Nellies’ fightback secures a sweet victory

Hoërskool Nelspruit fought their way back from a 21-point deficit to beat Voortrekker 31-21 on Thursday at the 27th St John’s Easter Rugby Festival.
Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools. Link to the games.
A brace of tries from the Nellies’ outside centre, Ian Wood, started the fightback. Vaughn van Zyl, the side’s 8th-man, then capped off an exceptional passage of play to cross the whitewash for Nelspruit’s third try in the space of only six minutes.
Voortrekker started like a house on fire, scoring their first three tries within 15 minutes of the opening whistle. Lock Luttig Roux burst through like an inside centre to run in their first try. His second-row partner, Tristan Meyer, did the same, just a few minutes later.
However, it was 8th-man Dawie Fourie and tighthead prop, Cecil Parsons, who laid down the law. They dominated in the opening moments, putting in some breathtaking hits. They also impressed with robust runs, which carried their side well over the advantage line.
In strange fashion, the game swung completely, from a fest of running rugby to both sides struggling to break the other’s defences. After 40 points in the first half, it took 18 minutes before the first points of the second half were scored by the Nellies’ speedster on the left wing, Tinyiko Silubane, who went over for five points.
Jordan Pretorius, his counterpart on the opposite wing, struck the final blow, dotting down in the dying moments of the match.
Nelspruit wasn’t the only team to stage a dramatic come-from-behind victory. The visitors from Zimbabwe, Falcon College, scored 27 points in the second half to down St David’s Marist Inanda 30-19. The Johannesburg school had been 14-3 ahead at the break.
Things changed quickly after Falcon’s blindside flank, Scott Wenham, crossed the whitewash. Left wing, Zane Sibanda and fullback, Tafadza Tigere, followed suit soon after. Tigere was also good from the kicking tee, slotting two penalties and two conversions.
St David’s left wing, Kuzivahwashe Majuru, rounded off a well-worked move, crossing the line just before the final whistle, to grab a nice consolation try for his side.
Noordheuwel ran in an impressive eight tries in their 52-0 victory over the Golden Lions Invitational XV. Scrumhalf Gideon Diedericks and replacement wing Ignatius Jantjies contributed a brace each. Norries’ hooker Brendan Naudé also crossed the whitewash at the back of a driving maul.
Twinkle-toed left-wing Lindsey Jansen had opened his side’s account with a great run down the touchline.
Scorers
Falcon College 30 (19) – Tries: Scott Wenham, Zane Sibanda, Tafadza Tigere. Conversions: Tigere (2). Penalties: Tigere (2). St David’s Marist 19 (14) – Tries: Daniel Fellingham, Jack Brady, Kuzivahwashe Majuru. Conversions: Diego Ferreira (2)
Hoërskool Nelspruit 31 (19) – Tries: Ian Wood (2), Vaughn van Zyl, Tinyiko Silubane, Jordan Pretorius. Conversions: Divan de Kock (2), D’Angelo Roberts. Voortrekker 21 (21) – Tries: Luttig Roux, Tristan Meyer, Wian Fourie. Conversions: Christiaan van der Sandt (3).
Noordheuwel 52 (21) – Tries: Gideon Diedericks (2), Ighnatius Jantjies (2) Lindsey Jansen, Jade Muller, Brendan Naude, Mpho Madisaotsile. Conversions: Jeandre Uithaler (6). Golden Lions XV 0 (0)