Bester stars for DF Malan vs Strand, Hopefield’s Lubbe bags hat-trick
Two tries and two conversions from flyhalf Ethan Bester helped DF Malan secure a narrow 29-24 victory over Strand on Saturday.
Last weekend, the visitors edged out Swartland 25-20 when their scrumhalf Jayden Steenkamp landed two key penalty kicks. The roles were reversed in Bellville, with Strand feeling what it was like to come out on the wrong end of the result in a tough match because of the opposition’s halfback.
Just three minutes into the match, the hosts opened the scoring. After passing the ball out wide from a breakdown on the halfway line, wing Diaan Loucas cut inside before being tackled. But he picked out Bester with an offload to his left before he hit the deck. Bester collected and ran in for five.
The rest of the half was a back-and-forth affair between the evenly contested sides with the home team just 12-5 ahead at the break.
In the second half, Strand tried some enterprising variations. They tried passing the ball back and forth between the centres, then tried wrap-around moves.
Ultimately, a 42nd minute pass from the base of the ruck to flyhalf Justin Phillips, down the blindside, led to a line break and a try from the flyhalf. To quote Renaissance polymath, Leonardo Da Vinci: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
When Strand kept it simple and looked after the basics, they were able to get the better of the DF Malan defence at times.
The home side, though, was resilient and well-coordinated, and they kept possession for long spells of play. That cohesion helped them to withstand the Strand assault and was a key factor in DF Malan coming away with a well-deserved victory.
Meanwhile Hopefield travelled to Malmesbury to play Swartland. Thanks to a hat-trick from lock Nieken Lubbe, the visitors left with a 31-20 victory.
The home side’s flyhalf De Wet van Aswegen enjoyed a good game. He slotted two penalties and two conversions, and his distribution got Swartland’s backline moving at speed, although they couldn’t conjure up quite enough finishes.
The visitors, meanwhile, were clinical when they made 22-metre entries, whether their attack came from open play, or set-pieces. That was the difference between the sides.
It was a second win on the trot in the third term for Hopefield, who cruised to a 46-6 win over Hoërskool Labori on the previous weekend.
For Swartland, it was another frustrating loss after a competitive showing. They’ll aim for their first win of the term when they host Hoërskool Punt next Saturday.
Scorers
DF Malan 29 (12) – Tries: Eben Bester (2), Chris de Jager, Ruan Krugel, Johan Pieterse. Conversions: Eben Bester (2); Strand 24 (5) – Tries: Ruan Bezuidenhout, Justin Phillips, Jayden Steenkamp, Josh Lourens. Conversions: Jayden Steenkamp (2).
Swartland 20 (12) – Tries: Dimitrios Boutsikaris, Melchoir Botha. Conversions: De Wet van Aswegen (2). Penalties: De Wet van Aswegen (2); Hopefield 31 (14) – Tries: Nieken Lubbe (3), Rowan Beaton. Conversions: Jordan Loubser (4). Penalties: Jordan Loubser.
Other Results
U19 – DF Malan II 26 Strand II 36, DF Malan III 20 Strand III 17; Swartland II 12 Hopefield II 17.
U16 – DF Malan A 17 Strand A 29, DF Malan B 21 Strand B 28; Swartland A 14 Hopefield A 3.
U15 – DF Malan A 3 Strand A 35, DF Malan B 0 Strand B 88; Swartland A 24 Hopefield A 27.
U14 – DF Malan A 7 Strand A 32; Swartland A 20 Hopefield A 22.
