St Andrew's come back to win
Match Report
Three unanswered second-half tries gave St Andrew's a hard fought 26-19 victory over visitors Hudson Park on Wednesday. Hudson capitalised on St Andrew's mistakes in the first half to take a 19-7 lead at half-time.
The St Andrew's backline made elementary errors in the first half, and Hudson centre Langa Siyo penalised the first of these when he picked up the ball and ran 50 metres to open the scoring. Fullback Mpilo Njoloza made the conversion.
St Andrew's, playing into the wind, came back into the game and after a crosskick from flyhalf Peter Vogel wing Rory McIntyre dived over in the corner to score the first of his two tries. Chris Ball converted to level the scores 7-7.
Hudson, using the wind and the big boot of Njoloza, dominated territory for the rest of the half.
From a line-out on the half-way line the Hudson forwards drove 10 metres and released quality ball to the backs. Njoloza hit the line at pace and broke the advantage line and linked to big-tackling centre Zami Bushula to score under the posts.
Hudson broke out from the kick off and were unlucky not score again, only being held up five metres from the line.
The St Andrew's backs dropped another ball in their own half and this time Hudson right wing Isaac Mbeleni took advantage and scored in the corner. The kick missed, but Hudson still went into half-time buoyed with a good lead.
St Andrew's captain James Hatting moved from centre to eighthman in the second half and immediately made an impact. After receiving a short pass from Vogel off the ruck he went through untouched to score, and St Andrew's were back in the game.
St Andrew's scored their third try in virtually the same fashion as the first Vogel put in a chip kick for McIntyre to gather and score – the scores were once again level at 19 apiece.
The winning try was arguably the best of all. Lock Graham Crocker covered back in the 22 after a kick down field, and licked to his support players. After forming the ruck a break was made down field and Crocker was on hand to take the pass and score and put his team seven points ahead.
Hudson pushed for the try that would give them a chance of a draw, but a turnover on the tryline allowed St Andrew's to clear and the final whistle went. St Andrew's have won their first two games after the holidays, but have looked far from convincing in both.
Scorers:
For St Andrew's
Tries: Rory McIntyre 2, James Hattingh, Graham Crocker
Cons: Chris Ball 3
For Hudson Park:
Tries: Langa Siyo, Zami Bushula, Isaac Mbeleni
Cons: Mpilo Njoloza 2
