Booysen boots Border to victory
Having held a narrow 14-12 lead at the break, they saw their lead being wiped out and found themselves trailing 14-19. However, a moment of brilliance by fullback Darren Adonis, along with Booysen's conversion, ensured the two-point win.
Border went flat out in the opening 10 minutes but found themselves up against a determined SWD defence that thwarted their every attack, despite being pinned inside their 22. However, it would be SWD who grabbed the first points when Darren Adonis finished off a slick counter attack.
Zinedene Booysen's conversion ensured a 7-0 lead after 12 minutes of play. More reward followed for SWD as Damian Bonaparte showed plenty of pace to grab a breakaway try in the 17th minute. Booysen added the extras to stretch his side's lead to 14-0.
Border hit back through a comical David Coetzer try. First, he made a brilliant break to snipe through SWD's defence but his attempted offload found Adonis. However, Adonis – under some pressure – flung a hopeful offload of his own that found Coetzer to score.
Coetzer could not manage to convert it though as Border trailed 5-14 after 22 minutes.
SWD's Wilhelm Van Heerden found himself being sent to the naughty chair in the 31st minute and that allowed Border to reduce the deficit to just two points just two minutes later. Hennie Otto credited with the try.
Coetzer duly added the conversion to make it 14-12 in SWD's favour and that is how it stayed at the half-time break.
Border picked up where they left off and grabbed their third try in the 41st minute when some neat hands found Hanru Sirgel who broke a tackle to canter over. Coetzer added the extras to ensure a 19-14 lead.
It become a real tussle from that point as neither side were willing to give an inch. The 48th minute produced a scintillating moment of individual brilliance. SWD's Adonis received the ball and set off on a mesmerising run.
He stepped and jinked his way past defenders before handing a neat offload to Lithemba Mpoli who scored to level matters once again. Booysen's conversion found it's mark to ensure a 21-19 lead with 11 minutes remaining.
Both sides pushed to ensure the victory in the closing minutes, with a few close calls ensuring a tense finish. SWD did what they needed to hang and claim the match.
Scorers:
For Border:
Tries: David Coetzer, Hennie Otto, Hanru Sirgel
Cons: David Coetzer 2
For South Western Districts:
Tries: Darren Adonis, Damian Bonaparte, Lithemba Mpoli
Cons: Zinedene Booysen 3
Yellow card: Wilhelm Van Heerden (SWD, 31)
Teams:
Border: 1 Leon Christian Lyons, 17 Sande Msengana, 16 Mila Bomela, 18 Hendrick Otto, 4 Aaron Brody, 19 Darren Lemmer, 20 Siyamthanda Jwacu, 8 Hanru Sirgel, 21 Hlumelo Ndudula, 22 David Coetzer, 13 Sibulele Mbana, 12 Sango Xamlashe, 23 Christopher Hollis, 14 Joshua Amstrong, 15 Aphelele Fassi.
Replacements: 2 Gareth John Heidtmann, 3 Alulutho Tshakweni, 5 Tristain Waller, 6 Cameron Cato, 7 Libongo Yapi, 9 James Robert Bruce, 10 Siphosethu Dlongodlongo, 11 Nathan Church.
SWD: 17 Nicolai Weber, 16 Adriaan-lee du Preez, 18 Franco Bosshoff, 19 Jacobus Smit, 5 Dawid Meiring, 20 Daniel Victor, 7 Willem Petrus van Heerden, 8 Lance Lamprecht, 9 Zinedine Booysen, 10 Xavier Swartbooi, 22 Damian Bonaparte, 12 Jay Cee Nel, 13 Nicolus van Eerden, 21 Lithemba Mpoli, 15 Darren Adonis.
Replacements: 1 Dian Bleuler, 2 Sean Swart, 3 Andre Posthumus, 4 Xhantilomzi Nokoyo, 6 Byron Booysen, 11 Darryle Kameel,23 Bradley Kiewitz, 14 Alexander Wallace.
Referee: Jaco Pretorius
Assistant referees: Egon Seconds, Local
TMO: Joey Klaaste-Salmans
