Depleted Blackies left Stranded
Western Province Premier B outfit Strand added another impressive scalp to their collection when they withstood a late rally by hosts Hugenote to run out 17-13 winners on a beautiful sunny day in Wellington on Saturday, 28 July.
The visitors fully deserved the victory, but they won’t be happy with the poor decision-making and handling in their crackerjack midfield. Too often overelaboration deprived them of gilt-edged opportunities against a very short-staffed Blackies team.
In fact, the hosts probably deserve as much of the plaudits for their uncomplaining attitude. Polite to a fault as usual, they did not resort to offering excuses about their having to field a side short of inspirational captain SA Under-18 triallist Gideon Koegelenberg and four of the backline players that have contributed so much to their success. (Believe it or not, one side actually cancelled a fixture against them because of a shortage of front-rowers ten days in advance last term!)
As it turned out, that injury list grew by one at the break when lively scrumhalf Wicus Swiegers had to leave the field with a suspected fracture to his left forearm. Even in obvious pain, he needed to be restrained from returning to the fray after half-time.
The Strandlopers took the lead early on when captain and inside centre Deon Taljaard landed a penalty in the third minute, but soon found themselves on the back foot as Hugenote counterattacked with determination.
In the seventh minute their efforts were rewarded when lock Nico van Zyl crashed over for an unconverted try to which flyhalf Nelius Hauptfleisch added a penalty a few minutes later, putting the hosts up 8-3, which is how it stayed for the rest of a half which is probably best forgotten.
Both kickers missed shots at goal they would normally expect to have goaled and neither side appeared capable of retaining clean possession for more than one or two phases.
The visitors enjoyed the upper hand, fine breaks by Taljaard and full back Riaan Holtzhauzen being foiled by a resolute, if at times thinly-stretched, cover defence. As it turned out, the closest thing to another try came when a fine run by Strand No.8 Tyrone Jones was promptly turned over by the home team, who were then stopped close to the line.
The home supporters’ hopes were dashed four minutes after the resumption when flyhalf Stewart Jacobs stepped his way into a huge gap, leaving himself some 25 metres of open space to the tryline. Taljaard ensured that his team regained the lead with the conversion. Strand 10 Hugenote 8.
Unfortunately the threatening avalanche of tries by the talented backline from the Helderberg did not materialise and they had to be content with a single five-pointer from a clinically executed break by left wing Diego Visagie, goaled by Taljaard. Strand 17 Hugenote 8.
The real heroes of this period, if not the whole game, were the home loose trio of Nelis van Schalkwyk, Kevin Ceaser and the ever-dependable captain on the day, Larnelle Maralack, all of whom ran themselves into the ground for the team.
The irony surrounding Hugenote’s second try was sublime. With all the backs sucked into a maul a minute or two from the end of the game, their entire “backline” suddenly comprised forwards, who showed such determination and handling skills that they managed to find a way over the Strand line for Ceaser. The whistle sounded virtually immediately after the restart, leaving Strand 17-13 victors.
Strand face a pleasant jaunt into the northern suburbs to play Durbanville next Saturday. Life looks less sweet for the pride of Wellington: after a visit to Brackenfell on Saturday, they have just three days’ rest before the annual showdown with Boland Landbou out at the Farm. What’s left of their team then hosts Interschools against Swartland on 18 August.
That’s beginning to feel a lot closer than three weeks away right now!
By Tony Stoops