Queen's in big win over Hangklip

Match Report

Despite a spirited performance from the plucky young Hangklip side, they were no match for the superior Queen’s 1st XV who dominated the match from start to finish and ran out worthy winners by 44 points to nil, playing some entertaining rugby in the process.

Queen’s dominated possession throughout the game and ought to have been further ahead than the 18-0 score at half-time. A committed defence fro the home side, and a little too much lateral running from the Queen’s backs, kept the score in check.

In this half, Queen’s scored two tries, a conversion and two penalties by flyhalf Lionel Cronje. The try scorers were eighthman Mbuyisa Mnci and fullback Kholo Ramashala.

Early in the second half, Queen’s seemed to find their rhythm and managed to eliminate the errors that troubled them in the first half. Good, positive, attaching rugby followed. Some superb, straight running enabled them to score four excellent tries, three of which were converted by Cronje. Spectators were treated to a fine display of fifteen-man rugby, with plenty of interplay between backs and forwards. With their tails in the air, Queen’s went on the rampage and there was little that Hangklip could do to stem the tide. To their credit, however, the Hangklip players put their bodies on the line and never gave up, despite the odds being heavily stacked against them.

Even the referee, Dieter Deysel, had a taste of just how robust schoolboy rugby can be, when he found himself on the receiving end of a power Mathew Lutge onslaught. Some nimble footwork on his behalf, prevented an almost certain decapitation!

The four second half tries were scored by Lionel Cronje, from broken play in the 13th minute; Kholo Ramashala who chased a chip ahead to score in the 16th; a solo Soso Socikwa try in the 22nd minute; and Lisle Clark who was on hand to receive the ball and score their final try from a fourth phase, in the late stages of the half.

Players who caught the eye on the day were eighthman Mnci who drove well in the tight loose, Gareth Hartley who displayed great versatility as a prop, Lisle Clark who put in some enormous tacklets, and left wing Sbura Sithole, a young player with two more promising seasons in the white jersey. The Hangklip captain and eighthman, Heinrich Griebenouw, was probably their most valuable player.

Hangklip coach, Mr Willie Botha, said that he was a “little disappointed” that his team had not managed to score, but that they would “be back” in 2007 and 2008 with virtually the same side. Queen’s coaches David McEwan and Clinton Löest, were relieved to have broken the two-year drought, and were full of praise for their charges.

Scorers:

For Queen's:
Tries: Mbuyisa Mnci, Kholo Ramashala 2, Lionel Cronje, Soso Socikwa, Lisle Clark
Cons: Lionel Cronje 4
Pens: Lionel Cronje 2

By Mike Boy