Itembelihle enjoy Cambridge Festival
Itembelihle Comprehensive School of Zwide Township took part.
There were 14 teams at the Festival, all from the Eastern Cape except Fairmont High School of Cape Town.
The schools taking part were:
Cape Town: Fairmont High School
East London: Cambridge High School, Port Rex Technical High School, Stirling High School, Selborne College
Graaf-Reinet: Union High School
Humansdorp: Hoërskool Nico Malan
Port Alfred: Port Alfred High School
Port Elizabeth: Itembelihle Comprehensive School, Westering High School, Hoërskool DF Malherbe
Queenstown: Hoërskool Hangklip
Uitenhage: Muir College
Itembelihle attended the Cambridge festival over the weekend and came up against Westering High in the first game.
The boys were very excited about this game as they hadn't played any rugby since the beginning of June. They impressed the crowd with their open, running game, attacking from their own try-line at times.
Westering also ran the ball against us, but resolute defence kept them out. We scored first when flyhalf, Thabo Matiso, kicked a penalty from just outside the Westering 22, after they had infringed in a ruck, for a 3-0 lead. That was also the half-time score.
We eventually added to the tally when young wing, Odwa Shuwana, dived over in the corner for an unconverted try, after No.8 Gabrie Mbambisa broke strongly from a scrum, supported by flank Skalika Charlie and centre Lutho Mdudo, and when they were stopped 10 metres from the Westering line, the ball went out to Shuwana to score.
Itembelihle took control of the game in the second half and scored again, when a pass went astray behind the Westering backline and centre Mdudo kicked it through for fellow centre Sam Flepu to pick the ball up and go over in the corner for another unconverted try. The opponents had their hands full with Mbambisa, Charlie and live-wire scrumhalf Bathandwa Matrose.
Westering eventually scored when their powerful No.8 Renoldo Koll went over for a try in the dying minutes of the game, converted by flyhalf Daniello van der Vental.
Final score 13-7 to Itembelihle.
In the second game Itembelihle faced the strong Port Rex XV.
This game was played in very windy conditions. Itembelihle won the toss and opted to play against the wind.
The Port Rex forwards were very impressive in the first half with a good set piece and counter rucking. They were fortunate to be awarded the first try of the match, as their wing, Nathan Smith, stepped on the touchline on his way for his try.
They scored a second try shortly after this, as a badly directed pass from Matiso was dropped by centre Flepu, only for Port Rex centre Sonwabile Caga to scoop the ball up and run through for an easy try and Itembelihle found themselves 0-14 behind.
Port Rex scored again, when their powerful forwards set up a drive and they went over in the corner for an unconverted try.
Itembelihle tried hard in the first half, but the referee's whistle kept them from doing anything constructive, They nearly scored a try when frontranker, Tiny Maxhontwana, was stopped on the line from a tap penalty.
Port Rex scored again when big centre Zukhanye Tomose broke through the defence to score. 0-24.
The introduction of big lock, Riley Williams, seemed to change Itembelihle’s fortunes in the second half. He seemed unstoppable at times as he ripped through the Port Rex defence with powerful runs, which put Itembelihle on the front foot. This brought our loose forwards in the game, and an attacking surge from our own 22, started by Thabo Matiso, saw the ball going to No.8 Mbambisa who beat several defenders before offloading the ball to fullback Siyavuya Sogoni for an unconverted try.
This spurred the Itembelihle side on as they took control of the game, running every ball at a tiring Port Rex defence. Itembelihle attacked again from their own half, spreading the ball wide, with fullback Sogoni joining the line and putting wing Zenanda Bongoza away on a strong run. We ended up in their half but lost the ball.
Port Rex tried to attack but lost the ball for wing Mzi Smith to toe it through for a try converted by Thabo Matiso. We attacked again from the kick off, Matiso cut through, fed centre Shuwana who passed the ball to Mbambisa who had Charlie in support. Sogoni found himself in space and ran through for a great try converted by Matiso.
Itembelihle were in full control now and Port Rex did not know how to stop all the gaps. Another full backline attacking movement saw fullback Sogoni again coming into the line, but his final pass saw a desperate Port Rex hand get in the way to prevent a certain try.
The game soon ended after this with Port Rex desperately defending on their own try-line.
Outstanding for us was No.8 Mbambisa, flank Charlie, lock Williams, props Sinoxolo Sihoyiya and Tiny Maxhontwana as well as scrumhalf Matrose and fullback Sogoni.
Cambridge Festival, 26-27 June 2016
Results, Day 1
Cambridge Invitational XV vs Port Alfred, 45-0
Fairmont vs Cambridge, 15-7
Hangklip vs Port Rex, 46-17
Ithembilihle vs Westering, 13-7
Nico Malan vs Stirling, 28-10
Selborne College Invitation vs Muir, 22-13
Union High vs DF Malherbe, 31-0
Results, Day 2
Cambridge Invitational XV vs Westering, 43-5
Cambridge vs Muir, 10-8
Fairmont vs Selborne College Invitation, 20-17
Hangklip vs Port Alfred, 52-0
Nico Malan vs Union High, 21-20
Port Rex vs Ithembilihle, 24-19
Stirling vs DF Malherbe, 45-14
From Theo Pieterse
Photo from Theo Pieterse – the Itembelihle team.
Back Row: John Madubedube, Siya Sogoni, Odwa Shuwana, Mzi Smith, Beast Sihoyiya, Gqamana Siyagcwale, Riley Williams, Odwa Singcongcobela, Vusumzi Nginingini, Lutho Mdudo, Zenanda Bongoza
Middle Row: Siya Charlie, Roger Crabb, Gabrie Mbambisa, Sam Flepu, Tshoba Maduna
Front Row: Bathandwa Matrose, Thabo Matiso
