Beeld Trophy goes to semis
Monnas just too good
Monument beat Affies with their powerful pack to advance to the semi-finals of the Beeld Trophy for Big Schools.
The other semi-finalists are HTS Middelburg, Waterkloof and Transvalia's.
Monnas, ranked No.1 in the FNB Top 20, beat Affies, ranked 5th, in Pretoria on Saturday – no easy task against the big Affies pack. Affies are the holder of the trophy, which means that Monnas' win has ensured that there will be a new holder this year. Their backs were just to quick and clever for Affies, scoring two tries in the first ten minutes. When centre Derrick Badenhorst scored his second try, the writing was on the wall.
Affies fought back through penalty kicks and a try by Sean Venter but then Hercules Venter ran the length of the field for his second try and Byron Godfrey made the game safe. Two late tries by the Affies' pack gave the score respectability.
HTS Middelburg had a much easier passage, beating Pietersburg 31-7. In fact the final score probably flattered the losers. HTS Middelburg scored only a solitary penalty goal in the second half.
Waterkloof beat Nelspruit 29-24 in a nail-biting quarter-final in Pretoria. At half-time the Nellies led 21-7, all the points coming from converted tries, including that by Waterkloof on the stroke of half-time. Two converted tries brought the scores level at 21-all in the second half, just before the end of normal time.
That sent the match into extra time. The Nellies scored first in extra time when Ruan Boshoff kicked a penalty goal. But SA Schools flank Pieter Meyer scored close to the posts, a try that was not converted. 26-24. Just before the end Stefan Watermeyer kicked a penalty goal.
The fourth semi-finalists are Transvalia who beat Hans Strijdom 24-19 in Vanderbijlpark to get into the semi-finals for the first time ever, thanks in no small measure to a hat=-trick of tries by wing JP Herbst. Hans Strijdom led 14-12 at the break but by the end Transvalia were on top.
Big School quarter-final scores:
Monnas vs Affies, 39-32
HTS Middelburg vs Pietersburg, 31-7
Waterkloof vs Nelspruit, 29-24
Transvalia vs Hans Strijdom, 24-19
On Saturday, HTS Middelburg play Monnas in Middelburg and Waterkloof play Transvalia in Pretoria.
Medium School semifinalists are Potch Volkies, Standerton, Overkruin of Pretoria and Frikkie Meyer of Thabazimbi. All of the matches were close.
Frikkie Meyer went up to Tzaneen and scraped through by a single point. Standerton scored three tries to two and for that reason deserved their close victory. The easier victors were Potch Volkies with their expansive rugby and Overkruin.
Medium Schools quarter-final scores:
Frikkie Meyer vs Ben Vorster, 14-13
Overkruin vs Middelburg, 29-13
Potchefstroom Volkskool vs Linden, 29-13
Standerton vs Driehoek, 22-19
On Saturday Overkruin play Potch Volkies in Pretoria while Frikkie Meyer play Standerton.
Small School semifinalists are the holders, Vryburg, who made it by the skin of their teeth, Erasmus of Pretoria, Louis Trichardt and Parys.
Vryburg led 17-5 at half-time, after which HTS Nic Diederichs took over a match which they could well have won, but for a goal-kicker. Their last kick at goal, just before the final whistle, hit the woodwork and stayed out.
It took a try in the corner by Gert Engels just before the final whistle to get Parys into the semis. Parys scored two tries to one.
The other two matches were far less tense.
Small Schools quarter-final results:
Erasmus vs Uplands, 22-8
Louis Trichardt vs Orkney, 26-16
Parys vs Volksrust, 22-19
Vryburg vs Nic Diederichs, 17-16
On Saturday, in the semi-finals, Erasmus are at home to Vryburg, Louis Trichardt at home to Parys.
