Sizzling six-try Border get Craven Week off to flying start

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Border made a flying start to their U18 Craven Week rugby campaign when they scored six sizzling tries on their way to a crushing 36-14 win over the Valke in Gqeberha on Tuesday.

The Border try feast was led by hard-running wing Ncuthu Kepe, whose two thrilling five-pointers had the crowd on their feet at Grey High School’s iconic Kolisi Field and earned him the man of the match award.

The emphatic victory offered further proof that the Border region, which has nurtured a host of Springbok stars, remains a hotbed of schoolboy rugby excellence.

A polished display by Border’s schoolboys will help to lift the gloom hanging over the region after the tough times being experienced by their senior team.

The Border Bulldogs have failed to win a single match in either the SA Cup or Currie Cup First Division in 2026 and are enduring one of the worst periods in their long history.

The current crop of Border young guns, provided they are not headhunted by rival unions, have the ability to transform the union’s fortunes in the years ahead.

The clash got off a scrappy start, with both teams making handling errors in the early morning contest. However, the floodgates opened in the second half when Border unleashed their potent backs with an attacking ball-in-hand approach.

It was the Valke who dominated the opening exchanges, forcing an under-pressure Border side on to the back foot. The dam wall eventually burst when lively Valke loose forward Victory Asumah peeled away from a rolling maul to dive over for a try in the 17th minute.

Border then went on the offensive and laid siege to the Valke tryline.

After several attempts by the Border forwards to power their way over the whitewash, Border spread the ball wide and fullback Caleb Smith went over after 23 minutes. With scores locked up at 7-7, Border had a let-off when Valke flyhalf Dian Botha missed two relatively easy penalty attempts.

With Border picking up the tempo at the start of the second half, the Valke were forced on to the back foot. A lapse in discipline saw the Valke reduced to 14 players after referee Excellent Mnkomo yellow-carded Joshua van Rensburg in the 36th minute.

Taking advantage of their numerical advantage, Border grabbed a 12-7 lead when Nande Thiwani powered his way over the Valke tryline.

The game then opened up, and Valke drew level when hard-running wing Jerado Tafel burst his way through the Border defence to allow his team to regain the lead.

Playing with more confidence, Border had the crowd on their feet, with express-pace wing Kepe going coast-to-coast to put his team back into the lead.

Provided they can maintain this upward trajectory, Border’s players have certainly put their hands up for higher honours when the SA Schools teams are named at the end of the week.

The players selected for the four national teams will remain in Gqeberha for the two matches at Grey High School on Thursday, July 16.

Former Springbok Women’s players Natasha Hofmeester and Zolisa Noxeke have been appointed as the first coaches of the SA Schools Girls’ teams, while Lwazi Zangqa and Flash Malinga will coach the two boys’ teams.

These coaches and the selectors will keep a keen eye on all matches played during the week.