Both sets of backs were full of skill and guile and there were several thrilling length-of-the-field movements that had the big late afternoon crowd on their feet.
The result was in the balance right until the final minute when EP’s Shaun Davids fluffed an easy conversion attempt and the final result was a 22-22 draw.
The result has created the unusual situation of having both sides still in the running for a spot in Saturday’s main game of the week. Few in the big crowd, on yesterday’s showing, would object to seeing either of the teams get the nod.
The scoring in the game was identical. EP got three tries, via Aubrey MacDonald, Christopher Juries and Stephan de Villiers, with Davids kicking a penalty and two conversions. For Investec Western Province Andre Nel scored two tries and Michale Lockyear one. Conraad Hoffman kicked a penalty and two conversions.
In earlier action Border showed that they have a very good side this year by comprehensively beating the Northern Free State Griffons. They raced to 17-0 lead by halftime, but the Griffons came back strongly in the second period and the final score was 24-7.
Border winger, Alex Hatting took a lot of stopping. He scored a try and had a hand in both others. Johan Myburgh and Jeffrey Williams were the other try-scorers, with Hattingh adding a conversion and Myburgh a penalty and two conversions. Petrus Strydom got the Griffons’ try, converted by Cecil Afrika.
The Pumas v SWD game was a closely-contested affair. The battle was fought mostly among the forwards. The Young Eagles ran out 8-3 winners in the end, scoring the winning try through lock Bernard Wolmerans in the last minute of the game. Ruan Boshoff and Ingnus Prinsloo swopped penalties earlier. Christian Kruger, Lehkonolo Mathe and Vainon Willis scored tries for the Blue Bulls. Stefan Watermeyer kicked a penalty and three conversions.
Gareth McRae, Luzoko Vilindlu and Theo Davids got KwaZulu-Natal’s tries. Christopher Micklewood kicked three penalties and three conversions. KwaZulu-Natal staged a rousing comeback against the Blue Bulls to turn a 24-6 deficit into a 30-24 win. The Bulls were well in charge in the first half, but they had no answer to KwaZulu-Natal’s sustained attacking and ball retention.
Today’s fixtures are:
11.30am Zimbabwe v Boland,
RESULTS
Namibia 19 Limpopo 19,
Border 24 Griffons 7,
SWD 8 Pumas 3,
The Powerade Man of the Match awards on day two went to:
Namibia v Limpopo – Morton van Kradenburg (Namibia),
Griffons v Border – Alex Hattingh (Border),
SWD v Pumas – Conraad Britz (SWD),
