Oakdale beat Wynberg Boys in close contest

THE rugby season kicked off in the Cape with Wynberg Boys High hosting the opening rugby festival.

The main attraction over the weekend was the clash between Rondebosch Boys and the highly rated Oakdale Agricultural School from Riversdale. In a closely contested encounter, which saw the lead change many times, the visitors emerged victorious on 17-13, after trailing 10-7 at the interval.

As expected, both teams started off cautiously probing for openings. The forwards measured up well against each other, although the Oakdale eight showed more cohesion in the scrums.

In the line-outs, however, Bosch had the edge, largely through the efforts of lock Carl Goodie and live wire flank Josh Neill, who also shone in the loose. The Bosch backs as a unit showed more intent, with full-back David Simon's timely incursions giving them more attacking options.

The game came alive in the second stanza when, after a period of sustained pressure, Oakdale had the Bosch defence at full stretch. After conceding a slew of penalties their defence finally cracked, and from a tap penalty the powerful Oakdale No 8 Lohan Gerber forced his way over for a try, converted by Kurt Coetzee, to put them 7-0 up.

Stung by this reversal, Bosch came back with a swift riposte. Their backs for once put together a string of passes and quick hands enabled centre Randall John Davids to breach the defence for an unconverted try.

Buoyed by this success and enjoying front-foot ball, the Bosch backs played with more flair and finesse. Not surprisingly, five minutes later they increased their lead when flyhalf Dylan Miller skilfully exposed the vacant blindside area to waltz in for yet another unconverted try, but Bosch were 10-7 up.

Oakdale did well not to concede any further points before the half-time whistle went.

Immediately after the resumption, Simon was on target with his first kick at goal with an angled penalty to stretch the Bosch lead to 13-7. With both sides finding their rhythm, the backs played with more freedom and the game opened up.

Oakdale played with renewed zest and to their credit spurned several penalties seeking the touch line instead. It soon paid dividends when from a penalty line-out the backs moved wide for replacement wing Reinhardt Viljoen to leave the defence in his wake with an unconverted try.

However, with the score 13-12 and the momentum with them, Oakdale upped the ante. With twelve minutes remaining, it was from their tried and tested tap penalty manoeuvre that prop Kai Pratt was able to burrow his way over for an unconverted.

With Bosch trailing 17-13 they threw caution to the wind to attack with gusto. It was only marginal errors and solid defence by the visitors that prevented any further score. In the end, Oakdale held on for a deserved win.

In the early game, SACS beat Durbanville 25-22, scoring five tries to three. The game was exciting throughout, with Sacs holding a slender 10-7 lead at half-time.

It was two quick tries by locks Pierre van Selm and Callum Hirst – when Durbies were reduced to 14 men, having copped a yellow – that put them 10-0 up. Prop Tobie Roelofse replied with a try converted by Claydon Carlse, which kept Durbies in the game at the change over.

When centre Kyle Albertus goaled a penalty to level matters it was game on.

However, SACS regained the initiative, via tries by flanker Siphle Mbungendlu and wing Matthew Carrick in quick succession, to make it 20-10. But Durbies struck back via a fine individual effort by replacement full back Valrhinio Olckers, whose try reduced the deficit to 20-15 and it was anybody's game.

It required a full backline move by SACS that led to a try by wing Imtiaz Abrahams to give them breathing space at 25-15 with 4 minutes remaining. But there was a final twist when Durbies secured a penalty try on time to add respectability to the scoreline.