Queen’s downs Ooskus, Dale edges out Port Rex, Selborne holds off Hudson

Queen’s College shrugged off a lightning start by the visitors, Ooskus Gimnasium, to defeat the East London side 39-7 in their 1st XV rugby clash in Komani (Queenstown) on Saturday.

Thanks to an interception by Kwagga Liebenberg, Ooskus was first onto the scoreboard after he crossed for a try in the fourth minute. He also added the conversion to make it 7-0.

However, Queen’s fought back well and went over for three tries to take a handy 15-7 lead into the second half.

From that position, the home side upped the ante after the break, showing their physicality in the contact phases, to set themselves up for four more tries as they took control of the game.

Capitalising on mistakes by Ooskus, speedy wing Ncute Kepe crossed for two tries. Other tries for Queen’s came from Jeffrey Niland, Sbabalwe Magwebu, Bulumko Manqina, Milisa Malapi, and Inga Mnunu. Mveli Mqulo kicked two conversions.

In the face of the home side’s onslaught, Jandré le Roux put in a big shift for Ooskus and made some telling tackles, while Sabian Riek and Kwagga Liebenberg were also solid in defence.

Despite the final score, Ooskus coach Rynardt van Wyk was encouraged by his team’s performance. “I am very proud of how hard the team worked, but we also know that there is plenty to work on,” he said. “We are looking to bounce back next week when we play Cradock High, away.”

In a scrappy early season match at “The Graveyard“, in Qonce, Dale College was able to stave off a determined Port Rex side who were hunting their first win over the home side since 2006.

Dale took an early lead through a fourth-minute penalty by flyhalf Phiko Mtyalela, but Port Rex then proceeded to hold most of the possession for the first quarter of the game.

That required a spirited Dale defensive effort to keep them from crossing the line, but the visitors drew level with a penalty in the 19th minute.

Dale, then, spent much of the rest of the first half on the attack and they were finally able to cross the whitewash in the 28th minute after a brilliant run by wing Yamkela Molose, only to be denied the try because of an earlier infringement. That left the teams level at 3-3 at halftime.

The second half saw both sides forced to defend strongly, but, eventually, Dale’s replacement flyhalf Inga Mafanga pounced on an errant pass by Port Rex to cross for a try.

The last 12 minutes were all about Port Rex as they held onto the ball, but the Dale defence rose to the occasion and kept out wave after wave of attacks to preserve their five-point lead until the end.

In a tightly contested game, Selborne College overturned a 0-3 deficit at halftime to edge out their East London rivals, Hudson Park, 12-3.

The Selbornians exerted a degree of control after the break to cross for two tries while keeping Hudson scoreless.

POINTS SCORERS

Queen’s College 39 (15) – Tries: Jeffrey Niland, Sbabalwe Magwebu, Bulumko Manqina, Milisa Malapi, Ncutu Kepe (2) and Inga Mnunu. Conversions: Mveli Mqulo (2). Ooskus Gymnasium 7 (7) – Try: Kwagga Liebenberg. Conversion: Kwagga Liebenberg.

Dale College 8 (3) – Try: Inga Mafanga. Penalty: Phikolomzi Mtyalela. Port Rex 3 (3) – Penalty: Ndimphiwe Songqwaba.

Selborne College 12 (0) – Tries: Robert John-Osunkwo, Samora Bushet. Conversion: Bungqina Nuku. Hudson Park 3 (3) – Penalty: Landile Gidi.