Oakdale win Farming Battle

The final score dealt harshly with the visitors from Cradock who fought right to the end. Up front they gave as good as they got but were beaten by a backline that for speed and finishing. Oakdale took their chances; Marlow didn't.

Marlow enjoyed at least parity in possession and territory but not on the scoreboard.

The contest for the loose ball was a stern one where both sides won turnovers, but it was what happened afterwards that made the difference.

They are both comparatively small schools (Oakdale's 420 pupils almost twice those of Marlow) but they stand back for nobody in their enthusiasm for quality rugby and it showed once again on the field.

The sky was largely clear on a crisp day in Riversdale with only a mean and erratic little southeaster to affect the rugby.

Marlow, nicknamed the Wolramme, came on first with a stuffed sheep for a mascot. Then came Oakdale with a real, live, 600kg black bull, a massive  animal of calm dominance.

Both sides, to their credit, played with the ball in hand for the whole 70 minutes of the match.

When the siren sounded to suggest that the first half was over, the score was just 17-5, but two Marlow mistakes saw the score change to 24-5 at half-time.

When the siren sounded, Marlow had the ball and spread it to their backs but a grubber downfield gave possession to Oakdale who immediately counterattacked. Marlow stopped them a good way  out from their goal-line but a reckless Marlow player dived over the ruck and smashed Xavier Swartbooi into the ground by the neck. The referee immediately blew to signal a penalty. This was an invitation to scrumhalf Zinedine Booysen to tap and race clean through for a try under the posts.

It took Oakdale just four minutes to score. They won a turnover in their own half and centre Nicholus van Eeden hoofed the ball downfield and chased. The bounce bamboozled the Marlow defender and headed obediently into the arms of Van Eeden who scored. 5-0.

Slender flyhalf Xavier Swartbooi jinked twice and sent flank Stiaan Wasserman over in the left corner.

Then it was Marlow's turn has strong flank Lourens Oosthuizen raced down the left touchline, handing off two defenders to score. 10-5 after 27 minutes.

But back came that man Van Eeden with another long kick which he chased. The ball bounced into the Marlow in-goal where a Marlow player was there first but the perverse ball got away from him and offered itself to Van Eeden, who scored his second try. 17-5.

Then the siren sounded and then the score was 24-5.

The first try of the second held was of Booysen's making. He darted wide from a ruck and then backflipped the ball to Daniël Victor who scored near the posts. 31-5.

Marlow attacked but another turnover destroyed them as Oakdale ran out of their 22 and gave to Swartbooi to sprint 35 metres to score. 38-0.

Again Marlow attacked and  big Dirkie Ferreira was over but instead there was a line-out as a foot had touched touch.

Oakdale attacked from inside their own half on the right. They swept downfield and Jay-Cee Nel scored in the left corner. 43-5 with 11 minutes to play.

Marlow attacked, bashing at the Oakdale line, demanding strength and resolution from the defenders. Oakdale were penalised and bashed even closer. Vaughen Isaacs was over  but held up. From the five-metre scrum Nelus van Wyk scored and Isaacs converted. 43-12 with 6 minutes left.

Inside the Marlow half, massive André Posthumus rumbled towards the Marlow line. Oakdale bashed their way closer and Posthumous scored. 50-12, the final score.

Scorers:

For Oakdale:

Tries: Nicolus van Eeden 2, Stiaan Wasserman, Zinedine Booysen, Daniël Victor, Jay-Cee Nel, Xavier Swartbooi, André Posthumus

Cons: Zinedine Booysen 5

For Marlow:

Tries: Lourens Oosthuizen, Nelus van Wyk

Con: Vaughen Isaacs

Teams

Oakdale: 15 Pietie Uys, 14 Alex Wallace, 13 Nicolus van Eeden, 12 Jay-Cee Nel, 11 Luke Hertz, 10 Xavier Swartbooi, 9 Zinedine Booysen, 8 WP van Heerden (captain), 7 Janu Krause, 6 Stiaan Wasserman, 5 JC Lourens, 4 Daniël Victor, 3 André Posthumus, 2 Marko van der Merwe, 1 Dian Bleuler

Marlow: 15 Enrico Saptoe, 14 Shawn Snyman, 13 Nelus van Wyk, 12 Ruan Pretorius, 11 Vivian Kapp, 10 Vaughen Isaacs (captain), 9 André Smith, 8 Dirkie Ferreira, 7 Lourens Oosthuizen, 6 JJ Human, 5 Herman Greeff, 4 Keanan Murray, 3 Marno Beyl, 2 Awalde Grobler, 1 Rechard Engelbrecht

Referee: Ruan Meiring (South Western Districts Referees' Society)

Assistant referees: David Amsterdam (South Western Districts Referees' Society), Christo Williams (South Western Districts Referees' Society)