Spirited SACS overcome Bishops
The South African College High School (SACS) produced a superb defensive performance to overcome Diocesan College (Bishops) 22-5 on the Piley Rees Field.
The game was played in front of a healthy crowd on another beautiful Saturday morning in Cape Town.
SACS struck an early penalty through flyhalf Shane Fourie to take the lead after they had butchered a good opportunity for a try.
Bishops produced some good passages of phase play and looked like a team intent on playing positive rugby. Their attacking intent paid off when lock Sam Mitchell went over for a try after a patient build up. The try went unconverted from out wide but the momentum appeared to be with the hosts.
Bishops attacked brilliantly from the kick-off but SACS soaked up the pressure and worked their way down field. From a scrum in the Bishops quarter SACS went right and lock Dean Basson came around the corner and stepped inside two defenders to score. Fourie converted to see SACS take a 10-5 lead fifteen minutes in.
Bishops struggled with the referees interpretation at the breakdown a conceded a number of penalties. Fortunately for them SACS’s stuttering lineout meant they were unable to build pressure. Fourie missed two penalties during this period.
Bishops ended the half strongly. They had a number of kickable penalties which they turned down, either tapping or kicking to touch. If they had kicked them they could have gone into half-time in the lead. Crucially Bishops were held out on the stroke of half-time. After being held up over the line once they attacked again and were penalised for double movement when going for the line enabling SACS to go into half-time in the lead.
Bishops tried to run the 2nd-half kick-off from their own tryline and made a hash of it. SACS won a lineout which they mauled. Flank Justin Williams broke off the back of the maul and raced through to score. Fourie missed the conversion and SACS were ten points clear early in the half.
Bishops threw everything they had into attack for most of the second half but handling errors and a lack of variation meant they were unable to break down the SACS defence. After soaking up all Bishops had to offer SACS skipper Keagan Wheeler made great break which should have resulted in a try.
His centre partner Richard Rodgers did get over for a try with five minutes to go which further extended the SACS lead. SACS held on for a memorable win against one of their fiercest rivals.
The scorers:
For SACS:
Tries: Dean Basson, Justin Williams, Richard Rodgers
Cons: Shane Fourie 2
Pen: Fourie
For Bishops:
Try: Sam Mitchell
