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Free State 38-26 SWD: Free State produced one of the great comebacks of this Craven Week, hauling themselves back from 14 points down to win a breathless contest at Grey High School in Gqeberha on Wednesday. The final scoreline flatters neither side — this was a match that had everything, and the boys from the southern Cape will feel the hurt of this one for a long time.
SWD came flying out of the blocks. Free State crossed first to lead 5-0, but SWD answered immediately, and their conversion put them ahead 7-5. They didn't stop there. A second try, converted, stretched it to 14-5, and then a third try made it 19-5. The Oakdale and Outeniqua contingent in the SWD ranks were causing serious problems, and the Free State squad — dominated by Grey College's 18 representatives — looked rattled.
But Grey College boys don't rattle easily. Free State found something deep in that first-half pressure cooker. They crossed for their second try, converted, and suddenly it was 19-12. Then, with the clock winding down before the break, they scored again. The conversion was good. Free State 19-19 SWD. A score that told you nothing about how the half had actually unfolded — and everything about Free State's character.
SWD regrouped and hit back immediately after the restart, a converted try putting them 26-19 up and reopening the wound. For a moment, it looked like the southern Cape side might finish what they started in that blistering first quarter. Free State had other ideas. They crossed for a converted try to level at 26-26, and then the momentum shifted irreversibly. Two more Free State tries followed in quick succession — one converted — and the final score of 38-26 told the real story of the second half: a province that refused to fold.