Bishops win big again

Match Report

There was not the fluency in Bishops play that there had been the week before against SACS as Wynberg competed with zest, but they still won 45-8.

The match had its ugly moment. In the second half scrumhalf the Bishops scrumhalf Stuart Commins, who is also the school's headboy, was injured. This caused a long stoppage as the ambulance was brought onto the field and he was taken to Vincent Palotti Hospital. He was later discharged.

Wynberg certainly competed and were generally better than Bishops at the breakdown and deserved a better result than the score suggests. It is just the Bishops ability and facility to score from long distances that made the score look so one-sided. It certainly was not one-sided as Wynberg probably enjoyed the majority of territory and possession.

Wynberg could well have scored more points. Their goal-kicking was off target and they needed just a bit of finishing to score more tries.

On the other hand Bishops finished well. Again Mathew Turner showed his worth. He scored the first try when he raced 30 metres or so down the left touch-line. His feet and swerve are his main weapons but this time, slender as he is of build, he bumped of a defender with hardly a hesitation in his stride. He converted.

Stefan Swanich, Wynberg's sturdy inside centre, goaled a long penalty to make it 7-3 as the visitors played with greater intensity than Bishops.

Bishops would well have scored as Turner went down the left wing again but Swanich intercepted his inside pass and saved the situation for Wynberg.

From a tapped penalty Martin Muller, chosen for the SA Schools B side this year, forced his way over. Again Turner converted.

Just before half-time Bishops went on a series of attacks, using the width of the field till the pressure told and Turner went over for his second try.

This made the score 19-3 at half-time.

The first Bishops try of the second half was a gem, the sort of try unique to this team. Wynberg kicked at goal but the ball went just to the left of the uprights where eighthman Nic Köster caught the ball. He hesitated as if to dot down and then started running. Up the field Bishops went passing and weaving, right and left till eventually centre Adrian Kritzinger went over for the try which he converted. 26-3.

It was at this stage of the game that Commins was injured.

Wynberg then had a period of strong attack as they turned a penalty into an attacking line-out. The Bishops defence survived and then they made a try out of Wynberg's clumsiness. Wynberg won a scrum under pressure and the next thing Bishops were attacking down the midfield and Kritzinger scored his second try.

Jeff van Breda, the tall, mobile Bishops lock, scored a sudden try when he dummied and raced 40 metres or more down the middle of the field, straight at the posts. 48-3.

Wynberg went back on the attack and used penalties to get close to the Bishops line till massive prop Grant Kemp plunged over for a try. 38-8.

Wynberg attacked and chipped - and Bishops scored. That's how simple it all seemed as Köster and Turner got involved and then Van Breda scored his second try. Kritzinger again converted. 45-8.

Scorers:

For Bishops:
Tries Turner 2, Kritzinger 2, Van Breda 2, Muller.
Cons: Turner 2, Kritzinger 3

For Wynberg:
Try: Kemp
Pen: Swanich

Teams:

Bishops: 15 Leigh Bruinders, 14 Derek Stanford, 13 Adrian Kritzinger (captain), 12 Cian van der Vyver, 11 Mathew Turner, 10 Craig Jordens, 9 Stuart Commins, 8 Nic Köster, 7 Michael Morris, 6 Callan Artus, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Jeff van Breda,  3 Lyall Bluett, 2 Dasch Barber, 1 Wesley Chetty.

Wynberg: 15 S van Schalkwyk, 14 L Gomez, 13 Z Isaacs, 12 S Swanich, 11 S Morris, 10 J Pretorius, 9 T Vann, 8 A Selly, 7 V Terry, 6 C Scott, 5 M van Schalkwyk, 4 G Pearson,  3 R Smit, 2 R Magee, 1 G Kemp.