Rondebosch downs resilient Drostdy, Wynberg outplays Parel Vallei
On Saturday, the Tinkie Heyns Field served as a battleground for a first meeting between Rondebosch and HTS Drostdy since 2018.
On that occasion, ‘Bosch triumphed 43-37. In another high scoring clash, Rondebosch again edged it, scoring a 34-26 win, spearheaded by a hat-trick of tries from Alutha Wesi.
The number eight helped his side forge an early 12-0 lead, dotting down twice in the first dozen minutes of play.
For his first, he received the ball on the wing inside the visitors 22. Running powerfully, he shrugged off two defenders before going over in the corner. For his second, after running onto a short ball, he broke the line just five metres out and was over before the Drostdy defence could lay a finger on him.
At half-time, the home side enjoyed a comfortable 19-5 lead, but the Donkeys came back strongly in the second stanza to make a good game of it.
Their effort was highlighted by a brilliant try from fullback Pirlo Baron, which was Drostdy’s fourth. It began with a 50-metre counterattack from wing Adrian Vergotine. In a tackle, he offloaded to Baron, who then danced his way past two defenders to score beneath the uprights.
Unfortunately, for the visitors, that try came too late to reverse the outcome of the contest. Time had run out and Rondebosch survived a feisty Drostdy fightback.
In Somerset West, Parel Vallei (PV) hosted Wynberg Boys’ High. Beaten 68-22 by Paarl Gimnasium a week earlier, Wynberg was highly motivated.
After withstanding a strong showing from PV in the first half, they kept the home side scoreless in the second to pull away to a big 59-13 victory. At just 13-21 down at the break, PV was in the contest, but they ran out of steam.
Their best moment came from their scrumhalf, Michael Kent, who pulled off an interception in the sixth minute, then hit the accelerator on a 40-metre sprint that put him in under the posts.
In the second half, though, the Bulldogs struggled to keep up the pace, conceding 38 unanswered points.
Wynberg delivered an outstanding team performance, with their eight tries being shared by seven different try scorers.
Albert Lourens was the only player to cross the whitewash twice. Just three minutes into the second half, he benefitted from a long pass from flyhalf Achmat Behardien, which put him in space, and the wing pinned his ears back to speed across the try line from 40 metres out.
Parel Vallei remains a work in progress. They produced some strong moments against tough opposition, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. They are, though, on the right track and their time will come against opponents of the calibre of Wynberg.
Scorers
Rondebosch Boys’ High 34 (19) – Tries: Alutha Wesi (3), Bulela Mbala, Jayden Wyngaard. Conversions: Sebastian Boshoff (3). Penalty: Sebastian Boshoff; HTS Drostdy 26 (5) – Tries: Caleb Cornet, Jano van Deventer, Jacques de Klerk, Pirlo Baron. Conversions: Jano van Deventer (3).
Parel Vallei High 13 (13) – Try: Michael Kent. Conversion: Stephan Niemann. Penalties: Shudley Rhoda (2); Wynberg Boys’ High 59 (21) – Tries: Albert Lourens (2), Jaythen Orange, Daniel Ould, Chad Campbell, Morné Noble, Tjeripo Karuhumba, James Orwin. Conversions: Achmat Behardien (8). Penalty: Achmat Behardien.
Other Results
U19 – Rondebosch II 13 Drostdy II 5; Parel Vallei II 12 Wynberg II 17, Parel Vallei III 5 Wynberg III 17.
U16 – Rondebosch A 21 Drostdy A 17; Parel Vallei A 7 Wynberg A 41, Parel Vallei B 6 Wynberg B 35.
U15 – Rondebosch A 45 Drostdy A 10; Parel Vallei A 0 Wynberg A 19, Parel Vallei B 0 Rondebosch B 43.
U14 – Rondebosch A 14 Drostdy A 22; Parel Vallei A 3 Wynberg A 28, Parel Vallei B 0 Wynberg B 40.
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