Wrap Week 8: And that is a wrap ladies and gentlemen!

Last night saw the 2^nd round of pool matches culminate in emphatic fashion as the weather held long enough giving the players a perfect canvas to show off their skills and team play.

Unlike a PWC warm up again against the 4^th tier desert region rugby playing nation with less professional rugby players than at the Makro games last night, being the final week in the pool stages, actually meant something. Every side last night had a reason to win, or in some cases just not to lose.

Pool A was settled last week but every other pool had something to play for. Cobras Wildboys were playing for top spot. Barbarians were securing place 1. Kopano needed to win. Marquard just had to. Turtles needed at least 4 but 5 would be better. Panthers needed one. Easterns had to win with a bonus. Anyway some of that happened, and some didn’t.

Pool B. Barbarians struggled with their run on 15 against a small and determined Kopano side and only led 5-0 at the break. The first period of the 2^nd half wasn’t much different, although the Kopano attack never looked like scoring. The game swung on the scoreboard with the entrance of some super substitutes. For every line break that Kyle Dutton engineered and didn’t cough up the Barbarians scored or looked like they were going to. First Dutton cut an outside gap and slipped the ball to winger Redders who showed clan heels despite the mud to score under the polls. From there the flood gates opened with Sean Shields in particular making some charging runs. Barbarians scored 3 in the final 10 minutes to wrap up the game, 31-0.

Elsewhere in Pool B, an under-strength Marquard side came home clean against Ikhaya scoring 4 tries and earning themselves a place in the final 8.

Pool D was an intricate affair with more possible mathematical permutations than a hot girl’s chance of coming right at Tiger. Turtles needed a 5 point win to ensure top 8 status and did so in expansive style by scoring 8 tries against the Spanners. That result meant Eastern Cape not only had to win but had to do so with a bonus point, or by not allowing the Panthers a bonus whilst beating them by 29 points. With much riding on the game the Panthers came out firing scoring two excellent tries in the first period, both of which were converted. Panthers then clicked and gave the performance of their season. Loose forward Sbu Thusi was uncoachable and the strong running and defence of centre Scott Dyson compliment him brilliantly. Thusi and model-slash-hooker Dayne Jans even combined their astute knowledge of the laws when they took a quick 50m lineout off a long kicked restart and raced 49m down the park to come up just short of what was one of the nearest chances of the night. Panthers were sublime and showed they are a massive underdog side to the Top 8 Cup title.

It was an epic night for Pool C. Cobras and Wildboys had already booked their tickets to France and just had to fight over shotgun, whilst the Shebeen Boys and Smuts were also tussling over the coveted 3^rd spot. Shebeen Boys gave probably their best effort of the season winning 31-0.

The headline clash of the night lived up to expectations. In reality the results was for academic and pride purposes but neither side was going to concede to this reality. They came out blazing with neither side looking to yield an inch.

The Cobras ball security in this first important period was telling. They kept the ball for long periods and gave it plenty of width as they attacked phase after phase after phase. The pressure was relentless and Cobra star centre Cian spotted the no one sweeping behind the line of red jerseys and weighted a perfect chip kick into the vacancy that he collected on the bounce and made a cobra offload to a supporting runner that crossed under the posts. 5-0.

Wildboys fought back hard and scored in reply to lead 7-5. In the remainder of the first half the Cobras showed why they can swagger in purple hoops up and down Jammie plaza and they played top class rugby. They gave the Wildboys nothing but scraps and the lack of possession and territory frustrated them. Cobras scored twice more before the half taking themselves 19-5 leaders into the half.

Cobras then won the game in the crucial ten minutes after the break when they scored first up. The playmaker General at ten, Warren Butler, took the ball to the defence in the red zone and slid through a perfectly weighted grubber kick that ‘oh-my-god-he’s-quick’ impact player Jordan Biderman-Pam collected to swan dive under the posts to score off. 26-5.

It was a crippling deficit on the scoreboard and meant a fight back seemed improbable. Wildboys however weren’t prepared to listen to better judgment and didn’t give up. They finally only found some momentum in the second half and looked their usual dangerous selves on attack a few times. They scored a great try and numerous other chances were halted by persevering Cobras cover defence.

In one particular turning point, Wildboys fullback Warren Oupa Kelly made a classy break and a great link pass but the support runner was brought down by an unknown Cobras defender grass blades away from the chalk. That instance was an accurate snapshot of the game, Wildboys doing lots right but the Cobras just doing a little bit more.

Check out either teams webblogs for less objective write ups. Just kidding on the subjectiveness but check it out anyways…

Team of the Week: It was hard to call with so many sides earning great results but it has to go to the Panthers just because the opposition they beat was hardly a substandard outfit.

Hit of the Week: An upright running tall skinny glass of Barbarians lock water was pole-axed by a Kopano midget in an aggressive hit but the award has to go to Panthers flank Sbu Thusi. The Easterns metro leg shaven winger was flying down the touch line and got monstered by a flying black missile. The poor winger got about 3m airtime has he flew over the touchline and even got his bright access park raver soccer boots muddy.

Try of the Week: The Barbarians scored some great ones, as did a Marquard flier and a few Turtle guys but the award goes to the Cobras toe poke and dive as mentioned from the Butler and Biderman combo as the importance of it was game closing.

If you're confused about where we go from here. Watch this space..!