The Orange team defeated the dangerous Garden Route side 38-26 for their first win over SWD in 54 years, and only their second ever win against the Eagles during Craven Week. In addition to finally putting this old ghost to rest, Free State also became the first team at this year’s tournament to score the opening points of a match and then win it.
Stormers-bound fullback Lamla Mgedezi was at his brilliant best, constantly asking questions of the Eagles’ defence.
He put in an excellent performance with a string of tries to earn his second Player of the Match award of the tournament.
Mgedezi was simply in a class of his own and proved almost impossible to control. Every time he touched the ball, he felt like something special was about to happen.
He was well supported by his forwards, with 8th man Neil du Randt and flanker Xander de Beer both standing tall with their physicality, high work rate and presence in the open.
At backs, flyhalf Samson Lackay pulled the strings excellently and kept the scoreboard ticking with a try and four conversions, while outside center Eddie Mabena also produced moments of magic in attack and showed his value defensively.
SWD fought bravely and overturned an early deficit to take a 19-7 lead at one point thanks to tries from flanker Moeshaan Mortlock, scrumhalf Fagon Hendricks and hooker Adrian Smith.
However, the Free Staters refused to let this happen. Before half-time, scrum-half Jonathan Drysdale crossed the whitewash before Mgedezi completed his brace to send the sides into half-time at 19-19.
SWD captain and 8th man Jacobus de Villiers – the younger brother of recent Springbok debutant Paul de Villiers – put the Eagles ahead again after the restart when he took control for a try, but Free State hooker AJ Hendricks was quick to respond again to level issues.
Mgedezi was once again the spark for another Free State effort, which was ultimately completed by Mabena, who showed blistering pace to fly over in the corner.
From then on the Free Staters never looked back, with Lackay’s try delivering the final blow and sealing a famous victory. Free State’s only previous win against SWD during Craven Week came in 1972.
Meanwhile, the Leopards beat the Limpopo Blue Bulls 57-14, hosts Eastern Province beat Boland 32-31, while Western Province left it late to stun the Sharks 24-22 in perhaps the best Craven Week comeback yet.
Scorers:
Free State: Trying- Lamla Mgedezi 2, Jonathan Drysdale, AJ Hendricks, Eddie Mabena, Samson Lackay
Conv. – Samson Lackay 4
Southwestern Districts: Trying – Moeshaan Mortlock, Fagon Hendricks, Adrian Smith, Jacobus de Villiers Conv. – Tyler Marais 3
U18 Craven Week results – day three (Wednesday 8 July):
Leopards 57-14 Limpopo Blue Bulls
Eastern Province 32-31 Boland
Free State 38-26-southwestern districts
Western Province 24-22 Sharks 22
U18 Craven Week Matches – Day Four (Thursday 9 July):
10:00 – Griffons vs Valke
11:45 – Border against Cougars
13:30 – Blue Bulls vs Griquas
15:30 – Golden Lions v Western Province XV
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