Brave Ikeys denied in last second
FNB UCT suffered a heart-breaking last-second loss to new WP Super League champions, Hamilton's, at the Green Mile on Saturday.
The Ikey Tigers went down 22-27 to an Alshaun Bock try almost on the stroke of full-time - their second gut-wrenching loss to Hamilton's this season and a result which has handed the 2009 Super League title to the big-spending Men from Green Point.
The home side, disrupted by injuries and various Provincial call-ups, scrapped hard during Saturday's match - trailing Hamilton's 13-14 at half-time and then going ahead in injury-time when flyhalf Matthew Rosslee landed a well-struck drop-goal.
Rosslee's kick put his team 22-20 up, but the visitors managed to string one more bit of good play together with time running out and Bock finished strongly in the left-hand corner to hand his team the win and their first league title in 76 years.
Regular lock Don Armand, playing in the back row on Saturday as a replacement for the injured Nick Fenton-Wells, scored his team's only try, whilst Rosslee contributed 17 points with his trusty right boot.
Rosslee, back at flyhalf after spending some time at inside centre in recent weeks, did not miss a kick at goal - slotting one conversion, four penalty goals and that drop-goal which looked to have sealed a famous win for his team.
Industrious No.8 Sam Peter was voted as UCT's Man of the Match, whilst Armand and 'veteran' loose forward Craig Kleu were not far behind.
Amongst the backs, Rosslee and Dave Edgar stood out, whilst it was great to see the original 'Snoopy', prop Stephen Knoop, make his comeback in 'Blue and White' - albeit off the bench in the second half.
The Ikeys, who lost in the semifinals of this year's Varsity Cup tournament, will travel to Kraaifontein next Saturday for their second last league fixture of the 2009 season. They will finish their campaign at the Green Mile, against the Maties, next weekend.
UCT's scorers:
Try: Don Armand
Con: Matt Rosslee
Pens: Rosslee 4
DG: Rosslee
The UCT team: 15 Therlow Pietersen, 14 Marcello Sampson, 13 Dave Edgar, 12 Sean van Tonder, 11 Dave Clayton, 10 Matthew Rosslee (vice-captain), 9 Stu Commins, 8 Sam Peter, 7 6 Don Armand, 6 Craig Kleu, 5 Michael Passaportis, 4 Bodo Sieber (captain), 3 Dylan Rogers, 2 Matthew Page, 1 Ashley Wells.
Replacements: 16 Wes Chetty, 17 Herbie Mayosi, 18 Stephen Knoop, 19 Graham Knoop, 20 James Martin, 21 Marvin Christians, 22 Freddie Strange.
* Above picture - of fullback Therlow Pietersen - courtesy of Peter van As.