Swallows swoop to great win

FORMER Border Bulldogs rugby coach David Dobela has been given a huge task to take Swallows back to winning ways.

And Swallows didn’t disappoint as they produced a performance resembling their ambition with a convincing 29-0 win over Spar Cambridge in their Super League match played at the Cambridge Fields over the weekend.

“Our main aim is to stay in the Super Eight and we will be a force to be reckoned with come next year,” he said.

It was a well-contested game by both sides, who still had to register their first win in four outings.

Swallows had their Bulldogs players back, Chumani Booi, Ntando Kebe, Thembani Mkhokeli and Samora Fihlani, who made a big impact on the day.

Their victory arose from their beautiful display of ball handling skills and the use of the width of the field when they switched play timeously.

Booi scored Swallows’ opening try from a turnover ball. Cambridge tried to claw their way back, but were letdown by their predictable moves in the backline coupled with handling errors.

Cambridge tried to claw their way back, but wasted an opportunity. Travis Smith took a loose ball from his own half and shrugged off few tacklers and offloaded to JP Coetzee who did likewise, but Rudi Robson spilt the ball from a powerful tackle with the tryline at his mercy.

Despite Swallows being down to 13 men when referee Sazi Katiya sin-binned Yanga Xakalashe and red-carded Nomazwe Menzeleleli for dangerous play, Cambridge failed to make use of the opportunity to break the deadlock as Robson missed a penalty from a kickable position.

Swallows piled waves of attacks and got their first bonus point with two more tries first through Luvuyo Mbotho followed by Fihlani.