EP and Natal in Craven Week thriller

Eastern Province and KwaZulu-Natal provided a final match thriller to end another exciting day at the Coca-Cola Craven Week at the Markottor Sports Complex in Stellenbosch on Thursday.

It was a hard-fought match as both teams threw everything at one another on attack and defence, which resulted in the clash resembling the intensity of a Test match. This despite the fact that the Durban side were dealt a big blow in the thirty first minute as they were reduced to fourteen men due to a red card for a dangerous tackle.

KwaZulu-Natal opened up the scoring in the sixteenth minute with a penalty by Bader Pretorius to take a 3-0 lead. A yellow card for the Durban side in the twenty third minute, however, paved the way for Eastern Province to score the first try of the match to push them into a 7-3 lead. 

KwaZulu-Natal were dealt another blow as a red card for a dangerous tackle reduced them to 13 players. In-form Eastern Province flyhalf Curwin Bosch pushed the team into a 10-3 lead shortly before the break thanks to a well-timed drop goal.

They added their second try of the match in the thirty seventh minute compliments of Heino Bezuidenhout, which Bosch backed up with another successful conversion to stretch their lead to 17 - 3. 

The Durban side, however, fought back with intent with Marco Palvie  scoring a try, and Bader Pretorius adding another shortly after Eastern Province were reduced to 14 players, which reduced the deficit on the scoreboard to 17-15. 

Two long-range penalties by Bosch in the closing minutes pushed his team 23-15 ahead. 

Eastern Province, however, were again reduced to 14 men in the seventy third minute after a second yellow-card offence, which KwaZulu-Natal capitalised on to score a try on the stroke of fulltime. 

Unfortunately the conversion still left them one point short on the scoreboard at 23-22.

Following their two strong performances, Eastern Province will face Western Province in their second successive grand finale at the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week on Saturday, after beating SWD in last year's final.

Scorers:

Eastern Province (10) 23 – Tries: Khewzi Mafu, Heino Bezuidenhout. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (2). Penalties: Curwin Bosch (2). Drop Goal: Curwin Bosch.

KwaZulu-Natal (3) 22 – Tries: Bader Pretorius, Marco Palvie (2). Conversions: Bader Pretorius (2). Penalty: Bader Pretorius.