West beats East in Mpumalanga

There was nothing uncertain in the intensity of these two teams as the Leopards from the West beat the Valke from the East 26-20 on the fourth day of the Craven Week in Middelburg.

Both teams gave all they got but the Valke spoilt the virtue of their efforts with two yellow cards in the second half. The first one came when the Valke were leading 20-13, the second six minutes from the end when they were hurling themselves onto the attack in an effort to win the game.

At half-time the Valke led 20-13 but into the wind in the second half they did not score a point though they came close on occasions.

The Valke went 6-0 ahead with penalties by Forrest Roos before Markus Coetzer goaled a penalty to make the score 6-3 after 10 minutes.

The Valke were close to scoring when Joas Narre raced for the right corner but a magnificent tackle by the covering eighthman of the Leopards, Edmund Rheeder, tackled him short of the line and the pass inside was intercepted by flank Brenden Esterhuizen. Two five-metre scrums followed but at the second the Valke were penalised.

Throughout the match the Leopards had the upper hand in the scrums.

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Markus Coetzer scored and converted the first try of the match as he team went on a pick-'n-go attack. He snatched up the ball and darted over at the posts.

Two minutes later, from a scrum, the Valke went left and brilliant Martin van Wyk raced around his man of the outside and gave to Tsepe Kokong who raced over for a try to give the Valke a 13-10 lead. But Markus Coetzer levelled the scores and then on half-time the Valke  scored an interesting try at the dead-ball line.

Martin van Wyk grubbered a short way into the Leopards' in-goal and he and Danick Pheiffer raced for the ball, both diving at it. The Leopard had the first go but failed to ground the ball which slipped out from under his torso. Martin van Wyk had his right hand on the dead-ball line when he pressed down on the ball with his left hand just before the dead-ball line. The referee consulted the TMO and eventually the try was avoided. It was a try because Martin van Wyk did not try to pick the ball up but just exerted downward pressure on it.

That gave the Valke a 20-13 lead at half-time.

Danick Pheiffer started the ball rolling with a sharp break in the second half and then Erich Cronjé was sent to the sin bin when, as the tackle assist, he did not allow the release of the ball at a time when his team was in a warning for tackle infringements.

Markus Coetzer goaled the penalty goal. 20-16 after 37 minutes.

Martin van Wyk then broke out of defence, looking like Etienne Botha, and set the Valke on the attack but the Leopards defended vigorously and Markus Coetzer broke away.

A penalty gave the Leopards an attacking line-out, which they mauled and drove over the Valke line for a try credited to Brenden Esterhuizen. That gave the Leopards the lead at 23-20 with 20 minutes to play.

Four minutes later Markus Coetzer, 26-20 after 54 minutes.

A penalty gave the Valke a five-metre line-out but it fell and the Leopards got the ball and raced away with it into the Valke half.

Martin van Wyk ran incisively again and sent Tsepe Kokong racing down the left but again a covering tackle by Edmund Rheeder snuffed out the threat. That produced a line-out to the Leopards five metres from their line but they won the ball and nudged a maul down the field to clear.

The nearest any side came to scoring was hen Martin van Wyk raced ahead and chipped but Markus Coetzer leapt up, caught the ball and raced down the left.

Man of the Match: Markus Coetzer. There was great play from Martin van Wyk and Quinton van der Schyff of the Valke and Edmund Rheeder and Douglas Bruce-Smith of the Leopards but the man who had the greatest impact on the match was Markus Coetzer of the Leopard.

Scorers:

For Leopards:

Tries: Brenden Esterhuizen, Markus Coetzer  

Cons: Markus Coetzer  2

Pens: Markus Coetzer  4

For Valke:

Tries: Darren de Bruin, Martin van Wyk

Cons: Forrest Roos  2

Pens: Forrest Roos  2

Yellow cards: Erich Cronjé (repeated infringements by team); Hendré Stassen (verbal abuse of the referee)

Teams

Leopards: 15 Jano Smith (Schweizer-Reneke), 14 Mogau Mphalele (Potchstroom Boys' High), 13 Markus Coetzer (Bergsig), 12 Danick Pheiffer (Rustenburg), 11 Paul Maluleke (Klerksdorp), 10 Hein Claase (Rustenburg), 20 Garann Kriek (Potchstroom Gim),  8 Edmund Rheeder (Klerksdorp), 7 Gerhardus Steenekamp (Potchstroom Gim), 6 Brenden Esterhuizen (Rustenburg), 5 Jaco Swanepoel (Schweizer-Reneke),  19 Moses Makhubelo (Potchstroom Boys' High), 17 Neo Thekiso (Potchstroom Boys' High), 16 Ryno Visagie (Potchstroom Volkskool), 18 Douglas Bruce-Smith (Klerksdorp),.

Replacements: 1 Charl le Roux (Rustenburg), 3 Thabiso Khanye (Potchstroom Boys' High), 2 Roodt van Zyl (Schweizer-Reneke), 4 Oratile Mabusela (Potchstroom Boys' High), 9 Thabang Phatudi (Klerksdorp), 21 Keanu van der Merwe (Potchstroom Gim), 22 Gift Matoase (Potchstroom Volkskool).

Valke: 15 Martin van Wyk (Dr EG Jansen), 21 Tsepe Kokong (Vereeniging Gim), 20 Charl Barkhuizen (Dr EG Jansen), 13 Erich Cronjé (Dr EG Jansen), 22 Joas Narre (Kempton Park), 10 Forrest Roos (Dr EG Jansen), 9 Marco Janse van Vuuren (Transvalia), 8 Warren Britz (Dr EG Jansen), 2 Nico Peyper (Dr EG Jansen),  6 Juanré van der Walt (Kempton Park), 5 Hendré Stassen (Dr EG Jansen), 4 Quinton van der Schyff (Voortrekker, Boksburg), 17 Lesego Seremi (Suiderlig), 19 Motlatsi Khosa (Voorktrekker, Boksburg),  16 Stefan Jacobs (Transvalia)

Replacements: 7 Tsimanga Malusi (St Dunstan's), 1 Hanrieel Coetzee (Hans Moore), 3 Donavan Venter (Vereeniging Gim), 18 Skhosana Thokozani (St Dustan's),  12 Jimmy Mpailane (Kempton Park), (Jeugland), 11 Darren de Bruin, 14 Irvin Ali (Vereeniging Gim)

Referee: Eduan Nel

Assistant referees: Stephan Geldenhuys, Francois Pretorius

Assessor: Johan Zurich

Television match official: Jason Jaftha/Tahla Ntshakaza