Noord-Kaap Tame Tygers at TSRF
A large appreciative crowd braved the heat to see Kimberley’s mighty Noord-Kaap turn in a fine second-half performance to beat local hopefuls Tygerberg 33-13 in the main match on Day One of the 2012 Copytype Ricoh Tony Stoops Rugby Festival at Höerskool President in Goodwood on Saturday, 24 March.
The only scoring of a very tense first half came towards the break when left wing Shane Grundlingh slotted a penalty for the locals only for Noord-Kaap to register an unconverted try virtually on the half-time whistle to take a slender 5-3 lead.
After the change-over the Griqua lads set out to dispel any doubts regarding their burgeoning reputation and put a damper on any hopes the greatly heartened home supporters might have entertained of an upset with a methodical second-half performance.
Their pack played with marvelous cohesion, often driving the plucky Parow eight – themselves a formidable unit – back in the tight loose, scoring four of their team’s five tries, via flanks Nico Graaff (two) and Lehan Muller and lively hooker Xander Jonck. The fifth try went to left wing Charlton Koopman, while inside centre Len le Roux and right wing Dimitrio Tieties each contributed two conversions.
The Tygers never gave up and were justly rewarded with two fine tries by the hard-running Grundlingh. A tough trip to Waterkloof, which includes a game against the hosts on 2 April, awaits Craig Hale’s lads, but they have gone a long way to silencing the many doomsayers who maintained that this year’s team will only disappoint the large following built up by two highly successful campaigns. Final score. Noord-Kaap 33 Tygerberg 13.
The highlights of the other nineteen games were undoubtedly Swartland’s comfortable 29-18 victory over more fancied Oudtshoorn, Port Natal’s comfortable 47-10 trouncing of the hosts, tiny Piketberg’s massive 58-15 massacre of PE’s Westering and a thrill-a-minute encounter between Bellville South and Langeberg, won 21-17 by the latter.
Results at a glance:
Despatch vs DF Malan, 39-18
Dirkie Uys vs Otto du Plessis, 20-13
Emil Weder vs Table View, 23-0
Hawston vs Uniondale, 48-3
Hugenote vs Pearson, 24-7
Klein Nederburg vs Scottsdene, 38-20
Labori vs Edgemead, 35-5
Langeberg vs Bellville South, 21-18
Langenhoven High vs Hopefield, 21-17
Montana vs York, 12-3
New Orleans vs HTS Newton, 27-7
Noord-Kaap vs Tygerberg, 33-13
Piketberg vs Westering, 58-15
Porterville vs Milnerton, 14-10
Port Natal vs President, 47-10
Sao Bras vs Alexander Road, 28-20
Schoonspruit vs De Kuilen, 23-14
Swartland vs Oudtshoorn, 29-18
Swellendam vs Bosmansdam, 17-5
Vredenburg vs JG Meiring, 13-13
Monday’s fixtures:
09.00: Milnerton vs Hopefield
09.00: Edgemead vs Uniondale
09.00: Klein Nederburg vs Sao Bras
09.00: York vs JG Meiring
10.20: Porterville vs Scottsdene
10.20: Langeberg vs President
10.20: Emil Weder vs HTS Newton
10.20: De Kuilen vs Otto du Plessis
11.40: Robertson vs DF Malan
11.40: Schoonspruit vs Bellville South
11.40: Vredenburg vs Bosmansdam
11.40: Tygerberg vs Dirkie Uys
13.00: Table View vs Westering
13.00: Hawston vs Langenhoven High
13.00: Piketberg vs Despatch
13.00: Oudtshoorn vs Pearson
14.20: Montana vs Alexander Road
14.20: Swellendam vs New Orleans
14.20: Hugenote vs Port Natal
By Tony Stoops
