ESWATINI CUE SPORTS NEWS FOCUS Way Inn turn tables on REPS
MATSAPHA – Revenge is a dish best served cold.
This adage proved true for Malkerns-based Way Inn Pool Club as they managed to turn the tables by getting the better of their bitter rivals in equally star-studded Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) Pool Club.
The Malkerns giants lost twice to the defending champions last season in the richly sponsored Dixie’s International Pool League. The match was played last Saturday. The league is sponsored to the tune of E40 000, under the auspices of the Manzini Regional Pool Association (MRPA), which also covered two knockouts; teams and singles under the Dixie’s International banner.
Back to the game, REPS were the home team at their back yard inside the Matsapha Police College, where the spirits were high among both teams until the game kicked off at 2pm. There was tension, silence that you could hear a pin drop at times while there would be loud cheers for moments of brilliance and good shots.
It has always been a good game between these two for the last four seasons in which Way Inn were dominant in knockouts mainly but REPS dominated them last season in all competitions as the latter won the league for the second consecutive time, knockout for the first time and also a festive knockout held in the capital city.
REPS have so far lost twice, which sees them perched on the fourth spot in the standings with 17 points, one behind second-placed Way Inn and two short of leaders Manzini Pool Club (MPC), who won the second edition of the league, which is now on its fifth edition.
It was a dog-eat-dog contest from the start but Way Inn was ahead after several frames, they led 7-5, which was good for a visiting team. Way Inn used to often beat REPS in their own backyard in the early stages of the league and prior to it in other sponsored tournaments.
Both sides boast national stars, which made it a tense game that finished 13-9 in favour of Way Inn on the day. Some of the big names in the match were Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, Siyabonga Dlamini (REPS), Nathi ‘Bhubesi’ Sihlongonyane and Thembinkosi ‘Mayambela’ Nhlabatsi.
MRPA Secretary Musa Dlamini confirmed the result as well as those other matches played over the weekend in various venues.
Correctional Cue Stars Ludzeludze 1 REPS Malkerns MPC Q Potters Ntontozi REPS 9 – 13 Ntontozi
4 – 13 Ludzeludze 2 13 – 6 Figaredo
9 – 13 Way Inn
6 – 13 Stairs
13 – 4 Garrison
7 – 13 Bhunya
13 – 9 Bhunya
13 – 4 Ludzeludze 2