Noord-Kaap outshine Diamantveld
Noord-Kaap took an early lead, thanks to a converted try by flyhalf Chadwyn November. The visitors looked sharp as they used the wind to their advantage, while the hosts seemingly appeared shell-shocked. Diamantveld made far too many careless errors, and their discipline also left much to be desired.
Noord-Kaap capitalised with every Diamantveld error, turning their opportunities into points. The visitors were rewarded with two successful penalty kicks just before the half-time whistle. Noord-Kaap took a 13-0 advantage into the break.
As the second half commenced, a more determined Diamantveld entered the field. The hosts registered their first points on the board thanks to hooker Anton van Romburg who crashed over for the try. Flyhalf Charles Williams stepped up to narrow the deficit to just six points.
Shortly afterwards, the hosts scored their second try – this time through the pacesetter Williams. For the first time in the match, the hosts were leading with just one point, 14-13.
Diamantveld soon extended that lead when a disrupted and desperate Noord-Kaap defence got penalised for a high tackle and Williams. The flyhalf made good use of the wind behind his back by slotting a long-range penalty, taking the score to 17-13.
However, their lead and celebrations were short-lived as the visitors scored a five-pointer courtesy of replacement Chadd Adams.
Diamantveld's hopes were finally dashed when, towards the end of the match, two careless passes were intercepted in rapid succession. The first intercept was by Noord-Kaap right wing Christopher Andrews, who ran the length of the field to score under the post.
The second intercept came just five minutes later and was practically a carbon copy of the first. Noord-Kaap captain Gladwin Niewenhuizen, snatching a wayward pass and dotting down between the posts.
Noord-Kaap flyhalf made no mistake with both conversions, helping the visitors seal the crown.
Successful Noord-Kaap coach Deon Carney gave a few comments after the match: "The first half we came out firing on all our cylinders and scored a quick 10 points. We had the wind at our backs, so I knew that we’d have to score at least 15 points or more before half-time, but we could only manage 13. However, we kept them scoreless, which helped us psychologically,"
Diamantveld coach Jaco Dames praised Noord-Kaap in their well-deserved win.
"Noord-Kaap deserved the win as they played the better rugby, they capitalised on our errors and obviously wanted the win more than we did. We wish them all the best for their remaining games," he stated.
Scorers:
For Diamantveld:
Tries: Anton van Romburg, Charles Williams
Cons: Charles Williams 2
Pen: Charles Williams
For Noord-Kaap:
Tries: Chadwyn November. Chadd Adams, Christopher Andrews, Gladwin Nieuwenhuizen
Cons: Chadwyn November 3
Pens: Chadwyn November 2
