Outeniqua survives Stellenberg, Parel Vallei in win over Worcester Gim
Hoërskool Outeniqua was fortunate to defeat the visitors, Stellenberg High, 14-8 on Saturday, in George. It was a game that could have gone either way.
The clash was intense, and it felt like a war where each set-piece was its own battle.
It took a while to get the scoreboard moving, but Stellies landed the first blow in the 26th minute, thanks to a pick and go from flank Ryan Jones. SA Schools A flyhalf, Ethan van Biljon, missed the difficult conversion.
The Kwaggas took the lead in the 33rd minute from a lineout on the opposition’s five-metre line. Captain and eighthman Henru Nell broke off the maul and muscled his way through the Jade Brigade‘s halfback pairing for a try, and flyhalf Virgil Pockpas added the extras.
On the stroke of half-time, Stellies won a penalty just 20 metres out from the uprights. Van Biljon split them neatly to give his side a slim 8-7 lead at the break.
In the second half, the teams picked up from where they had left off, but Outeniqua manufactured an all-important try in the 43rd minute, and it proved to be the winning effort.
From a tap and go on the Jade Brigade’s five-metre line, the Kwaggas hit it up for a phase. Then, scrumhalf Cee-Jay Arends flung out a long pass over the rushing defence. Hooker Keenan Myners gratefully pouched the pass and was through to score under the posts. Pockpas made the easy conversion.
In Somerset West, Parel Vallei (PV) gritted their way to a 24-21 win over Worcester Gimnasium with an excellent second half comeback. At the break, Worcester led 14-3.
PV must have been very frustrated after scoring only three points in the opening stanza, but those three points proved to be the difference at the end of the match.
In the second half, Parel Vallei upped the intensity and it paid dividends, with eighthman Brad Brown using his brute strength to cross for two tries.
His first came from a scrum in the 43rd minute, just 10 metres out from the opposition’s try line. After the ball had been fed to the backs, PV made some ground. Then, Brown got himself to the breakdown quickly, which created an opportunity for him to snipe over from the base of the ruck.
His second try, the match-winner, came from a tap and go in the 68th minute. From 10 metres out, and in front of posts once again, scrumhalf Michael Kent knew who he needed to feed. Brown took the pass and ploughed through the defensive line for five.
In addition to a first half penalty strike, flyhalf Stephan Niemann also did his part by landing all three conversions.
After building up an 11-point lead, Worcester Gim looked tired and lacked the creativity that they had shown in the first half when the game restarted. A passionate home crowd may, also, have been the key to Parel Vallei’s second half vigour and success.
Scorers
Outeniqua 14 (7) – Tries: Henru Nell, Keenan Myners. Conversions: Virgil Pockpas; Stellenberg 8 (8) – Tries: Ryan Jones. Penalties: Ethan van Biljon.
Parel Vallei 24 (3) – Tries: Brad Brown (2), Diaan du Toit. Conversions: Stephan Niemann (3), Penalty: Shudley Rhoda. Worcester Gimnasium 21 (14) – Tries: Amaan Adendorff, Lisa Luthuli, Leagon Brooks. Conversions: Lohenzel Tshabatau (3).
Other results
u19 – Outeniqua II 26 Stellenberg II 26; Parel Vallei II 22 Worcester II 24, Parel Vallei III 5 Worcester III 6.
u16 – Outeniqua A 12 Stellenberg A 20; Parel Vallei A 19 Worcester A 47, Parel Vallei B 8 Worcester B 24.
u15 – Outeniqua A 31 Stellenberg A 10; Parel Vallei A 7 Worcester A 25, Parel Vallei B 5 Worcester B 41.
u14 – Outeniqua A 27 Stellenberg A 14; Parel Vallei A 7 Worcester A 22, Parel Vallei B 14 Worcester B 19.
