Dale College held their nerve in a frantic finish to end a lengthy winless run on St Andrew’s College’s Lower Field, claiming a dramatic 42-36 victory in a remarkable seesaw schools rugby contest in Makhanda on Saturday.
The visitors from Qonce had not won at the venue since 2003, and it took a supreme defensive effort in the closing minutes to prevent St Andrew’s from snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Intent on finishing their season on a high, the home side battered away at the Dale line in the dying stages and, on several occasions, came within inches of scoring the decisive try.
They earned a series of penalties in promising positions, while Dale were reduced to 14 men after a yellow card. But after wave upon wave of forward drives, the Dalians finally managed to get over the ball at a ruck, winning a penalty which they gleefully kicked into touch to secure a rare and memorable triumph.
It was a match overflowing with passion and emotion, and initially St Andrew’s looked set to run away with it. Showing tremendous energy and intent from the outset, they crossed for four tries in the opening 18 minutes, two of them scored by powerful No 8 James Badenhorst, as they surged into a 24-7 lead.
Yet Dale never appeared out of the contest and staged an impressive fightback through excellent interplay between forwards and backs. They scored three tries of their own to move ahead 28-24 as halftime approached.
St Andrew’s fought courageously until the final whistle, but this was Dale’s day
One of those came from a superb break by electric scrumhalf Lukho Mzingaye, who sliced through the defence before offloading to fullback Caleb Smith for a try near the posts.
That score arrived in the 34th minute, but in keeping with the pattern of the match, St Andrew’s had the final say before the break when prop Stuart Stern powered over for their fifth try, giving the hosts a 29-28 advantage at halftime.
While the scoring slowed somewhat in the second half, the intensity never dipped.
The teams exchanged tries, with Lihleli Makibi crossing for Dale after wing Yamkela Molose’s elusive running created the opening, while prop Entle Ngcaba replied for St Andrew’s to restore their slender one-point lead.
The decisive score came when Molose again showcased his attacking brilliance, breaking through the St Andrew’s defence to set up the opportunity. Flyhalf Sonwabise Dyani maintained his flawless record from the tee, landing his sixth successive conversion to stretch Dale’s lead to six points.
St Andrew’s fought courageously until the final whistle, but this was Dale’s day.
Graeme College beat brave Union High
At Somerset Field, Graeme College underlined their squad depth with a comfortable 51-10 victory over a brave Union High outfit.
These sides have shared many fiercely contested battles over the years, but on this occasion the Graemians took control from the outset. Three tries in the opening 17 minutes gave them a lead they would never relinquish.
Union slipped off too many tackles early on and, when Graeme’s dangerous backline senses an opportunity, it is ruthless. Selunathi Mfundisi, Torres Fourie, Elgin Fanton and Asakhe Ranuga were among those who punished any defensive lapses.
Union trailed 22-3 at halftime, with Qhama Solomon slotting a penalty in the 32nd minute, and were rewarded for their persistence in the second half when Sibabalwe Mbutye crossed for a try that Solomon converted.
Other results
In KuGompo City, Selborne applied similar pressure to the Stirling defence and raced to a commanding 52-0 halftime lead before cruising to an emphatic 85-7 victory.
A try in the third minute set the tone and, although Stirling battled gamely throughout, the pace and precision of Selborne’s play proved overwhelming.
Flank Travis Enslin and wing Zwelethu Njoholo each scored four tries, while lively scrumhalf Connor Fowles added a brace as Selborne crossed the line 13 times.
Stirling’s spirit was evident in the closing moments. Despite the lopsided scoreline, they mounted one final attack and were rewarded when powerful No 8 Joshua Pickering charged forward from a quick tap, carrying several defenders over the line with him. Hlombe Dlani added the conversion.
In other action, Hudson Park were made to work hard before overcoming Port Rex 22-15, while Kingswood proved too strong for Woodridge, recording a convincing 48-7 victory.
Daily Dispatch
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