Nico Malan withstood a wave of late attacks to secure a thrilling 24-22 victory over Dale College on the second day of the Graeme College Rugby Festival in Makhanda on Friday.
Neither side managed to exert complete control over the match. After leading 12-10 at halftime, Nico Malan found themselves trailing 17-12 before responding with two tries to establish a crucial 24-17 lead.
Dale, however, stayed in the hunt, scoring their third try to narrow the gap to 24-22.
With five minutes remaining, they had an opportunity to take the lead with a penalty kick. Unfortunately for them fullback Phiko Mtyalela, who had been exceptional throughout the match and had also scored a try, sent his kick wide, allowing Nico Malan supporters to breathe a sigh of relief.
The danger was not over yet. Dale launched a final assault, forcing Nico Malan into desperate defensive efforts. Eventually, the Humansdorp side won a penalty and cleared the ball to seal a hard-fought victory in what has become a hallmark of this year’s festival.
In the final match of the day, Selborne crossed for a try with three minutes remaining to defeat Marlow 26-22, while Grey High utilised a dominant maul to set up several tries in a commanding 45-29 win over a spirited Hudson Park outfit.
Their control in this phase of play resulted in their first two tries, while Grey’s backline also displayed enterprise.
Standout fullback Meyer Prinsloo and co-captain wing Luc de Villiers each crossed the line in the first half, with De Villiers’ try particularly memorable as he spectacularly gathered a cross-kick to give Grey a 26-8 lead at the break.
With that advantage, a Hudson Park comeback seemed unlikely, though they fought hard and scored three second-half tries to make the scoreline more respectable.
However, Grey capitalised on their opponents’ mistakes and ran in three more tries after halftime to maintain control.
In the day’s opening match, Mzansi’s Rugby Academy marked their debut at a major rugby festival with a hard-fought 19-11 victory over Makhanda’s PJ Olivier.
The match was tightly contested, with Mzansi’s taking a 12-6 halftime lead thanks to tries from Lihle Libi and Lelethu Gaga.
Shortly after the restart, Libi was again in the spotlight, scoring his second try to extend the lead to 19-6.
From that point, PJ Olivier dominated possession and territory but struggled to breach Mzansi’s resolute defence.
They eventually broke through when livewire flyhalf Kiano Brown took a quick tap and darted over in the corner. Brown also slotted two penalties, but Mzansi’s courageous defensive effort proved decisive.
Port Rex went on a try-spree against Woodridge, who was making a rare appearance at the festival.
Despite a valiant effort, Woodridge struggled to contain their opponents’ relentless attack. Wing Qhayiya Siwana starred with a hat-trick as Port Rex ran in 12 tries, leading 32-0 at halftime and finishing with a commanding 73-0 victory.
Daniel Pienaar showcased great defensive resilience to secure a morale-boosting 24-14 win over Union High after suffering two losses earlier this season. The Kariega side capitalised on their opportunities in the opposition 22, while Union had to work extremely hard for their points.
This was evident towards the end of the first half when Union camped on Daniel Pienaar’s try line, going through multiple attacking phases before finally breaking through. This effort reduced the deficit to 14-7 at the break.
However, Daniel Pienaar converted their pressure into two more tries in the second half, while Union could only add to their score via a penalty try.
The results on the second day of the Graeme College Rugby Festival in Makhanda on March 21 were:
Mzansi’s Rugby Academy 19 – Tries: L Libi (2), L Gaga; Conversions: E Seyisman, S Hanabe.
PJ Olivier 11 – Try: K Brown; Penalties: K Brown 2.
Port Rex 73 – Tries: M Makapula (2), Q Siwanu (3), L Majavu (2), O Nqweniso (2), I Maseti, H Tisane (2), D Snyman; Conversions: N Songqwaba, H Tisane (3).
Woodridge 0.
Daniel Pienaar 24 – Tries: M Pillay, C Prince, E Mapapu (2); Conversions: T Vywers (2).
Union High 14 – Tries: T Hulleman, penalty try; Conversion: M de Beer.
Grey High 45 – Tries: L Foster, C Wilmot, M Prinsloo, L de Villiers (2), R Higgs, M Dakin; Conversions: M Prinsloo (5)
Hudson Park 29 – Tries : M Kwakwini (2), K Pasha, Z Booysen; Penalties: Landile Gidi; Conversions: Landile Gidi (3).
Nico Malan 24 – Tries: T Koopman, C de Lange, R van Dijk, J Janse van Rensburg; Conversions: L Bekker, L Lawrence
Dale 22 – Tries: S Rasi, P Mtyalela, Q Mtati; Penalty: P Mtyalela; Conversions: P Mtyalela (2).
Selborne 26 – Tries: S Bushet (2), R John-Osunkwo; Penalties: B Nuku (2), K Qavile; Conversions: B Nuku
Marlow 22 – Tries: D de Ridder, P Marais, penalty try; Penalty: D de Ridder; Conversion: D de Ridder.
