Physicality wins the day at the Green Mile
Wednesday night saw teams play a different style of rugby normally associated with UCT’s Steinhoff Internal League. It was all-out aggression from the kick-off. It clearly looked like the teams had decided to take a harder and more physical approach at the Green Mile…
Catsville faced up to a more experienced Marquad team as the opening game after the varsity break.
With Marquad winning the toss and electing to play against against the wind, Catsville knew they had to score early.
Catsville played the more aggressively, using there forwards at every opportunity they could. Marquard soon saw the game plan being adapted and soon started playing a similar type of game. It was Catsvile that drew first blood with that ever hard working front row of theirs.
The score now at 5-0 in Catsville’s favour Marquard pressed forward with every opportunity. Catsville however defended thier lead making several tackles which saw the crowd now cheering after every tackle being made. As the match progressed it was inevitable that a fight was going to break out… and it did, but the referee intervened at the right time and nothing serious came from it except a few pushes and tugs on jerseys. The game ended 5-0 in favour of Catsville.
The main featured match against the Tornadoes and Ubumbo was another physical encounter. With Ubumbo loading their team with physical players like Ntsolo and Sam Peter – two UCT club players to counter the flair and grace with which the Tornadoes play.
But the Nadoes soon adopted a similar type of gameplan to which Umbumbo was playing and soon were awarded a penalty which was calmly slotted by their flyhalf.
Brad van der Westhuizen, in jersey No.3, then crossed the line for their first try as the defending champions continued to keep the ball ‘up their jumpers’. The conversion was a hard one due to the angle, but this was converted by stand-in flyhalf Guy Loxton.
Nadoes captain Anton took a blow to the ribs – which saw him forced to leave the field – as the match took a step up in physicality. This, however, did not stop the Nadoes from playing their now physical, but expansive game.
Umbumbo had a penalty awarded in there favour which was the only points they could muster up on the evening. Nadoes went on to score two more tries through Phil Quma and Brennan Wright which saw them win the match 22-3.
The match between the Cobras and the Shebeen Boys was a one-sided affair, with the Cobras scoring six tries to the Shebeen Boys’ single try.
The Cobras were not going to sacrifice their gameplan, Callan Artus saw yellow in the early stages of the match which saw the Cobras struggle a bit against the physical scrumming attribute of the Shebeen Boys. But, as the game went on, the Cobras ran riot as they beat Sheebeen Boys 40-5.
All the results from Wednesday, July 28:
Steinhoff Spanners 20 Steinhoff Clarendon 3
Steinhoff Turtles 14 Steinhoff College House 7
Steinhoff Smuts 28 Steinhoff Kopano 0
Steinhoff Catsville 5 Steinhoff Marquad 0
Steinhoff Cobras 40 Steinhoff Shebeen Boys 5
Steinhoff Nadoes 22 Steinhoff Ubumbo 3
Group standings – Steinhoff UCT Internal League:
(Under played, won, points)
Group One:
1. Nadoes 2, 2, 9
2. Ubumbo 2, 1, 5
3. Turtles 2, 1, 4
4. College House 2, 0, 0
Group Two:
1. Magic Lions 1, 1, 5
2. Catsville 1, 1, 4
3. Marquad 1, 0, 1
4. Ikhaya 1, 0, 0
Group Three:
1. Cobras 2, 2, 10
2. Smuts 2, 1, 5
3. Kopano 2, 1, 4
4. Shebeen Boys 2, 0, 1
Group Four:
1. Spanners 1, 1, 5
2. Wild Boys 1, 1, 4
3. Panthers 1, 0, 0
4. Clarendon 1, 0, 0
By Clement le Roux
