hosts Blue Bulls and the Sharks.
Match of the Day: Bulls vs Sharks thriller
The clash everyone was talking about lived up to every bit of its billing. In a heart-stopping finish, Sharks wing Lisa Sijadu emerged as the hero, crossing for two crucial late tries to snatch a dramatic draw from the jaws of defeat.
The KwaZulu-Natal side will rue missed conversion opportunities that could have secured their second tournament victory, but Sijadu’s double ensured they walked away with valuable points in this riveting encounter.
Western Province extends dominance
While their opening 55-point demolition of Free State grabbed headlines, Western Province had to dig deep for their second victory, grinding out a hard-fought 29-21 win over SWD. The defending champions showed champion mentality when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, WP XV continued their impressive run, delivering a commanding 37-18 victory over Free State. Fullback Dante Davids was unstoppable with a brilliant brace, while flyhalf Divan Meyer – now the tournament’s leading points scorer with 32 – was clinical with the boot, slotting four conversions and three penalties.
Lions roar back to form
After stumbling in round one, the Golden Lions bounced back in emphatic fashion, demolishing Boland 43-0 in a statement performance. Flyhalf Ndzalama Mbhalati was instrumental, converting four tries to boost his tournament tally to 23 points.
Grant Khomo Week day two results (Wednesday 2 July):
Limpopo Blue Bulls 60 (36) Border Country Districts 0 (0)
Golden Lions 43 (17) Boland 0 (0)
Namibia 43 (29) Iqhawe XV 26 (7)
Border 17 (5) Griffons 38 (30)
Leopards 39 (25) Valke 15 (15)
WP XV 37 (10) Free State 18 (15)
Zimbabwe 25 (15) Griquas 40 (14)
Sharks 29 (12) Blue Bulls 29 (15)
Pumas 15 (10) EP 27 (24)
WP 29 (14) SWD 21 (7)
All roads lead to Friday, 4 July for the tournament finale at St Alban’s College, where teams will battle for final standings and bragging rights in what promises to be another action-packed day of schoolboy rugby.
With Western Province looking unstoppable and several teams still in contention, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to one of South Africa’s premier youth rugby tournaments.
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