Wrap: Round 5.Halftime it is ladies and gentlemen! We are officially past halfway through the league with all sides having played 4 games out of 7. The logs finally have some structure as you can compare the teams on an equal playing field.
Round 5 was always going to have a big impact on certain sides when it comes to the business part of the league so teams had to group together and pull something out the bag, and they did. Unfortunately Spanners and College grouped together at the wrong time and missed the 6pm kick off so forfeited the game. One can only conclude that it was either a sneaky way to avoid a loss or Kopano’s no show tactics last week has filtered down to the C-field…
The A-League kicked off with an absolute steamer of a game with the Barbarians coming from 12 duck down to even the score against Nadoes with the minutes dying quicker than Internal League support during exams. Nadoes kept their nerve, forced the penalty and kicked to win a heavily ‘fought’ fixture. Barbarians will take nothing from the game but other sides will, as it seems; the Nadoes may not be as invincible as they seem.
The next game was even more immense is nature as it was the local lower campus derby. Usually Marquard and Kopano boys fight for the affection of Baxter girls but this year it would seem the Clarendon guys (and the odd Tugwell girl) have won that battle leaving the men to fight it out on the Green Mile. Kopano have been a shadow of their traditional selves this year and their injury-hampered side took a beating at the hands of a far superior Marquard team.
----------------------------Baxter girls: Who wouldn't want to compete...
In the last game of the night Soco Thoco beat off the ardent Ubumbo spears out scoring them 3 tries to 1. The harry-casual approach of the Soco Thoco’s proved effective this week and their numerous attacking forays from behind their own goal line made the game highly entertaining. Ubumbo had a spirited 2nd half but could only manage the 1 try despite many opportunities.
In the B-League both unbeaten sides carried on true to form and notched up another victory each. The Wildboys subdued an obviously exam distracted Smuts side 14-5, and then Shebeen Boys managed a tight victory against an unlucky Turtles side. Still winless this year the Turtles haven’t been as bad as results would lead you to believe and have been very competitive in every game they’ve played. For the Shebeen Boys Tim Vann, for a 2nd time this season, scored all their points.
We break now for exams and then a very long holiday and no games will be played in June or July. However the first Wednesday night of August is the first week back at varsity and the date of Round 6. Each side has only 3 more games to get into the play-offs. Take care!
Team of the Week: Baabaas proved the impossible isn’t. Nadoes showed class and experience. Marquard won a derby. Soco Thoco were good. Ubumbo play rugby that is awesome to watch. Shebeen boys are still unbeaten, as are the Wildboys but…this week, none of them get it. Team of the Week Round 5 goes to Rochester, cause it’s the first time they haven’t lost…
Tries of the week:
3.) The ref awarded a scrum to the Turtles despite their fullback knocking it on into touch. The Shebeen Boys forced the tight head, and on the reset it wheeled blindside. Tim Vann knocked it on at the base, picked it up and sniped over blindside ala Peter Stringer Heineken Cup Final for the only try of the game. It gets a mention just cause the comedy of errors in the build up shows what a funny game it is we love.
2.) As the Nadoes stamped their early up dominance over the Barbarians young fullback (only Nadoe who is still u23) Pietie Olivier, made a clean break out of his half and cantered through the heavy quagmire of the nearside B-field touchline before breaking two tackles and stepping another to dot down under the sticks. Pure class.
1.) There were many classy tries this round but this one was a cut above the rest. A coast-to-coast effort from Soco Thoco. Fullback Thando Jacobs broke from behind his own tryline, gave the big stop and go and was away, he hoisted a kick down the right field that was collected and fed inside to Warren ‘Oupa’ Kelly that had come off his left wing. Oupa then beat defenders like Ronaldinho in the midfield and cruised over to complete the try. It was sensational. What was more impressive was the pace Oupa then showed to get his lighter from the change rooms so he could have a stuyvie break.
