Red beats Green
There was great festivity for the FNB Classic Clash in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, of Saturday when the red of HTS Middelburg met the green of Hoërskool Middelburg.
There was lots of fun – processions by each school through the streets of the mining town, HTS with red tractors, Hoërskool with green tractors.
There was singing and dancing, each school, standing, white shirted, sang its schoolsong with pride. It was a great occasion with over seven thousand spectators.
There were other competitions between the schools but the 1st XV rugby match was the one that really counted – Rooibulle against the Middies.
There were 10 rugby matches and HTS won them all, in particular the one that counts most – the 1st XV match.
It was a fast match because the Rooi Bulle play quickly and by half-time led 22-0. The Middies got two second-half tries but HTS scored seven tries and could have had several more but for errors of a sort. The Rooibulle won 44-12.
Scorers:
For HTS Middelburg:
Tries: Barend Smit 2, Lohan Bennett, Liaan Prinsloo, Chrisjan Steynberg, Eric Basson, Ruan Luddick.
Cons: Barend Smit 3
Pen: Barend Smit.
For Hoërskool Middelburg:
Tries: Bennie Mashabane, Marius Verwey
Con: Chris Hanekom
Teams:
Hoërskool Middelburg: 15. Marnus Aucamp, 14. Bennie Mashabane, 13. Telvin Mhlongo, 12. Cyprian Nkomo, 11. Fana Ngwenya, 10. Chris Hanekom 9. Ruben Roodt, 8. Joshua Mey, 7. Nefdt du Toit, 6. Mpumelelo Mathias, 5. Marius Verwey (captain), 4. Philip Olivier, 3. Duane van Wyk, 2. Jopie Kuhn, 1. Steven Pieterse
Replacements:16. Marcel Dique, 17. Dillon Venter, 18. Barrie Viviers, 19. Dewald Coetzee, 20. Charvic Lloyd, 21. Ruben Dhooge, 22. Wian Lombard, 23. Lunga Mahlangu, 24. Zothane Ngcobo
Coaches: Gert van der Westhuizen, Piet Bothma
HTS Middelburg: 15 Barend Smit, 14 Liaan Prinsloo, 13 Jacques du Toit, 12 Ruan Luddick, 11 Jan Rens, 10 Lohan Bennett, 9 Stephan Enslin, 8 Eric Basson, 7 Derik Willemse, 6 Chrisjan Steynberg, 5 Driaan Bester, 4 Dehan Opperman, 3 Kyle van Aswegen, 2 Gerik Mynhardt,, 1 Ruan Groenewald.
Replacements: 16 Walter Janse van Rensburg, 17 Steven Stols, 18 Johandré Olckers, 19 Marko Mare, 20 Bernard Kotzenberg, 21 Christiaan van Rooyen, 22 Brandon Par-Bailey, 23 Reynard van As
Coach: Alex Strydom
Referee: Alex Jonker (Mpumalanga Referees' Society)
