SACS stumble at the final hurdle

Match Report

In the last match of the second term SACS surprisingly lost 13-7 to Wynberg.

Up until Thursday the young SACS 1st XV had done everything that could have been asked of them. Going into their final game of the first term, the derby against Wynberg Boys' High, they had lost only three of their nine games played, the losses all coming to highly-rated opposition, making them disappointing but understandable.

SACS went into the game against rivals Wynberg, who are the second oldest school in country after SACS, as marginal favourites by virtue of their better results to date and home ground advantage. As is so often the case in derbies though the form book was turned on its head and Wynberg ran out 13-7 winners in what amounted to a disastrous result for SACS. The half-time score was 7-nil to Wynberg. 

The Wynberg pack took control of the game from the outset and never relinquished their dominance. Led by their captain and loose-head prop Grant Kemp, the Wynberg forwards drove well and generally looked hungrier for possession. They dominated territory and possession for the majority of the first half and the first points came from a turnover at a SACS scrum in their own 22m area. Wynberg moved the ball wide and centre Zaahier Isaacs burst through to score. Flyhalf Stefan Swanich converted. 

After that initial setback SACS put together some good passages of play and more importantly had their chances. Their inability to use those chances is what eventually cost them the game. Centre Liam Slatem was tackled over the Wynberg line and dropped the ball. Twice after that SACS spurned opportunities when they had big overlaps on the counter-attack. The loss of try-scoring machine Dean Holland early in the game was a telling blow as one fancies he would have finished off at least one of those two clear-cut chances. SACS flyhalf Tim Carr also missed two kickable penalty goals in the first half, which in the end could have seen SACS at least draw the game.

A large part of the second half was contested in the middle portion of the field as neither team was able to stamp their authority. Wynberg managed to pull a further three points clear thanks to a penalty by Swanich before SACS breathed life back into the game with a somewhat fortuitous score. SACS flyhalf Tim Carr looked to be clearing to touch from inside his own 22m-area but the ball bounced inside the field of play and into the arms of SACS right-wing Ishmat Fakier who ran 60 metres to score.

Carr converted the try but failed with another penalty attempt, which would have seen SACS draw level. Later on Swanich kicked another penalty for Wynberg to make the game safe and send the SACS faithful into mourning.

The SACS 1st XV tour Argentina for 18 days in the June/July holidays.

Scorers:

For Wynberg:
Try:  Zaahier Isaacs
Con: Stefan Swanich
Pens: Stefan Swanich

For SACS:
Try: Ishmat Fakier
Con: Tim Carr

By Graeme Wepener