SA Home Loans Durban Collegians picked up the first club rugby trophy of the new season when they edged out eThekwini Refractories Amanzimtoti 16-6 in a hard fought Flya Club Knockout final at the home of Bidvest Insurance Crusaders in Ranleigh Crescent Durban North last Friday evening. The game played in front of a good crowd, considering the weather conditions, on the ‘A’ Field produced some good rugby none the less.
With the game played in the wet, which was the worst possible conditions for running rugby and with the South Coast Terriers leading 6-3 well into the second half it looked like there could well be something of an upset. It wasn’t to be as Collegians showing better depth off the bench rallied to the cause and took the game away from Toti scoring the only try of the match with hooker Lungelo Mthethwa crossing the line for the all important touchdown. Centre Jacques Venter scored the rest of the points with a conversion and three penalties. Amanzimtoti’s points came by way of two penalties from Wimpie Pretorius
In the end Flya Sportswear presented Durban Collegians with a R20,000 voucher for their efforts in winning the tournament something all clubs need in the modern club game and they are to be congratulated for supporting the club game.
In the playoff for third place College Rovers beat the hosts Crusaders 38-17 with both sides putting in improved performances from two weeks ago. Leading 24-12 at the break it was Rovers who had the better of the game in the end after Crusaders had opened the scoring in the second half. Once again the side with the better depth coming off the bench eventually took control of the game, which saw Rovers outscoring their opposition six tries to three. Francois de Villiers and Ryan Carlson led the charge with two tries a piece, while props Jarret Crouch and Thierry ‘Dash’ Kuate crossed for one each. Flyhalf Monde NKOSI converted four of the tries to conclude their scoring.
In the games played on the ‘B’ Field Durban Collegians second stringers beat FNB UKZN Pietermaritzburg 17-13 and the College Rovers 2nd XV went down 31-14 to Varsity College. If anything the scores do tend to indicate that we should be greeted with a far more competitive Fidelity ADT Premier Division this year.
Up in Kokstad the oldest club in KZN the Kokstad RFC hosted a CELL C SHARKS XV who had little trouble in accounting for a Border Bulldogs XV winning 77-14. In a curtain raiser on a festive afternoon of rugby it was great to see a club side from the platteland, Kapailand from the little town of Maclear in the Eastern Cape, beating UKZN Durban 52-21 in a preseason friendly whilst also seeing former SA Schools and Natal Under 20 midfielder Brad Sparks still involved in the game.
In the First Division Jaguar Land Rover Durban Hillcrest thumped Zululand Rhinos 80-15 while Westville beat Durban Mets 57-5 and Ballito Dolphins were beaten by their visitors from Port Shepstone, South Coast Warriors 24-5. In the Frank Norris Cup Under 20 ‘A’ League Midlands picked up their second win of the season beating Crusaders 13-7 while Rovers accounted for UKZN 36-6 and Durban Collegians beat South Coast Warriors 43-12.
Tomorrow sees WESTVILLE HOSTING HILLCREST AT JIMMY BELLOWS , Durban Mets are at home to South Coast Warriors, Maritzburg Collegians travel to Durban to face Jaguars in Sydenham and Zululand Rhinos entertain UKZN at Mick Kelly Park in Empangeni.
Walter Sisulu University beat FNB UKZN Impi 30-21 in East London on Monday evening to find their way into the final of the Varsity Shield, They will meet the yet to be beaten outfit and favourites to take the title The University of the Western Cape in final on 9 April at the UWC Stadium
Written by Jos Robson
The post Collegians win FLYA knockout appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
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