Bishops eyeing the double-double-double in 2019

Catch the annual Bishops vs St Andrew’s derby on SchoolSportsLive : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWvGykehCfY

Bishops are currently trending on social media for the wrong reasons. Things are building up towards a tense old boys meeting of their Old Diocesan Union (ODU) on Thursday, 01 August 2019. Making it interesting for outsiders is that a couple of rugby related old boys’ names have been included in the reporting on the matter. On the one side there’s new Stormers head coach John Dobson and on the other is up and coming SuperSport rugby commentator Anton Taylor (also an actor in the must-watch funny TV show Tali’s Wedding Diary). The old boys making up the ODU administration perform the work pro bono.

Anyway closer to the Piley Rees, Bishops’ beautiful and famous rugby field, things are looking a lot more rosy. A season ahead of schedule, the Bishops 1st XV are doing some great things. Amongst their 2019 achievements they are now very well placed to claim their first Southern Suburbs title since 2011 and they stand a good chance of doing it in perfect style with a clean sweep (double grand slam) against formidable opposition in the form of Rondebosch, SACS and Wynberg. On the weekend the numberless jersey wearers defeated SACS to secure their first home and away in the sequence last achieved by Wynberg in 2014. In the early part of the 2019 season Rondebosch were set to be the biggest obstacle in Bishops’ path but based on recent form coming out of the school holidays, that challenge might now be brought on strongest by Wynberg.

Southern Suburbs Season by Season for this Decade

Note: new formula

 

 

 

BISHOPS TO SLICK FOR SACS – report compliments of SACS

The South African College High School (SACS) travelled down the road to Diocesan College (Bishops) for this season’s second instalment of their long standing rivalry dating back possibly as far as 1863. Bishops won for the second time this season, more convincingly this time, by 47 points to seventeen (half time 21-5).

The first try of the match, scored after nine minutes, all but summed up the day’s proceedings. SACS after some good build up play were awarded a penalty under the Bishops posts. They should probably have taken three points but schoolboys rarely do what they should. Captain Jordan Thomas decided to have a crack at the line and a neat variation saw them set up a mini-maul. The ball popped out the side and off went Bishops scrumhalf Liam Kloosman. He raced ninety metres down field. A few phases later Bishops had numbers queuing up on the left. Hooker George Kappatos flopped over and fullback Matthew Lennett converted.

Bishops second try on twenty- one minutes had a less spectacular start but again involved multiple phases. SACS, maybe a touch tired after throwing the kitchen sink at Paul Roos the week before, couldn’t handle the pace of the Bishops backs and on the extremely wide Piley Rees field often found themselves exposed. Again the ball was sent wide, to the right this time, where wing Samuel Marthinussen scored. Lennett again did the necessary.

SACS did their fair share of attacking throughout the half but struggled to finish. A break by flank Nick Boden was eventually finished off by hooker Hlumelo Ntweni on twenty-seven minutes. A searing break by fullback Duran Koevort saw SACS immediately back on the attack but in virtually a carbon copy of the first try Kloosman this time tapped a free kick and ran the length to extent the hosts lead to sixteen points on the stroke of half-time.

There was again hope for SACS immediately after the interval when they regained the kick-off and slick hands down the right saw wing Kyle Kreymborg crash over. Nicholas Haasbroek failed to convert (21-10)

SACS fluffed the kick-off receipt and were immediately under pressure. A penalty kicked to touch saw Bishops maul SACS over to extent their lead to 28-10 seven minutes into the second half. SACS came back on the attack though and were all over the Bishops line only for another vital turnover to scupper their chances.

Two quick tries in succession by the hosts saw Bishops extent their lead to 40-10 with seventeen minutes still to play. Credit to SACS for fighting to the end and drawing the final quarter seven-all. 47-17 though a very bitter pill for SACS to swallow!

Both teams have two traditional Southern Suburbs derbies left. Bishops will be hoping to complete a clean sweep with only Wynberg and Rondebosch to come. SACS will take it one step at a time as they seek to overturn their first half defeat when they host Rondebosch Boy’s High next week.

Scorers:

BISHOPS

Tries: James Bolton (2), Sacha Mngomezulu (2), George Kappatos, Sam Marthinussen, Jack Hampshire

Conversions: 15 Matt Lennett (3), Mngomezulu (3)

SACS

Tries: Hlumelo Ntweni, Kyle Kreymborg, Thomas Doyle

Conversion: 10 Nicholas Haasbroek

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