WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH 33-17 HELPMEKAAR KOLLEGE
Helpmekaar Kollege was motivated to take on the challenge of Westville Boys’ High in the final game on Saturday at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. Stott Field was rocking, and it offered both teams a prime stage to score a statement win.
Westville, though, seized the early initiative, backing up Helpmekaar to their try line and then turning over possession before putting Sandisawa Mbokazi into a gap. He eagerly took it and made a theatrical dive for the first points of the game. Unfortunately for the scrumhalf, he was replaced a few minutes later after suffering an injury.
Helpies gathered themselves and spent some time in Westville’s half, forcing the Griffins to make tackle after tackle, but coach Zander Erasmus’s boys were able to extricate themselves and take play back into the Joburg school’s half.
Westville came ever so close to increasing their lead when a hack-ahead by Jadrian Afrikaner put him clear of the Helpmekaar defenders, but the bounce of the ball evaded him, and Helpies escaped with a 22 drop-out.
Then, desperate Westville tackling kept the Gautengers at bay when they attacked deep inside the local side’s 22 through multiple phases. Eventually, though, flyhalf Ethan Kruger made the dive for five, after a hard step off his right foot, and the scores were level.
In the 18th minute, a good decision by flyhalf Jade-Will Koopman to launch a high kick on Zuan Krige, who was outnumbered three-to-one, paid dividends. When the ball fell kindly, 8th-man Lwandle Makhanya grabbed it and ran in for a try beneath the uprights. Koopman converted to make it 12-5.
Soon, Westville was in under the posts again, with a breakaway from inside his own half by Bukho Sotaka. Another simple conversion kick made it 19-5.
The intensity from both teams was impressive, the pace unrelenting. Play moved rapidly from one end of the field to the other. The fitness level of the players, so early in the season, was laudable.
Four minutes from halftime, a searing counterattack from fullback Xander van Niekerk, off a loose kick, ripped a massive hole in the Westville defence, and he put Zuan Krige over in the left-hand corner.
It was 19-10 to Westville at the break.
Early in the second half, Helpmekaar had Westville on the run, defending their try line. After numerous phases, when Bukho Sotaka prevented a pass over the top, out wide to the left, he was shown a yellow card, and Helpies were awarded a penalty try. There were only two points in it. Game on!
Westville gathered themselves and replied in the eighth minute when Jadrian Afrikaner raced onto a chip over the top from his centre partner, Curtis Fenton. With space in front of him after he snared possession, there was little chance of stopping the SA Schools’ flyer, and he cruised in for a try. Jade-Will Koopman tacked on two more points with a sound kick, and it was 26-17.
Fullback Xander van Niekerk was a thorn in Westville’s side, and he got Helpmekaar back onto the attack, but, after a period of sustained pressure, they were struck with a sucker punch when the fleet-footed Afrikaner snapped up possession inside Westville’s 22. He showed Helpmekaar a clean pair of heels to race away for his second try and his fifth in two games. But it was also his last play of the contest as he was immediately substituted off.
After a frenetic first 50 minutes, the pace slowed slightly towards the end of the match. No further points were added, and Westville ran out the winners by 16 points.
Shaye Lourens and Ethan Kruger, the Helpmekaar halfbacks, impressed with their decision-making and the way they challenged the Westville defence, while Helpies’ physicality was a feature of their play.
Jadrian Afrikaner’s class was evident for the Griffins. The collective effort of their forwards against an abrasive challenge from Helpmekaar stood out, too, with big no. 8, Lwandle Makhanya, especially, contributing some exciting plays.
Scores
Westville 33 (19): Tries: Jadrian Afrikaner (2), Sandiswa Mbokazi, Lwandle Makhanya, Bukho Sotaka. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman (4)
Helpmekaar 17 (10): Tries: Ethan Kruger, Zuan Krige, penalty try
