Bishops run away from SACS
Match Report
Bishops beat SACS 76-14 on the Piley Rees Field at Bishops on Saturday.
It was not that SACS did not tackle. They did but then there were just not enough men to tackle as Bishops wove their magic, true to their dictum of passing before tackling, backing up, and slipping passes of great skill.
It was not that SACS did not compete. They competed at every phase of the game but simply could not get more than a scrap or two of possession. In the match there was a handful of scrums and a handful of line-outs. For the rest the ball was moving about the field in a wonderful exhibition of non-stop running rugby. If a Bishops player was tackled the player who had passed him the boy would shoot in and ensure that possession stayed with Bishops and the cycle would start all over again.
Often moves started from the Bishops line. They kicked four times in the match, each time in search of a score. On three occasions the score happened.
It's not that SACS are a poor side. They are a good side as their victory over Paarl Boys' High and their big victory over Strand testify. And Dusty Hare, the famous England fullback and now a talent scout for Leicester Tigers, saw SACS play Nottingham High School of England on Tuesday and proclaimed SACS one of the best schoolboy sides he has ever seen.
It's just that this Bishops side plays rugby with such cohesion, skill and confidence. It is a special side that has got better and better as the season has moved on. Apart from Nic Köster, the eighthman, Adrian Kritzinger the outside centre and Mathew Turner the left wing, the Bishops players do not try top beat a man. Their intent is just to put one man running free by passing and positioning.
Dasch Barber, the lively hooker, was the first to score as Bishops went far right and then far left. Köster was the next, and Bishops led 12-0.
The SACS left wing Dean Holland had had one good run and then sped down the left wing to cross at the corner and go round for the heartening SACS try to make the score 12-7. It seemed that SACS were back in the match and in a position to compete against Bishops who had battled to win the first encounter between the two sides.
Holland is an outstanding wing and still in Grade 11 (Std 9). He has scored 16 tries this season. One would have thought he would be a good [prospect for the 2007 Craven Week but then selection is not done on criteria of merit as the omission of Mathew Turner, the Bishops left wing proves, for he could not make even the Western Province Academy side. Against SACS he scored no fewer than six trues, the first Bishops 1st XV player to do so.
He scored and converted the next try to take Bishops to 19-7.
When Köster burst down the touch-line on his right he chipped ahead as he was hemmed in. Rodney Mthi, the SACS fullback who had a lively match, especially in the second half, was forced to concede a five-metre scrum from which Kritzinger scored. 26-7.
Köster next had a long run down the left and then played a long pass inside to his right to fullback Leigh Bruinders who swept over for a try. 33-7.
SACS chipped into the Bishops 22 on the Bishops right. Bishops marked and then spread the ball wide to their left. Turner got there ball well inside his 22 and sped down the left touch-line. He chipped. The ball stayed infield and sat up with a smile for Turner to run onto it for the best individual try of the match.
That made the half-time score 38-7.
From a five-metre scrum on the far right, Bishops went left and Bruinders crossed for his second try in the left corner. 43-7.
Bishops kicked a penalty. That in itself comes as a shock. They kicked out on their left near the SACS line. They threw deep and immediately played the ball lack towards the touch-line where Turner was on hand to score. 50-7.
Bishops were under pressure after a good run by Mthi but tried to run out of trouble passing shallow across their posts. Holland darted in and took the pass to score under the posts. Tim Carr converted, 50-14.
A tapped penalty on the right produced a try for Turner on the far left. 55-14. They scored on the left again when Turner drew his man perfectly and sent Bruinders over for his hat-trick try. 62-14.
Derek Stanford had replaced Michael Nel on the right wing and enjoyed a good run from inside his own 22 with a thumping hand-off to help him on his way. He played inside, several Bishops people handled and eventually scrumhalf Stuart Commins scored a try of team brilliance. 69-14.
From the kick off lock Martin Muller strode down the middle of the field and gave to Turner on his left and the wing scored his sixth try. Turner's conversion ended the match.
Scorers:
For Bishops:
Tries: Turner 6, Bruinders 3, Barber, Kritzinger, Commins
Cons: Turner 5, Kritzinger 3
For SACS:
Tries: Holland 2
Cons: Carr 2
Teams:
Bishops: (We give the Bishops numbers to give the players' positions but the players do not use numbers): 15 Leigh Bruinders, 14 Michael Nel, 13 Adrian Kritzinger (captain), 12 Cian van der Vyver, 11 Mathew Turner, 10 Craig Jordens, 9 Stuart Commins, 8 Nic Köster, 7 Michael Morris, 6 Callan Artus, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Jeff van Breda, 3 Lyall Bluett, 2 Dasch Barber, 1 Wesley Chetty.
Coaches: André Jacobs, Wayne Sudding
SACS: 15 Rodney Mthi, 14 Stuart Black, 13 Jake Levin, 12 Liam Slatem, 11 Dean Holland, 10 Tim Carr, 9 Mark Spence, 8 Sean Binedell, 7 Zack Beukman, 6 Siswe Stemela, 5 M van T Hoff, 4 Adam Norman, 3 Alex Skeate, 2 Robbie Trueman, 1 K Clay.
Coach: Riaan van der Westhuizen
Referee: Gareth Lloyd-Jones (Western Province)
