Kearsney Results, Day 1

Glorious sunshine followed the rain at Botha's Hill where the Kearsney Easter Festival kicked off on Maundy Thursday with a tight match between HTS Middelburg and hosts Kearsney, teams which both feature on the first FNB Top 20 of the year – the Rooibulle at 13th and Kearsney at 19th.

The reports are from Kearsney

Match 1: HTS Middelburg vs Kearsney, 31-25

After kick-off from HTS, there was good pressure right from the start by the red team, which resulted in an early try by lock forward Driaan Bester, the first score of the 2014 Festival, and a conversion by flyhalf Lohan Bennett, to take the score to 7-0.  Kearsney fought back and with good, solid play; centre James Tedder crossed the line in the 13th minute, with Tristan Tedder narrowly missing the conversion.

With 12 minutes to go before half time, Tristan Tedder put Kearsney in the lead, slotting a penalty to take the score to 8-7.   Some attacking play by HTS saw right wing Brandon Par-Bailey score a try in the corner.  Unable to convert the try, HTS took the lead again and the scoreline to 12-8.  Just before half time, HTS wing Liaan Prinsloo visited the try-line with a try  converted by fullback Barend Smit, and the score to 19-8 in favour of the visitors.

The start of the second half saw HTS scoring two quick tries, courtesy of Jacques du Toit and Chrisjan Steynberg.  A penalty by Kearsney’s flyhalf brought the tally back to 31-11. Continued pressure, with good phase-play, made prop Tijde Visser go over in the 49th minute, with Tedder converting the try.

In a moment of sheer brilliance, Kearsney flyhalf Tristan Tedder scored a dazzling intercept try, converting it and taking the score within six points of the opposition.  In a nail biting attack on the HTS defence in the final minutes, Kearsney were unfortunate not to score and the final result was 31-25 to HTS.  

Scorers:

For HTS Middelburg:

Tries: Bester, Par-Bailey, Prinsloo, Du Toit, Steynberg

Cons: Bennett, Smit

For Kearsney:

Tries: James Tedder, Visser , Tristan Visser

Cons: Tristan Tedder 2

Pens: Tristan Tedder 2

Match 2: Monument vs Framesby, 21-16

Monument applied pressure right from the start and were rewarded early in the game with a converted penalty by Stian Joubert. Framesby reciprocated with good, steady play and soon levelled the score 3 -3, courtesy of flyhalf Tiaan Stander.  With evenly matched play and both teams almost visiting their respective try-lines, the half time score was 9-6 in favour of Framesby, with another two penalties slotted by Framesby’s flyhalf and one coming from Monnas fullback Joubert.

Waldo Kriel gave Monument an early lead in the second half with a well-worked try, which was not converted. Ten minutes later, Framesby prop Wessel Strydom scored Framesby’s first try of the match. A successful conversion put them back into the lead with 16-11 on the board.

Monument immediately replied with two quick tries scored by Ashley Carr and captain Gavin Delport. Two missed conversions brought the score to 21-16 to Monument.

With moments of brilliance on both sides during the latter part of the game, and Framesby applying fantastic pressure in the last few minutes, it was Monument who came out on top in the end, winning 21-16.

The Test referee Marius Jonker refereed the match.

Scorers:

For Monument:

Tries: Kriel, Carr, Delport

Pens: Joubert 2

For Framesby:

Tries: Strydom

Con: Joubert

Pens: Stander 3

Match 3: Westville vs Nico Malan, 41-10

The match got off to an exciting start with Nico Malan scoring a team try in the seventh minute, which can probably go to the name of eighthman Dean van der Westhuizen with excellent, driving play in the ruck. With a conversion by Donovan Pieters, Nico Malan found themselves in the lead with 7-0 on the board.

Westville soon turned the tables, scoring two quick, unconverted tries with Nathan Meilhon and Bradley Smith dotting over. A penalty in the last minute of the first half by Dominik Uytenbogaardt from Nico Malan brought the half-time score to 10-10.

Westville impressed again in the first 10 minutes of the second half, scoring two more tries under the poles, courtesy of fullback Bradley Smith and flyhalf Lindo Buthelezi. Braithwaite successfully converted both tries.  

Westville scored yet another two tries, Meilhon’s second and flank Adrian Heystek’s first. Kyan Braithwaite converted only one of these and this put Westville well in the lead by 36-10.

The final score of 41-10, with a last minute try by left wing Shane Ball saw Westville the well-deserved victors.

Scorers:

For Nico Malan:

Try: Van der Westhuizen

Con: Pieters

Pen: Uytenbogaardt

For Westville:

Tries: Meilhon 2, Bradley Smith 2, Buthelezi, Heystek, Ball;

Cons: Braithwaite 3

Match 4: Affies vs Selborne, 34-12

The first match of the afternoon session, which was blown by Rugby World Cup Final ref Craig Joubert, got off to a scintillating start with Affies finding themselves well in the lead after just 10 minutes when fullback Eduan Keyter scored two quick tries.  

Their lead was extended shortly after that, when centre Tiaan Schmullian went over for Affies’ third try of the match.  Pieter Coetzer converted two of the tries to put the perennially strong Pretoria outfit well ahead at 19-0 after just 16 minutes.  

Selborne College from East London is the only school to have participated in every Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival since its inception in 2008.  The team recovered and played some good running rugby, but wasn’t able to score, leaving the half-time score at 19-0.

With an evenly contested start to the second half, Selborne was rewarded with a great try by left wing Tristian Coetzer, taking the score to 19-5, as the conversion was missed.  With 10 minutes left on the clock, Selborne inside centre David Britz scored a try which was converted by flyhalf Morgan Steyn.

With good running rugby by both sides, it was Affies’ Pieter Coetser who slotted a penalty and their Henco Jordaan and Keyter who scored the last two tries of the match.  

Mention must be made of full back Eduan Keyter who scored a hat-trick of tries, taking his team’s final score to 34-12.

Scorers:

For Selborne:

Tries Tristian Coetzer, Britz

Con: Steyn

For Affies:

Tries Keyter 3, Schmullian, Jordaan

Cons Coetser 3

Pen: Coetser

Match 5: Glenwood vs Dale, 31-17

In the first half of the penultimate game of the first day, local team Glenwood scored three tries courtesy of wings Philani Ngcobo and Ilunga Mukendi and scrumhalf Kwazi Khanyile. Morné Joubert successfully converted two of these to put his team well in front at half-time with 19-0 on the scoreboard.

The boys from King William’s Town showed great tenacity and visited the try-line three times with fullback Justerino Davids scoring two five-pointers and wing Lukuzo Mase scoring once. Flyhalf Courtney Winnaar successfully converted one of these, which left Dale trailing by two points with plenty of time on the clock.

Glenwood proved too strong towards the end and added another 12 points to their total in the form of two more tries, one by James Venter and the other Ngcobo’s second try. Morné Joubert converted one of them which took the final score to 31-17 in favour of the KwaZulu Natal side.

Scorers:

For Glenwood:

Tries Ngcobo 2, Mukendi, Khanyile, Venter

Cons: Joubert 3

For Dale:

Tries Davids 2, Mase

Con: Winnaar

Match 6: Grey College vs Dr EG Jansen, 26-8

The anticipated tough encounter between Bloemfontein’s Grey College and EG Jansen from Boksburg ended the first day’s play with some exciting running rugby.

Grey was the first to open the score board early in the game with a well-struck penalty by fullback Henry Immelman to put the Free Staters 3-0 ahead. Only five minutes later outside centre Julian Jordaan scored an unconverted try to take the score to 8-0.

EG Jansen retaliated and played in their opposition’s half for quite a while and was eventually rewarded with a penalty just before half time, when centre Delano Kotze put the three points on the board.

Grey College increased their lead straight after half-time with a well-worked try by inside centre Mike Andrade as well as a penalty by replacement Louwrens Steenkamp.

EG Jansen had a great second half and scored a well-deserved, unconverted try by Edwin Jansen in the last minute of the game, bringing the score line up to 26-8.

Scorers:

For Grey College:

Tries Jordaan, Andrade, Immelman

Con Steenkamp

Pens: Immelman, Steenkamp 2

For Dr EG Jansen:

Try: Jansen

Pen: Kotze