Three More Muir victories

Muir College of Uitenhage has sent in three reports of victories - over the King's School, Macclesfield, Despatch and Victoria Park.

Muir vs King's School

Muir played host to UK side King’s School in a physical mid-week encounter which saw the College side ran out 40-23 victors to the visitors. Muir led 26-7 at the break.

Fullback Ruben De Vos used his speed and skill to superb advantage to open the scoring and put Muir in the lead. De Vos converted his own try. King’s School settled down, slowed the game to their pace and played to their strengths. They were rewarded with a well worked forwards try after picking and driving down channel one. This leveled the scores and needed something special from the College side to bounce back.

Good defensive pressure by the College saw King’s fumble the ball, Centre Lunathi Nxele used this opportunity and scored Muir’s second of the game. De Vos kicked the conversion to extend the lead.

De Vos gathered a kick at the back, used his support players, followed the ball and stepped the defence to score his second of the game. He successfully converted his own try. De Vos was instrumental when Wing Xolela Daniels gathered a chip kick to dot down in the far left corner.

The second-half started with a bang when 0utside centre Sicelo Tole handed off a defender, stepped their fullback and turned on the pace to cross the whitewash. De Vos once again has his kicking boots on and converted.

The College side thought this was enough to secure victory and become complacent. King’s used this to their advantage. They resorted to “10-man” rugby, the pick and drive down channel one and ran in three well worked tries narrowing the lead.

Muir “caught a wake-up”, settled down and increased the intensity of the game. Replacement wing Yomi Keswa sealed victory which Muir’s sixth try of the game. De Vos knocked the nail in with the conversion.

Prop Joel Simon had a standout game both in the tight and the loose doing the basics well. The back three; Ruben De Vos, Xolela Daniels and Sitembisho Metshe created havoc from the back with their support play and speed.

Special mention to flyhalf Abongile Sonjica who was voted “man of the match” by the opposition management for playing his role superbly in doing the basics in both attack and defense, kicking into space, making the right decisions in linking with the backs and forwards.

Muir vs Desptach

Muir produced a powerful display of running rugby with eight tries as they quelled a spirited challenge from Nelson Mandela Bay neighbours Despatch at Muir in Uitenhage yesterday.

The final score of 52-19 was a fair reflection of the game, although Despatch never gave up trying and were rewarded with three second-half tries.

Muir were in full control in the first half when they ran in tries through prop Libonga Masango, wings Xolani Daniels and Sitembisho Metshe, and fullback Ruben de Vos, who added three conversions.

De Vos was full of running from the last line of defence, while centre Lunathi Nxele often led the way as the Muir players put in a number of hard charges.

Unfortunately for the home side, they were punished for some unnecessarily over-robust play in the second half, being reduced to 13 players after two red cards.

Despatch took their chances and despite the big deficit, they kept running at the Muir defence and scored three excellent tries through wing Heinrich Barnard, fullback Stulavian Kivido and flyhalf Sheldon Meiring.

However Muir had enough firepower to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Nxele crossed twice and Siphalele Latola and Mzi Goba completed the tryscoring.

Muir vs Victoria Park

Muir College ran rampant at the weekend at Victoria Park beating them 62-13. Muir led 31-3 at the break.

Fullback Ruben de Vos finished off a superb move from a set phase to open the scoring. He converted his own try. Lock Ancel Velkers ran the perfect line off a ruck and crashed over for the College’s 2nd. Centre Mihlali Nobomvu followed play and worked hard on the outside to find space and crossed the line. De Vos converted to extend the lead.

De Vos collected a kick and with some individual brilliance dotted down under the stick for a converted try.

Victoria Park forced an error in Muir’s 22m to kick a penalty getting points on the board.

Left wing Sithembiso Metshe ended the first half with the College’s fifth try in the corner after showing some pace to outstrip the defense.

The second half show the game change in Victoria Parks favour with a few “strange” decisions after a blow on the referees whistle. This did not affect the Muir team who stuck to their structures and increased the intensity of the game. flank Mzi Goba worked hard and rewarded with two tries to take the game away from the hosts. De Vos had his kicking boots on and converted both.

After some good interplay among backs and forwards hooker Gary Karlin forced his way over the line, de Vos converted. Collecting a loose ball after an error by Victoria Park saw center Lunathi Nxele hand off a defender, break a tackle and drag a tackler over the line to score the teams ninth try.

With the help of the whistle and a yellow card Victoria Park ran in two tries.

The final nail in the coffin was lock Lungile Sonwabo who collected an inside pass to wrong-foot the defense and dot down in the corner.

The Muir forwards laid the perfect platform with doing the basics well and giving the backline clean ball to make good use of their opportunities.

Special mention to flank Mzi Goda who had a standout game and was named man of the match.

By Lyntin Gouws