MZOXOLO BUDAZA
Tygerberg RFC’s unbeaten run in this year’s Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) Super League A season came to an end when they went down 30-20 against fellow table-toppers False Bay RFC, in Constantia, at the weekend.
The Ravensmead-based side, one of the most consistent teams for the past two seasons, will surely bounce back.
The result saw Tygerberg slip to third place, with 27 points, two behind second-placed Hamilton and seven behind False Bay. A mid-week draw against UCT saw them maintain their five-match unbeaten run ahead of the weekend’s encounter against False Bay.
Their opponents have a reputation for making things difficult for any side that visits Constantia and Saturday was no different. The first half was a tightly contested affair as both sides struggled to break down their opponents’ defence. The home side led 15-5 at halftime.
False Bay dominated most of the second half but, to their credit, Tygerberg didn’t show any signs of giving up. They pushed their opponents all the way. However, that was not enough, as the hosts emerged 30-20 winners. Alroy Brandt scored two tries for Tygerberg while Dale Wilson crossed the line once. Brandt also converted one of the tries while Stewart Jacobs scored a penalty.
Assistant coach Brendell Brandt said they were aware long before the match that they were up against one of the best sides in the league right now.
He said the game lived up to expectation, and he felt that both sets of players matched each other in many aspects of the game.
“It was a tough, tough game. We knew False Bay would come at us from the first whistle and that meant we had to be disciplined in how we went about doing our business.
“We did well for most of the game but a couple of errors later in the game proved costly, as our opponents capitalised on them. The good thing, though, is that the players kept pushing until the final whistle,” he said.
Brandt also made it clear that the loss will not have any negative effect on their title ambitions. This, he said, was because it was normal for a club to loose a game to fellow title-chasers. The most important thing, he said, was how they lift themselves back to contention.
Tygerberg will have to be at their best if they want to get back to winning ways as early as this week.
Their next match is against Hamilton, who, along with False Bay and Stellenbosch, remain unbeaten.
Brandt said they know what Hammies are capable of and, as a result, they will leave no stone unturned in their preparations.
“Hammies is one of the best and most dangerous sides in the league so that means we cannot afford to make any errors. One mistake you make, they will punish you,” he said.
* Elsewhere, a try deep into the second half from centre Morgan Newman enabled Hamilton RFC to pip a highly-motivated Belhar side 22-19 at Stephan Oval on Saturday. The win enabled Hammies to retain their unbeaten record.
* It was third time lucky for SK Walmer when they beat Durbell 19-12 in a Super League A fixture played at Green Point Track on Friday night.
The Bo-Kaap side had lost their last two matches by the narrowest of margins against False Bay (11-10) and UCT (21-17).
This time, the tide turned as they held onto an 8-0 lead at the interval and kept their noses in front until the final whistle.
* In other action, UWC scored their first win of the Super League A competition with a surprisingly easy 29-14 win over the Ikeys at Groote Schuur. The visitors outscored the home side by four tries to two and picked up a valuable bonus point in the process. – Weekend Argus
