Bishops edge out Wynberg
THE game between Wynberg and visitors Bishops was a typical derby encounter with the result in doubt until the final whistle with Bishops edging home 14-10.
It was redemption for Bishops, who were hammered at the same venue the last time these two sides met. They shaded 'Berg by two tries to one after trailing 10-7 at the interval.
Wynberg contributed to their own demise with some costly errors. In the last play of the day Wynberg contrived to butcher a line-out on the Bishops five metre line and a golden opportunity was lost.
After Yaqeen Ahmed had given Wynberg the lead with an early penalty, Bishops struck back with a long range try via fullback Gilermo Mentoe. From an attack within their own half, he ghosted into the backline to shred the Wynberg defence in a sprint to the tryline.
Shaywan Blankenberg converted and Bishops were 7-3 ahead.
Their lead was short-lived as the Wynberg forwards took charge with captain and No 8 Xola Nyali prominent. They had the Bishops defence at full stretch before centre Amier Adams burrowed his way over for Ahmed to convert to put Wynberg ahead at the interval.
In the second half, with the wind at their back, Bishops kept the home side pinned in their half. They took the lead when, after numerous pickup-and-goes by the forwards, livewire scrumhalf Kashief Joseph beached the defence for a try close in.
Blanckenberg made it a four point lead with the conversion. From then on it was a war of attrition with dogged defence by both sides keeping their goal lines in tact.
The final whistle went with Bishops defending manfully to secure victory.
In the other Southern Suburbs derby, Rondebosch outscored the home side Sacs by three tries to one in recording a 22-7 win. It was a workmanlike display by the Bosch forwards that laid the foundation for their win, its no coincidence that all the tries were scored by forwards.
Playing against the win in the first half they were two tries to the good in the opening stanza via the industrious flank Colin Kemp and lock Carl Geddie. Fullback David Simon added a conversion to give them a 12-0 lead at the break.
Early in the second half it was the turn of prop Justin Amos to add a third try when he crashed over for another converted try and when Simon made it 22-0 via a penalty it was game over. Sacs scored a consolation try through fullback Aya Machuli, which was converted by Raashied Conrad.