Grey's comeback not quite enough

For both teams it was the last match of the season and a great occasion of exciting rugby on a warm East London day. There was, as usual, a big, noisy crowd in attendance.

It was a pity in a way that SA schools and SA Schools A were involved in their tournament in Cape Town as it deprived Grey of four top players – Sihle Njezula and Kwezi Mafu, who were in the SA Schools side and Lubabalo Dobela and Ayabonga Oliphant who were in the SA Schools A side.

In fact the match was a thriller as Grey came back from 27-0 down to get within a converted try of winning the match. Their first try seemed to inspire confidence and from then on, for the last 17 minutes, they dominated a game which Selborne had riled up till then.

Both sides preferred running with the ball to any other rugby activity and they started and finished the game passing and running. Both teams went through phases and, when Grey were penalised, David Coetzer goaled to put his side 3-0 up. It was a break by the flyhalf as Selborne went wide left and a perfect pass to fullback James Bruce who raced over for the try.

Selborne attacked  against and went phases. Grey were penalised, Selborne tapped and went wide right where Josh Armstrong  handed off forcefully and scored in the corner. 13-0 after 16 minutes.

Gray had a good period of attack when they went right from a scrum and played inside to Waqar Solaan. A penalty gave Grey a five-metre line-out. They peeled and bashed but a knock-on enabled Selborne to clear. But a fine break by flank Azola Mahonga got Grey close. They bashed into the stern defence and Bevan Prinsloo was close. Grey went wide left but the defence held, Coetzer cleared and Selborne led 13-0 at the break.

Two tries in the first eight minutes of the second half had Selborne sitting pretty, or so they must have thought.

The first came when they went right from a scrum on the right and attacked with advancing phases till Coetzer burst between two defenders to score a try which he converted.

The second try had little to do with the backs. Sande Msengane, the heftiest forward on the field, raced down on the attack and then suddenly hooker Mila Bomela burst away with a fine turn of speed to dive over and score. The two front-rowers covered all of 50 metres for the try, which Coetzer converted. 27-0 after 43 minutes.

Selborne came with in an ace of scoring again. Bruce counterattacked and they went through phases till Miles Norton was over in the left but only after putting a foot on the touchline.

And then the game changed. It started with Selborne errors. The home side knocked on and Solaan control. Selborne were penalised and Grey got out of their own half. Selborne kicked the worst kick of the day and the ball went off into touch on the Selborne 10-metre line. Grey won the line-out and formed a maul which they shunted down to the Selborne 22. They went through phases and Aya Matroos was a centimetre from the try-line. The referee thought about the try and then went back to a penalty against Selborne. Grey kicked out for a line-out, mauled and then went wide. The Grey backs attacked on the right but the Selborne defence held till the ball came back to big prop Sive Masosoziwe who forced his way over for a try which scrumhalf Praveen Bosch converted. 27-7 with 17 minutes to play.

Grey won a Selborne line-out and hooker Aphiwe Febana had a long run to within five metres of the Selborne line. Selborne were penalised for a high tackle and again Grey kicked out for a five-metre line-out. They mauled but Neubert was held up. Selborne were penalised for collapsing the maul and Grey kicked out for the line-out which they mauled. They were shunting towards the line when Azola Mahonga broke off and scored. 21-14 with 12 minutes to go.

Grey were now in command of the game and came racing back on the attack with a good run by Josiah Twum Boafo. Many phases and two penalties helped them on their way and after a five-metre line-out  they went through 12 more phases. Selborne were again penalised, Grey tapped and Neubert scored. 27-21 with three minutes to play.

Selborne gathered  themselves and spent the three minutes in Grey's half.

Scorers

For Selborne:

Tries: James Bruce, Josh Armstrong, David Coetzer, Mila Bomela

Cons: David Coetzer 2

Pen: David Coetzer

For Grey:

Tries: Sive Masoziwe, Azola Mahonga, James Neubert

Cons: Praveen Bosch 3

Teams

Selborne: 15 James Bruce, 14 Josh Armstrong, 13 Sibahle Khulane, 12 Sango Xamlashe (captain), 11 Miles Norton, 10 David Coetzer, 9 James Monaghan, 8 Darren Lemmer, 7 André Rust, 6 Alex Greig, 5 Storme Snelling, 4 Brandon du Toit, 3 Leon Lyons, 2 Mila Bomela, 1 Sande Msengane

Replacements: 16 Onthatile Mavuso, 17 Cameron Moodie, 18 Luke Dalbock, 19 Kais Schoeman, 20 Regardt Kitching, 21 Mitchell Connellan, 22 Jason Raubenheimer, 23 Musawenkosi Sili

Grey: 15 Damian Smuts, 14 Uan Tait, 13 Josiah Twum Boafo, 12 James Neubert, 11 Aya Matroos, 10 Waqar Solaan, 9 Praveen Bosch, 8 Tertius Groenewald (captain), 7 Azola Mahonga, 6 Bevan Prinsloo, 5 Connor Thalrose, 4 Travis Outram, 3 Sive Masoziwe, 2 Aphiwe Febana, 1 Michael Biggs

Replacements: 16 James Scott, 17 Mathew Steyn, 18 Travis de Bruin, 19 Jonathan Cherrington, 20 Bradley Nelson, 21 Odwa Ntlokwana, 22 Campbell de Wet, 23 Craig Dalgleish

Referee: Josh Kent (Border Referees' Society)

Assistant referees: Johan van der Walt (Border Referees' Society), Wesly Moss (Border Referees' Society)