Knysna and Bitou end all-square
The second round of fixtures in the SWD Municipal Rugby Challenge Shield Division kicked off with a scintillating draw between Knysna and Bitou at Grassy Park in Sedgefield on Saturday 19 October.
The first half of the pilot project that is the Municipal Rugby Challenge has been somewhat rocky for the Knysna side, which stumbled in its first two fixtures against Bitou and Central Karoo, losing 33-26 to Bitou in Plettenberg Bay and 45-31 to Central Karoo in Beaufort West. Knysna managed to bounce back in the third and final game of the first round by beating Kannaland 38-20 in Zoar, meaning they would go into the clash with Bitou on a high.
Bitou were coming into the game off the back of three straight victories, with their third coming on home turf against Central Karoo, who they beat 25-17. Bitou's fine form meant they were top of the Shield Division table with 14 points, Central Karoo second with 10, and Knysna third with 8. Knysna knew if they lost their match against Bitou they would be out of contention for playoffs, so it was a do-or-die game for the home side when things kicked off at Grassy Park. With Lyle Bastian taking over captaincy for the day from Vaughin Avery who was moved to the bench, Knysna dominated the first half completely, as tries from Michael Kapp and Junaid Ruiters saw the home side go into halftime with a 14-0 lead.
The second half would be a complete reversal of fortunes as Knysna would only manage a penalty courtesy of substitute Chesco Julies while Bitou would battle back with two converted tries and a penalty of their own to earn a spectacular 17-17 draw in Smutsville. In the other Shield Division match on Saturday, Central Karoo beat Kannaland 27-14.
These results, while not 100% ideal for Knysna, still see them within a chance at reaching playoffs as Bitou stands on top with 17 points, Central Karoo second with 15, and Knysna third with 10. Knysna will have to win both of their last two matches, however, and this daunting task begins with a clash against Kannaland at Grassy Park this Saturday 26 October.