Bishops and Rondebosch on a Lovely Day

It was a lovely match between Bishops and Rondebosch at Bishops on Saturday, a typical Cape winter's day - sunny, warm enough and almost windless with just a strip of white cloud enjoying a splendid view from its Table Mountain grand stand.

The match itself was excellent, the epitome of rugby's best. There were two teams playing creative rugby in excellent spirit. And the ground was packed by excited but cheerful spectators from the low stands on the east side, at both ends and from the Heatlie Pavilion in the west, commemorating one of South Africa's earliest rugby heroes, Barry Heatlie, a keen Bishops man.

Bishops 1st XV play in dark blue, Rondebosch in darker blue. Being hosts and generous, Bishops changed into white as the teams came out onto the famous Piley Rees Field - its name recalling a legendary Bishops coach while the Heatlie was largely the efforts of two other Bishops legends, Basil Bey and Tim Hamilton-Smith.

There was the slightest of gentle breezes from the South, but it was hardly the reason that Rondebosch started with a bang. They kicked off and attacked first and were soon battering at the Bishops line. Big Lukhanyo Vokozela was held up over the line as the referee played advantage. Back they went to the penalty and turned it into a five-metre lineout. Traditionally this match has been between the Bishops backs and the Rondebosch forwards, and it was the Rondebosch forwards who were back battering with Matt Gray in the van, a lock who has played nearly 50 matches for the 1st XV. Bashing done, Rondebosch went wide to the left where head prefect Lehan Botha dashed over in the left corner. 5-0 after 6 minutes on the attack.

Back came Rondebosch. They had a scrum inside the Bishops 22 and on the Rondebosch left. From the scrum Botha took the pass from scrumhalf Ishma-eel Safodien on the open side and scythed through for a try near the posts. Fullback Conor van Eden converted. 12-0 after 11 minutes.

The first time Rondebosch were penalised, Bishops tapped and ran - from five metres from their own goal-line. It was the first time they were allowed to play with the ball, and eventually they got going. In fact they scored the next two tries and took the lead at 14-12.

The first came when scrumhalf Liam Kloosman danced towards the posts and gave to big lock Samuel Rudston who powered through three defenders to score under the posts.

Then phases ended when the ball went wide right to Luca Liebenberg and the bulky wing stepped inside a defender to score in the right corner. Fullback Matthew Lennett converted both, the first easy, the second difficult.

The Bishops lead did not last long. Rondebosch got into Bishops territory but the attack looked desultory till suddenly flyhalf Kian Davis burst into life, cut through and scored without a hand laid on him. Van Eden's conversion gave Rondebosch a 19-14 lead after 30 minutes.

The lead changed again when some fluent Bishops handling send Liebenberg for his second try, and Bishops led 21-19, the half-time score.

Michael Ford of Bishops set the first try of the second half in motion when he dispossessed his opposite number for a turnover, from which Liebenberg completed his hat-trick and Bishops led 26-19.

Rondebosch suffered a sin-binning and, while they were down to 14 men, tall Rudston bent a long way down to catch a low pass and score. 31-19 with 19 minutes to play.

Bishops attacked again and strong hooker Keagan Blanckenberg burst through to score.

At 36-19 Bishops looked certain of victory but then, with Bishops attacking, Rondebosch scored. It was an exquisite try. as Dalvon Blood gather a kick ahead and sped some 60 metres, past three defenders to score. 36-26, the final score.

It was a lively, exciting match, much appreciated by the spectators. And clearly the spirit between the two schools is healthy.

Scorers

For Bishops:

Tries: Luca Liebenberg 3, Samuel Rudston 2, Keagan Blanckenberg

Cons: Matthew Lennett 3

For Rondebosch:

Tries: Lehan Botha 2, Kian Davis, Dalvon Blood

Cons: Conor van Eden 3

Teams

Bishops players do not wear numbers but this list goes from fullback to loosehead.

Bishops: Matthew Lennett, Luca Liebenberg, Oliver Jones, Michael Ford, Samuel Marthinussen, Sacha Mngomezulu, Liam Kloosman, Jono Bird, Connor Evans, Charlie Yates, Jack Hampshire (captain), Samuel Rudston, James Bolton, Keagan Blanckenberg, Aidan MacDonald

Coaches: Wes Chetty, Dylon Frylinck, Charlie Post, Chris Ekron

Rondebosch: 15 Conor van Eden, 14 Jake Tredoux, 13 Dalvon Blood, 12 Jordan Collier (captain), 11 Lehan Botha, 10 Kian Davis, 9 Ishma-eel Safodien, 8 Joshua King, 7 Campbell Slater, 6 Matthew Cohen, 5 Will McDonald, 4 Matt Gray, 3 Bryan le Roux, 2 Troy Fisher, 1 Lukhanyo Vokozela

Coaches: Pieter Benade, Joel Carew, Trevor Edwards

Referee: Zandré Herselman (Western Province Referees' Society)

Assitant referees: Nathan Barry (Western Province Referees' Society), Nathan Swartz (Western Province Referees' Society)

All Team's Results - 8 June 2019

These results have been provided by Pam Ogilvie of Rondebosch.

1st XV: Bishops won 26-36

2nd XV: Bishops won 21-17

3rd XV: Bishops won 45-5

4th XV: Bishops won 10-7

5th XV: Bishops won 40-0

Under-16A: Bishops won 33-19

Under-16B: Bishops won 8-7

Under-16C: Bishops won 26-7

Under-15A: Rondebosch won 17-10

Under-15B: Rondebosch won 31-14

Under-15C: Draw 5-5

Under-14A: Bishops won 14-10

Under-14B: Rondebosch won 66-5

Under-14C: Rondebosch won 33-0

Under-14D: Rondebosch won 28-1

Bishops vs Rondebosch Down the Years

There is a score in 1908 which really does not belong here. Then Rondebosch had been a soccer school whereas Bishops had been playing the more sensible game for nearly 50 years. Bishops won that mismatch in 1908 112-0. The upshot was that Rondebosch kept out of interschool competition. The first "official" match between the two schools, as Rondebosch acknowledges, was in 1911.

1911: Bishops won 18-0 & 25-0

1916: Bishops won 13-0 & drew 13-13

1917: Bishops won 5-3 & Rondebosch won 14-3

1918: Bishops won 16-0 & drew 0-0

1921: Bishops won 6-0

1923: Rondebosch won 9-8

1925: Rondebosch won 22-3

1926: Bishops won 10-9 & 6-3

1928: Bishops won 8-3 & 15-3

1929: Bishops won 7-3

1930: Bishops won 15-9 & 12-9

1931: Bishops won 11-3 & 16-9

1932: Bishops won 9-3 & 15-0

1933: Bishops won 11-6 & drew 3-3

1935: Bishops won 6-3

1936: Bishops won 49-0 & 37-3

1937: Drew 0-0 & Bishops won 6-3

1938: Rondebosch won 8-3 & Bishops won 16-6

1939: Rondebosch won 8-0

1940: Bishops won 25-3 & 11-8

1941: Bishops won 13-9 & Rondebosch won 8-3

1942: Bishops won 16-4 & 10-3

1943: Bishops won 21-0 & 31-3

1944: Rondebosch won 21-14 & 6-0

1945: Rondebosch won 6-0 & Bishops won 11-8

1946: Drew 3-3 & drew 3-3

1947: Bishops won 6-3 & Rondebosch won 9-6

1948: Rondebosch won 17-13 & Bishops won 13-6

1949: Bishops won 23-0 & 17-6

1950: Drew 14-14 & Rondebosch won 17-6

1951: Bishops won 8-0 & 17-0

1952: Rondebosch won 6-3 & drew 3-3

1953: Rondebosch won 6-3 & 13-3

1954: Rondebosch won 11-3

1955: Bishops won 9-6 & 8-6

1956: Bishops won 11-0 & Rondebosch won 9-6

1957: Rondebosch won 5-0 & drew 3-3

1958: Rondebosch won 8-0 & 8-6

1959: Bishops won 10-0 & Rondebosch won 3-0

1960: Drew 3-3 & Rondebosch won 12-3

1961: Rondebosch won 5-0 & 13-6

1962: Bishops won 3-0 & drew 6-6

1963: Rondebosch won 11-0 & 9-6

1964: Rondebosch won 13-0 & 13-0

1965: Drew 0-0 & drew 3-3

1966: Rondebosch won 14-3 & 12-3

1967: Drew 3-3 & Rondebosch won 20-0

1968: Rondebosch won 6-0 & drew 8-8

1969: Rondebosch won 11-6 & 25-3

1970: Rondebosch won 14-0 & 11-9

1971: Rondebosch won 8-3 & 24-3

1972: Rondebosch won 13-4 & 13-4

1973: Rondebosch won 13-12 & Bishops won 16-13

1974: Bishops won 9-3 & 18-4

1975: Rondebosch won 27-3 & 22-6

1976: Rondebosch won 14-13 & 22-12

1977: Rondebosch won 15-12 & 33-7

1978: Drew 6-6 & Bishops won 8-6

1979: Bishops won 9-0 & 24-0

1980: Rondebosch won 22-12 & Bishops won 10-3

1981: Bishops won 12-6 & 7-6

1982: Bishops won 18-6 & Rondebosch won 12-6

1983: Rondebosch won 18-10 & Bishops won 16-6

1984: Rondebosch won 7-0 & 15-11

1985: Bishops won 12-3 & Rondebosch won 16-9

1986: Bishops won 14-4 & 13-3

1987: Bishops won 12-7 & 15-3

1988: Bishops won 10-3 & 13-3

1989: Bishops won 58-10 & 7-4

1990: Bishops 14-7 & 9-0

1991: Bishops 12-9 & 21-9

1992: Bishops 34-3 & 27-6

1993: Bishops 28-10 & 19-5

1994: Rondebosch won 6-5 & 19-9

1995: Rondebosch won 7-6 & 11-10

1996: Rondebosch won 17-7 & 6-0

1997: Rondebosch won 18-0 & 31-11

1998: Bishops won 20-0 & 15-7

1999: Rondebosch 16-15 & Bishops won 24-9

2000: Rondebosch 22-19 & 27-17

2001: Bishops won 17-0 & 18-0

2002: Bishops won 52-8 & 41-25

2003: Bishops won 18-5 & 78-19

2004: Bishops won 27-8 & Rondebosch won 26-22

2005: Bishops won 31-6 & 14-12

2006: Bishops won 71-3 & 75-22

2007: Bishops won 48-27 & 27-24

2008: Bishops won 20-8 & 47-15

2009: Rondebosch won 16-10 & Bishops won 10-6

2010: Bishops won 38-10 & the sides drew 19-19

2011: Rondebosch won 34-18 & Bishops won 37-12

2012: Bishops won 15-3 & Rondebosch won 19-11

2013: Rondebosch won 22-7 & Bishops won 23-11

2014: Bishops won 52-14 & 22-21

2015: Bishops won 36-23 & Rondebosch won 55-12

2016: Rondebosch won 15-14 & 30-26

2017: Rondebosch won 32-19 & 64-7

2018: Bishops won 25-20 & the sides drew 10-10

2019: Bishops won 36-26