Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival
After the heavy rains of Monday and despite the gloomy forecast for the week Thursday was a gorgeous day up at Botha's Hill where the Kearsney Easter Festival started with a comfortable win for the hosts.
Match 1: Kearsney vs Framesby, 25-8
Enjoying home ground advantage, Kearsney were always going to be a difficult task for Framesby who were immediately on the back foot after some thrilling backline movements from the hosts.
Kearsney contested fiercely at the breakdown and were unstoppable in the first half as they started to run riot against a Framesby defence who struggled to contain the running angles of Kearsney.
Langa Hlongwane ended off a stunning phase of rugby by Kearsney to score the first try of the festival and No.8 Ayron Schramm was the next to cross the whitewash as he ended off a great forwards try.
Trailing 18-0 at half-time, Framesby dug deep in the second half and their sustained pressure was rewarded when their fullback Dino Welgemoed broke through to score their only try of the match.
Kearsney’s flyhalf Tristan Tedder was in good form with the boot slotting two penalties and a conversion, which finally handed Kearsney the victory 25-8.
Scorers:
For Kearsney:
Tries: Hlongwane, Schramm, Du Toit
Cons: Tedder, Gregory
Pen: Tedder
For Framesby:
Try:Welgemoed
Pen: Stapelberg
Match 2: Selborne vs Nico Malan, 36-36
In a pulsating game of running rugby, Selborne and Nico Malan shared the spoils at the festival’s second game of the first day.
It was on- way traffic for Selborne in the first 10 minutes and it looked like Nico Malan were in for a long day at the office.
Selborne captain flyhalf Lugelo Gosa scored twice in the first seven minutes and was successful with one conversion. Two minutes later Milani Lubelwana dotted down again and the try was converted by Gosa, bringing the score to 19-0.
Showing great composure and character, Nico Malan regrouped and began to get some quality ball for their pacey backs. Nico Malan left wing Emiel de Bod scored a beautiful wing’s try which was converted by captain Selvyn Davids to bring Nico Malan back into the game at 19-7.
Selborne struck back, sending flank Damian Wolvaard over for a five pointer, taking the score to 24-7. Nico Malan responded well and captain Davids led from the front, scoring twice in the last five minutes of the half and converting both, to take the score to 24-24 at the break.
This thrilling encounter continued to hold the spectators captivated in the second half with two tries a piece and both teams missing one of the conversions. The final score was a draw at 36-36.
Scorers:
For Selborne
Tries: Gosa 2, Lubelwana, Wolvaard, Gray, Mqingwana
Cons: Gosa 2, Sabbagh
For Nico Malan :
Tries: De Bod, Davids 2, Engelbrecht
Con: Davids
Pen: Davids
Man of the match: Selvyn Davids Nico Malan
Match 3: Paul Roos vs Glenwood, 15-10
Local team Glenwood clashed with Paul Roos in a very physical encounter, which ended with a win for the Stellenbosch team.
Played in hot conditions, Glenwood led 10-0 after ten minutes, thanks to a penalty by Kyle Gerhard and a try by Wandi Mazibuko, converted by Gerhardt.
Glenwood’s lack of patience and some poor kicking let them down, however, and Paul Roos dominated possession and territory stakes. This dominance resulted in three unanswered tries by Hershell Jantjies, Muller Brink and Tristan Cramer, giving Paul Roos a deserved 15-10 victory.
Scorers:
For Glenwood:
Try: Mazibuko
Con: Gerhard
Pen: Gerhard
For Paul Roos :
Tries: Jantjies, Brink, Cramer
Match 4: Grey College vs Boland Landbou, 50-13
In the first half Grey College gave a great display of rugby, scoring three tries and another in the second.
Boland dug deep after the break and fought back courageously, scoring the first try of that half; and keeping Grey in their own territory for most of the half, only allowing them to cross the line once.
The power and speed of Grey was just too much for Boland Landbou. Grey looks to be a well-balanced side and promise to be the team to follow through the festival.
Scorers:
For Grey College:
Tries: Sander 2, Rautenbach 2, Venter, Ferreira, Du Plessis
Con: Viljoen
Pen: Viljoen
For Boland Landbou:
Tries: Goliath, Wepener
Pen: Nel
Man of the match: Heinrich Sander
Match 5: Outeniqua vs Dr EG Jansen, 57-34
In a game of two contrasting styles, the boys from Brakpan came out physically, trying to dominate the smaller, more agile players from Outeniqua.
The first half was evenly contested with Outeniqua running out eventual winners.
EG Jansen played a more direct style of rugby, while the Outeniqua boys played with more flair, skill and agility.
Outeniqua’s outstanding players were playmaker Dewald Human and centre Warrick Gelant, with some good finishing by Duhan van der Merwe and Leighton Eksteen.
From EG Jansen, who never stopped playing, the standout players were loose forwards Morne Swart and Marco Holmes, with Johan Labuscagne showing great determination and keeping his pack going forward.
Scorers:
For Outeniqua:
Tries: Gelant 2, Eksteen, Barnard, Grundlingh, Human, Koen, van der Merwe, de Klerk
Cons: Eksteen 6
For EG Jansen:
Tries: Hearn, Labuschagne, Engelbrecht, Forrester, Cronje
Con: Engelbrecht
Pen: Engelbrecht
Match 6: Paarl Gimnasium vs Westville, 46-7
The forward pack from Paarl Gymnasium laid the foundation for a very good victory. Their forward pack was totally dominant although Westville put up a brave fight in the first half.
Using the platform set by the forwards, Paarl Gym backs finished off some quality tries.
Reece McHardy from Westville never stopped trying and was rewarded in the last few minutes with a hard worked and determined try, which was converted by Matthew Larkins.
The dominance of the Gym side was shown by the seven tries they scored and only brave defence from Westville prevented an even bigger scoreline.
Scorers:
For Paarl Gim:
Tries: Fairbridge 2, Cilliers, Nel, van Niekerk, Smit, Oosthuizen
Cons: Murphy 2
Pen: Murphy
For Westville:
Try: McHardy
Con: Larkins