Kearsney College Easter Rugby Festival 2015 Reports – Day 3

From Kearsney (Working Words). Written by Mike Hill

MATCH 6
KEARSNEY COLLEGE 26 – 45 DALE COLLEGE

Kearsney and Dale College brought the curtain down on a very successful eighth Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. Both teams were keen for a victory, but it was Dale that started with some enterprising running rugby and finished off with a fine 45-26 victory. Kearsney gave it their all to finish a tremendous climax to the festival.

Dale, with the wind behind them, scored two early tries by captain and centre Siyamthanda Mgubo – the first with a run down the touchline and the second with a good line break, the second being converted by Courtney Winnaar for a 12-0 lead.

Against the run of play and due to a number of kicks ahead, Kearsney got down to the Dale 22m area, where they gave away a penalty. The kick was fielded by Kearsney who again kicked ahead and in a sprint for the line Cameron Richie won the race to score. Cullen Waberski converted to narrow the gap to 7-12.

Dale continued to spread the ball and prop Sihle Diniso finished off some good handling to power over for Dale’s third try. Winnaar was again successful with the conversion and Dale led 19-7.

Kearsney struck back and it was again Ritchie who this time had to sprint 20m after a kick ahead which he picked up and scored. Waberski added the points and the sides went into the break with Dale leading 19-14.

Luyolo Khuso stretched his legs from the kick-off and beat the Kearsney defence to dot down in the corner. Winnaar, with a perfectly placed cross-kick, found wing Khuso who caught and fell over the line for his second try. Winnaar again successful with two points, increased Dale’s lead to 31-14.

Kearsney again bounced back with a move down field and scrum-half Brendan Vorster broke to dot down. Waberski’s conversion narrowed the gap to 31-21.

Kearney again attacked and it was Richie to complete his hat-trick of tries that brought Kearsney to 26-31. Dale attacked again and from the line-out flank Oratile Mabusela had a storming run to score far out. Winnaar split the uprights with a superb conversion and a 36-28 lead.

Kearsney, under pressure, attempted to run the ball out of their 22m area, but a mistake was pounced on by Dale’s Bamanye Xenxe who rounded the defence to score under the upright. Winnaar made no mistake for Dale’s 45-26 victory.

Point Scorers:
Dale: Tries: Mgubo (2), Diniso, Khuso (2), Mabusela, Xenxe; Conversions: Winnaar (5)
Kearsney: Tries: Richie (3), Vorster; Conversions: Waberski (3)

MATCH 5
GREY COLLEGE 17 – 15 EG JANSEN

The much anticipated penultimate game between unbeaten Grey College and Dr EG Jansen did not disappoint. Place kicking became difficult with the swirling wind but it was Mario Vieira with two conversions and a penalty that won the game for Grey as EG Jansen did score three tries to two by Grey.

The Bloemfontein boys had the better possession early on, but EG Jansen did not panic and it was a strong, determined run by flank Dylan van der Walt down the left touchline that eroded the Grey defence and put EG Jansen 5-0 in front.

Their second try resulted when wing Irvin Ali stormed over down the right flank to leave them 10-0 in front. Grey finally got on the scoreboard when Mario Vieira kicked a penalty from straight in front, to leave the Free Staters 3-10 down at half-time.

After play had moved across the field it was lock Edwin Jansen who caught the Grey defence on the wrong foot as he dived over for the opening try of the second half and a 15-3 lead. This is when Grey are their most dangerous and flank Johan Dippennaar drove over, well converted by Vieira for the gap to narrow to 10-15.

With just under four minutes remaining Grey pressurised the Jansen line and it was centre PR Serfontein that forced his way over to equalise the scores. Vieira had an easy conversion and Grey were ahead 17-15 for the first time in the match.

In a last ditch effort, EG Jansen’s Xander Crause attempted a long penalty kick but the wind drove it to the left. Grey won – to remain the only unbeaten team at the 2015 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival.

Point scorers:
Grey: Tries: Van der Walt, Ali, Jansen
EG Jansen: Tries: Dippenaar, Serfontein; Conversions: Vieira (2); Penalty: Vieira

MATCH 4
MENLO PARK 23 – 19 GLENWOOD

In another tight match, Glenwood faced Menlo Park. During the first half the wind had dropped and conditions were good, but in the second half the wind again picked up with Menlo having it blowing behind them, only for it to die near the end of the match, which the Pretoria boys won narrowly.

Andell Loubser opened the scoring for Menlo Park with a penalty. Some good play following a lineout saw centre Donovan Durandt create a gap and he broke through to score, well converted by Jerome Bossr for a 7-3 lead.

Loubser then closed the gap with another three-pointer but, just before halftime, Glenwood fullback Jaydon Morgan scored in the corner to put his side 12-6 in front.

Three minutes into the second half, prop Roan Liebenberg used his bulk to get over following a ruck close to the try-line. With the wind getting up again, Menlo gained territorial advantage.

Scrum-half Stean Pienaar broke through to score close to the upright for an easy Loubser conversion and their lead extended to 201-12. Loubser was again successful with a penalty, putting Menlo 11 points ahead.

Glenwood forced their way downfield and from a lineout mauled to the try-line for flank Austin Brummer to score. A superb conversion by Bossr brought Glenwood to within four points of Menlo at 19-23 with five minutes remaining. However Menlo Park held out for a good win, their first of the festival.

Point scorers:
Menlo Park: Tries: Liebenberg, Pienaar; Conversions: Loubser (2); Penalties: Loubser (3)
Glenwood: Tries: Du Randt, Morgan, Brummer; Conversions: Bossr (2)

MATCH 3
HTS MIDDELBURG 23 – 15 SELBORNE COLLEGE

The third match began in rain and a strong wind between unbeaten Selborne and HTS Middelburg. The wind blew the clouds away and the sun re-appeared. HTS Middelburg did not panic as they ground out a solid 23-15 win, the boot of Brandon Par-Bailey being the difference.

Selborne, with the wind behind them, dominated territory, spending much of it in the Middelburg half. However the sides were evenly matched and the scoreboard remained score-less. The wind dropped and HTS started putting pressure on Selborne. The first points came with eight minutes remaining in the half, when fullback Parr-Bailey kicked a three pointer.

On the half-time whistle prop Cole van Tonder, with the help of fellow forwards, dived over for the first try of the match. Selborne’s Josh Allderman successfully converted, for Selborne to take the lead 7-3 at the break.

Immediately following the kick-off for the second half, wing Thakga Boloko stormed down the left touchline and dived over in the corner for the East London side to lead 12-3. There was some assistance from the wind, Middelburg kicked ahead, and from a ruck scrumhalf Jandre Venter sniped over. Parr-Bailey added the extra points for Middelburg to take back the lead 13-12.

This was short-lived as Allderman converted a penalty for Selborne for a 15-13 lead. Parr-Bailey then added another penalty from an acute angle so Middelburg were 16-15 back in front. Wing Waldo Conradie stretched the lead when he dived over again for a well-converted try for Middelburg to lead 23-15.

Another tightly fought contest saw HTS Middelburg defeat Selborne, leaving Grey College, who would be playing in the penultimate match, as the only unbeaten side remaining.

Point scorers:
Selborne: Tries: Van Tonder, Bolokga; Conversion: Allderman; Penalty: Allderman
HTS Middelburg: Tries: Venter, Conradie; Conversions: Parr-Bailey (2); Penalties: Parr-Bailey (3)

MATCH 2
FRAMESBY 0 – 57 AFFIES

The second game started off in sunlight after some rain in the previous game. Despite the brisk wind behind Framesby in the second half, they could still not make much impression on their opposition. Affies, hurting after their defeat on Saturday, dominated exchanges against the Port Elizabeth side, who have been depleted by injuries during the festival.

Five tries in the first half, two by flank Regardt du Plessis, and others by wing Jacobus van Staden, centre Eddie Fouche and hooker Schalk Erasmus. Four of the tries were converted by Fouche for the Pretoria side to lead 33-0 at the break. Affies towered over the Framesby forwards in the lineout and their one try came when Framesby had been reduced to 14 players after a yellow card.

Despite the Affies domination, Framesby did not give up and their tackling prevented Affies from scoring even more.

The second half saw Framesby holding Affies to four tries as the wind did give them some assistance to get into the Affies half. Wing Christian Strydom scored the first, followed by flank Phillip Krause, the last converted by Fouche. Lock Ruben van Heerden and a final try by Van Staden, his second, converted by Fouche, left the final score 57-0.

Point scorers:
Affies: Tries: Fouche, Du Plessis (2), Van Staden (2), Erasumus, Srydom, Krause, Van Heerden; Conversions: Fouche (6)

MATCH 1
WESTVILLE 34 – 26 SACS

The final day of the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival opened with a much anticipated match between unbeaten SACS and local side Westville who had lost one match at the festival. It was a great game with the lead changing numerous times, but Westville eventually prevailing 34-26.

At the start of the game, the sun was shining but there was a stiff breeze blowing down the field. Westville dominated the opening quarter and when SACS did win clean ball, they made mistakes. After six minutes Westville had taken the lead with an unconverted try by Tonny Mahlangu. This was increased to 8-0 when Craig van Rooyen converted a penalty.

SACS, for the first time, moved the ball across the field. Left wing Matthew de Villiers went over to narrow the gap to 5-8. Westville extended the lead when flank Devon Muller scored following a maul from a lineout with SACS having 14 players on the field after a yellow card. A good touchline conversion by Van Rooyen pushed Westville to 15-5 lead. Another penalty by Van Rooyen and Westville were in command at 18-5 ahead due to numerous penalties conceded by SACS.

With light rain beginning to fall SACS wing Tumi Mogoje scored after a good run down the right, beating the defence to score under the poles. Captain Jordan Chait added the two points to leave the score 18-12 at half-time. Magoje scored his second try after Westvile, on attack, dropped the ball and he sprinted 60m to score. Chait converted to put SACS into a 19-18 lead.

SACS continued to be penalised for mistakes, with Van Rooyen adding six more points with two penalties, but SACS countered with a try by SACS captain Chait following a lineout. He converted and SACS led 26-24 before Van Rooyen added the second penalty for Westville, taking back the lead 27-26.

Muller then scored his second try, again successfully converted by Van Rooyen for Westville to lead 34-26.

If SACS had kept their discipline, the score could have been in their favour, but it was a wonderfully exciting opening game of the last day.

Points scorers:
Westville: Tries: Mahlangu, Muller (2); Conversions: Van Rooyen (2); Penalties: Van Rooyen (5)
SACS: Tries: De Villiers, Mogoje (2), Chait; Conversions: Chait (3)

RESULTS FROM DAY 2:
Selborne 28 Menlo Park 20; Westville 10 Dale 22; Kearsney 10 Grey 26; Affies 10 SACS 13; Glenwood 11 HTS Middelburg 22; Framesby 6 EG Jansen 31
RESULTS FROM DAY 1:
Selborne 48 Kearsney 7; SACS 22 Dale 12; Westville 27 Menlo Park 25; Affies 41 EG Jansen 5; Glenwood 31 Framesby 0; Grey College 22 HTS Middelburg 19