Itembelihle under Table Mountain
Itembelihle Comprehensive School went down from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town and with Table Mountain as its background played rugby, as Theo Pieterse, their coach, reports.
We left for the Western Cape on Thursday (16 April) to take part in the annual Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck’s Remax tournament. Our first game was on Friday against the hosts, Hoërskool van Riebeeck.
Jan van Riebeeck vs Itembelihle, 17-7
This was a very physical game as Van Riebeeck used their bigger forwards to great effect to control territory and possession in the first half. They nearly scored from the kick-off when their flank, Janko Pieterse, broke straight through the Itembelihle defence, only to be stopped metres from the goal-line. They eventually crossed for an unconverted try in the corner.
Itembelihle slowly came into the game and began to string some phases together and a lovely backline movement saw wing Samkelo Ndlovu outpacing the opposition for a try under the poles, converted by flyhalf Akho Tshoba, to give Itemblihle a 7-5 lead at half-time.
The hosts stormed back into the game and used their forwards well to gain forward momentum, and were eventually awarded a dubious try when their centre seemed to knock the ball on in the Itembelihle 22. All the players stopped but the referee let the game continue and allowed the try. They converted and led 12-7. The hosts eventually scored another try in the end when they completely scrummed Itembelihle off the ball, grabbed it and went over in the corner for an unconverted try to win 17-7.
Itembelihle vs Western Cape Sport School, 10-5
This was another tight game against a side who also tried to run the ball at every occasion. They were first to score when their wing went over in the corner for an unconverted try. Itembelihle then began to produce a brilliant display of handling and offloading in contact and scored a delightful try after No.8 Siya Charlie broke blind and when stopped flipped a backhanded pass to wing Samkelo Ndlovu who cut through the opposition to score in the corner for an unconverted try. Half time was 5-5.
Itembelihle then kept up the pace and wing Lutho Mdudo ran through from a full backline movement to dive over in the far corner for a try. Itembelihle kept on attacking and were unlucky not to score again and eventually ended 10-5 winners against a very plucky Cape side.
Itembelihle vs Camps Bay, 20-5
This was probably the game of the day, with Itembelihle running every ball and the offloading and handling skills from the Eastern Cape side was something to behold. The early exchanges were torrid as Camps Bay kept on using their big forwards to get over the advantage line, with the result that several Itembelihle players had to be treated by the medics. It was wing Ndlovu that started the scoring for the tourists, when he cut in from the blindside wing, in a well worked backline movement, to take a short pass from centre Solly Nomzanga to cut through for a try. Centre Nomzanga was next on the scoreboard when he side stepped his way through the opposition for a try. Camps Bay struck back before half-time when one of their forwards scored a try.
After half time, Itembelihle upped the pace and left wing Lutho Mdudo outpaced the opposition for a try in the corner and then flank Ayabonga Mbambisa danced through for a try from a movement that started on the Itembelihle try-line and where almost the whole team handled the ball brilliantly for Mbambisa to score.
Piketberg vs Itembelihle, 26-10
This was a very hard game with Piketberg No.8, Benna van der Westhuizen, showing his class. The big No.8 was first to score from a driving maul, when he broke loose to outpace the opposition for a try under the poles. They followed this up with two more quick tries, to lead 21-0, and it looked all over for a tired Itembelihle team, but wing Ndlovu had other ideas. Itembelihle attacked from a scrum, No.8 Charlie broke, a ruck formed and scrum half Thabo Matiso broke well and when he was stopped, winger Ndlovu was on hand to take the pass and score. The half-time score was 21-5 to Piketberg.
Left wing Mdudo eventually broke through a couple of tackles to dive over in the corner. Itembelihle now really played good rugby, controlling the breakdowns and attacking relentlessly. They were unlucky not to score when they were called back for a forward pass. Piketberg had the last say, when abrasive eigthman Van der Westhuizen again crashed over the line for a try.
The Itembelihle side won the award for the side who played the “best rugby” of the tournament and wing Ndlovu won the award of “Best back” of the tournament and Piketberg number 8, Van der Westhuizen, the player of the tournament. Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck was crowned winner of the tournament for winning all their games and scoring the most tries!
By Theo Pieterse
