Rondebosch in Late Win
The match followed a dreadful week at Bishops after the home of their coach Richard Smith, had been broken into in the early hours of Tuesday morning and he was violently assaulted by the criminals and was still in a coma on Saturday.
Before the match started the players stood in silence for a minute to remember the Smith family and their horrible situation.
This is the fourth successive match that Rondebosch have won against their neighbours and rivals.
Bishops scored first and were leading 19-15 till they cracked apart in the last 10 minutes. But then the home side did not score a point in the second half.
The first score was a magnificent solo effort by big centre Rob Macdonald, the Bishops captain. He broke and raced some 70 metres to score without a hand laid on him. That made it 5-0 after just 2 minutes.
The was very little kicking in the match. Both sides preferred to run with the ball, as is their wont, and the first time Bishops kicked out of hand – intended as an attacking kick – Rondebosch scored a try!
A penalty gave Rondebosch a five-metre line-out. They bashed at the Bishops line but Jason MacLeod-Smith was held up over the line by Bishops hooker Ghaalieb Kenny. That gave Rondebosch a five-metre scrum and their excellent eighthman. Cal Smid, picked up and simply powered over for a try. 5-5 after 16 minutes.
Bishops went straight back on the attacked with some excellent handling and inside centre George Spencer. James Ipser converted. 12-5 to Bishops after 18 minutes.
From the kick-off, Bishops ran by knocked on near the half-way line. Rondebosch got possession and went wide left to Smid who stepped and accelerated. He strode ahead and gave outside to wing Ross Roode. Roode ran and passed inside to Smid who scored his second try. 12-10 after 21 minutes.
Three tries in five minutes!
No wonder the big crowd was excited.
Bishops were next to attack and were on the Rondebosch line when them were penalised – not for the only time in the match.
Robbie Davis, the Rondebosch flyhalf, broke out and again Rondebosch were on the attack, going wide to Roode. Scrumhalf Jaco Barnard was close.
Bishops had a player sin-binned for a late tackle. Rondebosch tapped and bashed at the line but knocked the ball on. Both schools have prepreparatory schools and the first team players then indulged in some prepreparatory shoving, which resulted in a player from each side in the sin bin. 14 played 13.
From the scrum five metres from their line, Bishops ran, as Bishops often do and escaped. They did more than just escape when Rondebosch ran from a line-out and lost the ball in midfield. A quick pass to Macdonald on the half-way line and he was away, racing faster than the defence to cross at the left corner and then sweep round to the posts. That made the score 19-10 at half-time.
There was an amusing moment early in the second half when Roode kicked ahead towards the Bishops 22. Ipser caught the ball and Roode, following up, grabbed Ipser high. Ipser kept running with Roode clinging to him for some 15 metres downfield.
But Roode had the last laugh. Rondebosch attacked and Ethan Seymour broke. He gave to Smid who ran and passed to Roode who scored a try, which made the score 19-15 with 24 minutes to play.
With 10 minutes to play the score was still 19-15. Bishops had attacked from a five-metre line-out, but Rondebosch survived and then did some attacking of their own. Centre Zaka Sallie was right at the line when Barnard darted over for the try that gave Rondebosch the lead for the first time in the match. 20-`19. And then they proceeded to make the victory look easier than it was.
A penalty set the visitors attacking. They were at the line and went wide where Roode scored his second try. 25-19 with five minutes to play.
Bishops did not fight back. Instead Rondebosch attacked again and this time Sallie scored and Davis converted.
The Rondebosch joy at the victory seemed to know no bounds as the school charged on the field to embrace their heroes.
What ever the season was like so far, this term ended with a success that made it all good.
Scorers:
For Rondebosch:
Tries: Cal Smid 2, Jaco Barnard, Ross Roode 2, Sallie
Con: Davis
For Bishops:
Tries: Rob Macdonald 2, George Spencer
Cons: James Ipser 2
Teams
Bishops: 15 James Ipser, 14 Murray Bruce, 13 Rob Macdonald (captain), 12 George Spencer, 11 Matt du Plessis, 10 Aydan Labuschagne, 9 Ross Goodwin, 8 Felix Burt, 7 Matt Norton, 6 Justin Muller, 5 Tim Sharples, 4 Aidan Neill, 3 David Courie, 2 Ghaalieb Kenny, 1 Ross Doyle
Replacements: 16 Alex Castle, 17 Terrence Pettersson, 18 Oliver MacRobert, 19 David Nivison, 23 Francois van der Merwe, 21 Lukhanyo Mntonintshi, 22 Reece Meyer, 23 Victor Allen
Coaches: Richard Smith, Wesley Chetty
Rondebosch: 15 Ethan Seymour, 14 Johan Strauss, 13 Donald Falconer, 12 Zaka Sallie, 11 Ross Roode, 10 Robbie Davis (captain), 9 Jaco Barnard, 8 Cal Smid, 7 Jason MacLeod Smith, 6 David Redelinghuys, 5 Braden Tredoux, 4 Matt Gray, 3 David Ige, 2 Matt Ginsberg, 1 Seth Christian
Replacements: 16 Suhaib Ajmoodien, 17 Shaakir Sallie, 18 Mihlali Mgolodela, 19 Jonny Murray, 20 Luke Cammell, 21 Greg Roberts, 22 Hugo Minnaar, 23 Oliver Daffarn
Coaches: Mark Lindenberg, Charlie Post
Referee: Matt Kemp
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Kwezi Mqomboti
*Aimee Barrett-Theron who had just returned from refereeing women's Tests in New Zealand, may well have been the first lady match official at Bishops. She left Bishops after the match to referee a (men's) Under-20 provincial match in Wellington.
Results for the Day
1st XV: Rondebosch won 32-19
2nd XV: Bishops won 12-5
3rd XV: Bishops won 67-3
4th XV: Bishops won 29-5
5th XV: Bishops won 27-14
6th XV: Rondebosch won 17-15
Under-16A: Rondebosch won 36-10
Under-16B: Rondebosch won 20-7
Under-16C: Rondebosch won 19-14
Under-15A: Bishops won 41-14
Under-15B: Bishops won 25-5
Under-15C: Rondebosch won 21-14
Under-14A: Bishops won 17-14
Under-14B: Rondebosch won 27-0
Under-14C: Rondebosch won 17-12
Under-14D: Bishops won 26-7
Results Down the Years
1911: Bishops won 18-0 & 25-0
1916: Bishops won 13-0 & drew 13-13
1917: Bishops won 5-3 & Rondebosch won 14-3
1918: Bishops won 16-0 & drew 0-0
1921: Bishops won 6-0
1923: Rondebosch won 9-8
1925: Rondebosch won 22-3
1926: Bishops won 10-9 & 6-3
1928: Bishops won 8-3 & 15-3
1929: Bishops won 7-3
1930: Bishops won 15-9 & 12-9
1931: Bishops won 11-3 & 16-9
1932: Bishops won 9-3 & 15-0
1933: Bishops won 11-6 & drew 3-3
1935: Bishops won 6-3
1936: Bishops won 49-0 & 37-3
1937: Drew 0-0 & Bishops won 6-3
1938: Rondebosch won 8-3 & Bishops won 16-6
1939: Rondebosch won 8-0
1940: Bishops won 25-3 & 11-8
1941: Bishops won 13-9 & Rondebosch won 8-3
1942: Bishops won 16-4 & 10-3
1943: Bishops won 21-0 & 31-3
1944: Rondebosch won 21-14 & 6-0
1945: Rondebosch won 6-0 & Bishops won 11-8
1946: Drew 3-3 & drew 3-3
1947: Bishops won 6-3 & Rondebosch won 9-6
1948: Rondebosch won 17-13 & Bishops won 13-6
1949: Bishops won 23-0 & 17-6
1950: Drew 14-14 & Rondebosch won 17-6
1951: Bishops won 8-0 & 17-0
1952: Rondebosch won 6-3 & drew 3-3
1953: Rondebosch won 6-3 & 13-3
1954: Rondebosch won 11-3
1955: Bishops won 9-6 & 8-6
1956: Bishops won 11-0 & Rondebosch won 9-6
1957: Rondebosch won 5-0 & drew 3-3
1958: Rondebosch won 8-0 & 8-6
1959: Bishops won 10-0 & Rondebosch won 3-0
1960: Drew 3-3 & Rondebosch won 12-3
1961: Rondebosch won 5-0 & 13-6
1962: Bishops won 3-0 & drew 6-6
1963: Rondebosch won 11-0 & 9-6
1964: Rondebosch won 13-0 & 13-0
1965: Drew 0-0 & drew 3-3
1966: Rondebosch won 14-3 & 12-3
1967: Drew 3-3 & Rondebosch won 20-0
1968: Rondebosch won 6-0 & drew 8-8
1969: Rondebosch won 11-6 & 25-3
1970: Rondebosch won 14-0 & 11-9
1971: Rondebosch won 8-3 & 24-3
1972: Rondebosch won 13-4 & 13-4
1973: Rondebosch won 13-12 & Bishops won 16-13
1974: Bishops won 9-3 & 18-4
1975: Bishops won 27-3 & 22-6
1976: Bishops won 14-13 & 22-12
1977: Rondebosch won 15-12 & 33-7
1978: Drew 6-6 & Bishops won 8-6
1979: Bishops won 9-0 & 24-0
1980: Rondebosch won 22-12 & Bishops won 10-3
1981: Bishops won 12-6 & 7-6
1982: Bishops won 18-6 & Rondebosch won 12-6
1983: Rondebosch won 18-10 & Bishops won 16-6
1984: Rondebosch won 7-0 & 15-11
1985: Bishops won 12-3 & Rondebosch won 16-9
1986: Bishops won 14-4 & 13-3
1987: Bishops won 12-7 & 15-3
1988: Bishops won 10-3 & 13-3
1989: Bishops won 58-10 & 7-4
1990: Bishops 14-7 & 9-0
1991: Bishops 12-9 & 21-9
1992: Bishops 34-3 & 27-6
1993: Bishops 28-10 & 19-5
1994: Rondebosch won 6-5 & 19-9
1995: Rondebosch won 7-6 & 11-10
1996: Rondebosch won 17-7 & 6-0
1997: Rondebosch won 18-0 & 31-11
1998: Bishops won 20-0 & 15-7
1999: Rondebosch 16-15 & Bishops won 24-9
2000: Rondebosch 22-19 & 27-17
2001: Bishops won 17-0 & 18-0
2002: Bishops won 52-8 & 41-25
2003: Bishops won 18-5 & 78-19
2004: Bishops won 27-8 & Rondebosch won 26-22
2005: Bishops won 31-6 & 14-12
2006: Bishops won 71-3 & 75-22
2007: Bishops won 48-27 & 27-24
2008: Bishops won 20-8 & 47-15
2009: Rondebosch won 16-10 & Bishops won 10-6
2010: Bishops won 38-10 & the sides drew 19-19
2011: Rondebosch won 34-18 & Bishops won 37-12
2012: Bishops won 15-3 & Rondebosch won 19-11
2013: Rondebosch won 22-7 & Bishops won 23-11
2014: Bishops won 52-14 & 22-21
2015: Bishops won 36-23 & Rondebosch won 55-12
2016: Rondebosch won 15-14 & 30-26
2017: Rondebosch won 32-19
