The team in orange beat the dangerous outfit from the Garden Route 38-26 for their first win over SWD in 54 years, and only their second-ever victory against the Eagles at Craven Week. Apart from finally laying 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 go on to win it. 

The Stormers-bound Free State fullback Lamla Mgedezi was at his brilliant best, constantly asking questions of the Eagles defence.

He backed up a standout performance with a brace of tries, earning his second Player of the Match accolade of the tournament.

Mgedezi was simply in a class of his own and proved almost impossible to contain. Every time he touched the ball, there was a sense that 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 loose.

Among the backs, flyhalf Samson Lackay pulled the strings superbly and kept the scoreboard ticking over with a try and four conversions, while outside centre Eddie Mabena also produced moments of magic on attack and showed his value defensively.

SWD fought bravely and overturned an early deficit to take a 19-7 lead at one stage thanks to tries by flanker Moeshaan Mortlock, scrumhalf Fagon Hendricks, and hooker Adrian Smith.

The Free Staters, however, refused to let this one slip. Before half-time, scrumhalf Jonathan Drysdale crossed the whitewash before Mgedezi completed his brace to send the sides into the break locked at 19-19.

SWD captain and 8th-man Jacobus de Villiers – the younger brother of recent Springbok debutant Paul de Villiers – put the Eagles back in front after the restart when he powered over for a try, but Free State hooker AJ Hendricks quickly responded to level matters once again.

Mgedezi was once again the spark for another Free State try, which was eventually finished off by Mabena, who showed blistering pace to fly over in the corner.

From there, the Free Staters never looked back, with Lackay’s try delivering the final knockout blow and sealing a famous victory. Free State’s only previous win against SWD at Craven Week came back in 1972.

Meanwhile, the Leopards beat the Limpopo Blue Bulls 57-14, hosts Eastern Province edged Boland 32-31, while Western Province left it late to stun the Sharks 24-22 in arguably the best comeback of the Craven Week so far.

Scorers:

Free State: Tries- Lamla Mgedezi 2, Jonathan Drysdale, AJ Hendricks, Eddie Mabena, Samson Lackay
 Conv. - Samson Lackay 4

South Western Districts: Tries - Moeshaan Mortlock, Fagon Hendricks, Adrian Smith, Jacobus de Villiers Conv. - Tylor 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-South Western Districts

Western Province 24-22 Sharks 22

U18 Craven Week fixtures – day four (Thursday, 9 July):

10:00 - Griffons v Valke

11:45 - Border v Pumas

13:30 - Blue Bulls v Griquas

15:30 - Golden Lions v Western Province XV

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh