The unpredictable Brutten Border Rugby Union Top Ten, supported by Tekkie Town, delivered another shocker with Eastern Cape champions East London Police knocked out of the competition at Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe Stadium with a round remaining.
In their final group stage game, Police were beaten by the Walter Sisulu All Blacks 21-12 on Sunday and could not secure a much-needed win or losing bonus point.
Police, the Eastern Cape Super 14 champions, had lost fewer than five games in two years and knew from the get-go that it was do or die in the log standings.
They came into the game — and finished — on nine points in Pool A and it was not enough to secure the second semifinal spot.
With the victory, WSU moved to first place on 14 points, followed by fellow Varsity Shield counterparts the University of Fort Hare Blues, on 10.
Both WSU and the Blues have a game in hand.
This is the first time we have beaten Police ever; we have always come close. It means a lot for the institution and for the players
Police took a healthy 12-3 lead into the break but WSU changed the script in the second half, piling on 18 points.
“This is the first time we have beaten Police ever; we have always come close. It means a lot for the institution and for the players,” WSU All Blacks head coach Phumlani Blaauw said.
In the curtain-raiser for the main event, Young Leopards staked their claim as favourites to win the competition by taking Fort Beaufort United to the cleaners with bonus point 39-8 victory.
Leopards showed immense brutality on attack and by halftime they had secured their bonus point.
The win means they top Pool A on 14 points with a game in hand.
Man-of-the-match Sphenathi Mtshi urged his team to not drop the tempo in the competition as they were not out of the woods yet despite winning three matches out of three.
It was one-way traffic for the University of Fort Hare in their preliminary group stage game against United Brothers, winning 50-10.
With one game remaining for the Blues in the round robin stage, the much-needed bonus point victory ensured that the Fort Hare side enhanced their chances of proceeding to the next round from Pool A.
By halftime, the students from Dikeni had already notched up a 43-3 lead over the men from Mooiplaas.
Blues head coach Chase Morison said he was chuffed by their performance, particularly because he implemented significant changes by substituting seven of his players within the first 10 minutes of the second half.
“If you take into account that we had three newcomers and some individuals who haven’t played in three months,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Swallows beat Komga United 24-14 in their final game of the round robin stage.
The victory moved them to second place with 14 points in group B.
Now Iinyoni will have to wait and watch in the stands in the hope of making the final round.
The game between BCM and Young Leopards will determine their fate in the competition.
Should BCM, who are on 10 points, beat Leopards by a bonus point they would top the group.
“We needed the five points. It puts us in a stable place but now we going to cross our fingers for the other games,” Swallows captain Lukhanyo Siyobi said.
The standings are: Pool A: WSU All Blacks 14, UFH Blues 10, Police 9, Lovedale College 6, United Brothers 0
Pool B: Young Leopards, 14, Swallows 14, BCM 10, FB United 0, Komga United 0
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