Semi-final weekend got off to a shaky start, with rain threatening to put an end to proceedings before they had begun. Judging by the amount of rain and the state of Kings Park for the Sharks game on Saturday, very few people were optimistic that the games would take place on Sunday. Luckily, Riverside Sports Complex has some of the best drainage in KZN and the fields were perfect on Sunday morning. However, 3 games had to be cancelled because of withdrawal or non-arrival of the teams (the weather always plays a large part in this).
Only 2 B semi-finals were played (both U13). Hillcrest narrowly beat Crusaders with a try in the final seconds in a thrilling game that could have gone either way. Amanzimtoti also scored a narrow win over Ballito, beating them 10-7. In the A league, Collegians U13’s completely overran Harlequins, beating them 51-0. Varsity College and Hillcrest contested a very hard fought game, with the result always in the balance. In the end, Hillcrest won 19-12 to set up a great final with Collegians.
The U15A’s saw Hillcrest easily accounting for Ballito 42-07, while the 2nd semi-final between Varsity College and Collegians went down to the wire. Collegians led for most of the game, but failed to hold off Varsity College in the dying seconds of the game, with Varsity College scoring the winning try from a move started 10 seconds before time to make the score 25-24. In the U16 age group, Collegians looked full of running beating Harlequins 63-05, after leading 43-0 at half time. Varsity College U16’s looked sluggish in the first half of their game against Amanzimtoti, before putting in a vastly improved 2nd half to win 34-08.
The under 18 game between Collegians and Ballito was a real spectacle that went down to the wire. Both teams had numerous chances that weren’t converted, before Ballito ran out 10-08 winners. Harlequins superb backline easily dispatched Crusaders 31-03 in the final game, to set up a classic final against Ballito.
With Collegians fields unavailable due to the rain damage, the finals will now be played at Harlequins on Sunday.
Venue: Varsity College Date: 16 September 2012
| A-SECTION | TIME | TEAM | SCORE | TEAM IN FINAL |
| U13 A Semi-final | 10H00 | Collegians | 51 | |
| Harlequins | 0 | Collegians | ||
| U13 A Semi-final | 11H00 | Varsity College | 12 | Hillcrest |
| Hillcrest | 19 | |||
| U15 A Semi-final | 12H00 | Varsity College | 25 | |
| Collegians | 24 | Varsity College | ||
| U15 A Semi-final | 14H10 | Hillcrest | 42 | Hillcrest |
| Harlequins | 7 | |||
| U16 A Semi-final | 13H10 | Collegians | 63 | |
| Harlequins | 5 | Collegians | ||
| U16 A Semi-final | 14H20 | Varsity College | 34 | Varsity College |
| Amanzimtoti | 8 | |||
| U18 A Semi-final | 15H20 | Collegians | 8 | |
| Ballito | 10 | Ballito | ||
| U18 A Semi-final | 16H40 | Crusaders | 3 | Harlequins |
| Harlequins | 31 | |||
| B-SECTION | TIME | TEAM | SCORE | TEAM IN FINAL |
| U13 B Semi-final | 09H30 | Hillcrest | 14 | |
| Crusaders | 13 | Hillcrest | ||
| U13 B Semi-final | 10H25 | Amanzimtoti | 10 | Amanzimtoti |
| Ballito | 7 | |||
| U15 B Semi-final | 11H20 | Hillcrest | ||
| Queensburgh | QB withdrew | Hillcrest | ||
| U15 B Semi-final | 12H15 | Ballito | Ballito | |
| Amanzimtoti | Toti withdrew | |||
| U18 B Semi-final | 15H00 | Amanzimtoti | ||
| Queensburgh | QB withdrew | Amanzimtoti | ||
| U18 B Log topper | Pinetown |
Collegians main field on Saturday, 16 September 2012
The fixtures for the finals and 3rd playoffs can be viewed here: http://www.drsujuniorrugby.co.za/page20.php
@Greenhopper: The error in the article is actually the team – Hillcrest accounted for Harlequins (not Ballito).
@Gungets: A team pulled out after the first round of matches and a decision was taken to disregard that round. Highly prejudicial as you say to Hillcrest who won convincingly with a bonus point on that day whilst VC did not play so lost nothing.
So yes – one team was prejudiced and one team was advantaged (always seems to be the same teams that get lucky!!!) which was why it would have caused a major dust up if VC had gone through over us.
Seen against a backdrop of a very fortuitous set of fixtures for VC (in all age groups actually) and the fact that we beat them convincingly it was much better that the final was decided on a rugby field and not across a boardroom table which would have become very ugly.
so thing wrong in that article, Ballito “barb bars , beat Hillcrest not the other way around? if you look at the table , it would suggest that
the u18 game should be interesting on the weekend,
u13 a will be a close one, not sure yet
u15 Will be Hillcrest
u16 Collegians most certainly
u18????? Ballito have a good pack and the backline should be at full strength for the, weekend first time this season, going to be good
@GreenBlooded: Explain the “reshuffle” to me. I understand that there must have been some league changes that moved teams around .. or what?
Sounds pretty unfair, bound to prejudice some and advantage others?
@beet: Yup – my lighty was complaining that he had to miss swimming training now because he has made the DRSU U13 team. When I got to the practice at Collegians I wondered what he was bitching about.
They have now moved practice to Harlequins where they have another issue to contend with – thorns and glass on the field!! The U13 boys play barefoot – ouch!
@GreenBlooded: It’s not really part of the article but I inserted a pic of Collegians main field (next to KP) taken on Sat. I think Chad le Clos would have impressed on that field.
The field looked more like a lake.
@Pedantic: They should have a “Like” button on this blog ;)
I was amazed at how well those fields drained – I was one of the crazy few who braved the weather and went to the Shark Tank on Saturday night and my first though was “there is no way VC fields can be better than Kings Park Stadium”. Not true at all.
In the U13A league in particular it was fortunate that the games went ahead because Hillcrest would have been justifiably aggreived at losing out to a VC team which they beat convincingly during the season and had a bonus point win dis-regarded due to a reshuffle. In the end – the correct 2 teams are in the final.
Good luck to all teams on Sunday and looking forward to 4/4 again from Hillcrest Villagers!!
Hillcrest the only club with all their teams through to the finals – not bad for a 1st Div bunch vs the Premier primadonnas