In a highly entertaining match played at the Phillip Herbstein Fields in Constantia, Motovaps False Bay RFC fell just a few points short of surprising their visitors, Stellenbosch University.
The final score was 22-19 to the students after the hosts led 12-10 at half time.
The day of rugby was played in beautifully sunny autumn weather.
Stellenbosch, big and powerful up front, with a pacy backline, proved to play a more traditional game of using the forwards to create some space off first-phase ball.
Their scrums and lineouts were areas of dominance, the former ironically an area of strength of False Bay. Within the opening three minutes, Motovaps False Bay relinquished a free kick off a scrum on their quarter line. Quick thinking scrumhalf, Warwick Jones sniped while the packs were still disengaging, it was so quick. He headed up the right flank, play swayed back to the left touchline and again right, where wing Riaan de Lange, a constant threat throughout the contest, opened his team’s scoresheet.
It was a try of efficient execution and it had the mainly False Bay partisan crowd mumbling in surprise. It also had the effect of instilling some concern in said crowd that if the Bay did not lean down and pull up their socks, it could easily be a long afternoon.
That concern was unfounded as the Constantia boys took the game to their guest. Playing a game almost the opposite of the Maties, one of spreading the ball, rapid inter-passing and changes of direction, which had the Stellenbosch on the back foot.
When the students had ball in hand and tried to run at their hosts, False Bay’s rush defence stymied any enterprise Maties may have planned to display.
After conceding the De Lange try, False Bay struck back when lock John du Toit raced through a gaping hole in the defensive line to swan-dive for a try, which fullback Ewan Adams converted.
That vibrant crowd were now brisling with confidence, even after Maties flank Edrich Viljoen crashed over for the first of his brace of tries, to give his team the lead.
Maties, with a massive pack of forwards, began to dominate the set pieces. Their tight five were impressive in the primary phases. After the first half hour, where scrum laurels were probably shared, the students began to exert tremendous pressure on False Bay’s very effective scrum, to dominate this phase. In the lineouts, lock Matt Grey was a tower of strength. Yet False Bay never wilted. They took the game to the students, running at them, changing direction and inter-passing to wrongfoot the defence. False Bay’s own lineout was steady, lock Du Toit and eightman Shaine Ordison securing quality possession.
Trailing by three points, the Bay were slicing through the Maties defences. The home side took first half spoils when centre Darren Jaftha soared up the left sideline to score, a try converted by Adams.
Forty minutes of a second half to come, and a slender two-point lead meant that the hordes of supporters were guaranteed a nail-bighting remainder to this exciting contest.
Maties found themselves in the False Bay half, gifted with the yellow card expulsion of a pillar of their defence, Lukhanyo Nomzanga. A five-metre scrum to Maties saw the keen-eyed Jones waltz over the line, which flyhalf Tommy Smook converted.
Again, a nervous mood descended over the grounds, but False Bay never capitulated. Keeping focused on the execution of the game plan, they attacked the Maties defensive line, only to be repelled time and again. The visitors struck what appeared to be the final blow when flank Viljoen crashed over in play resulting from a scrum. The score gave Maties a 10-point lead with no more than five minutes to play. All too often Maties turn the screws on their older opponents with their 80-plus minute game, adding daylight to the scoreboard in the closing stages.
The boot was on the other foot this time as False Bay narrowed the lead when left-wing Daniel Hayes streaked in for a try in the corner, crowning an exciting Bay counter-attack. Replacement flyhalf, Dylan Frylinck calmly dissected the poles to reduce the Maties lead to three points.
This Saturday, False Bay are at home again when they host Kuils River. The under-20As start the day at 1.25pm. Entry is R20 an adult and free for pupils. Parking costs R20.
