Wynberg survive early scare
After trailing 0-12 in as early as the eighth minute, hosts Wynberg took control to run out comfortable 27-12 winners against Strand at the Hawthornden Field on Wednesday, 8 August (2012).
Pre-match expectations were that this would be an exciting free-flowing, backline-dominated game, which would have suited the Western Province Premier B visitors perfectly. Unfortunately their aspirations, fired by early success, were to be dashed by a Wynberg side that steadily wrested back the advantage by establishing their dominance up front.
That said, it was the Helderbergers who started off firing on all cylinders, prolific centre Quiwen Bauman crashing over midway out for try number 20 of 2012 barely two minutes into proceedings. Captain Deon Taljaard’s conversion gave them a 7-0 lead.
The pace at which the visiting backline was operating appeared to be rattling the usually-solid home defence and they were made to pay when a wayward pass was picked up by Strand flyhalf Stewart Jacobs who sprinted 75 metres to score in the corner, stretching their advantage to 12-0.
Realising that they would have to slow down proceedings, in the process forcing their opponents to take them on at their own game, the hosts showed their superior tactical nous, effectively starving the visitors’ backline of a steady flow of quality possession.
Midway through the half captain and inside centre Justin Scott exploited his side’s superior numbers to the left to score Wynberg’s opening try. Strand 12 Wynberg 5.
Six minutes later a steady multi-phase build up by the forwards saw flank Lee Nicholson dot down his second five-pointer of the season in the left-hand corner. Strand 12 Wynberg 10.
With half-time some eight minutes away left wing Josh de Stadler had the crowd on its feet when he sped down the touchline, handing off three desperate tacklers to score the last points of the first period virtually on the corner flag. Half-time: Wynberg 15 Strand 12.
Any hopes of a second-half resurgence by the visitors evaporated with the introduction of local hero Sikhumbuzo Notshe, whose mere presence raised Wynberg’s intensity. The twice-Craven-Week-capped No.8 played a lot closer to the scrum than is his wont, his one exciting break down the right five minutes from time being stopped near the line by a superb tackle from Western Province Academy Week scrumhalf Marshall Daars, the smallest player on the field.
Despite their continued ascendancy the hosts didn’t really look like scoring, probably largely out of a determination not to risk battle-weary bodies ahead of the season finales, but also because of more than a few inexplicable handling errors.
The first try of the second half came in the eleventh minute when a beautiful cut-out pass by Scott sent pocket-rocket right wing Darryn Rix over for a thoroughly deserved touchdown in the corner. Wynberg 20 Strand 12.
However, the patient home supporters had to wait another 20 minutes before Scott himself wrapped things up after a text-book build-up involving both backs and forwards. Scrumhalf David Bedingham goaled the straightforward conversion to seal the 27-12 win.
Outgunned for the most part though they were, Strand can take several positives from this game.
Firstly, they proved to themselves that they are capable of holding their heads high in Premier A company, although they did vent their frustrations on several occasions with potentially dangerous tackles.
Secondly, even though the scrum was under huge pressure, hooker Roan Badenhorst managed to make his considerable presence felt by raking a valuable tighthead.
The ’Berg’s Gus Leslie and Craig Childs will be more than happy to have weathered this potential storm unscathed. The dreaded banana skin did not materialise and they can face the two southern suburbs derbies that lie between them and the end of the campaign with every confidence in their accomplished squad.
By Tony Stoops