False Bay return from Stellenbosch victorious

Jon Harris

Motorvaps False Bay RFC delivered a convincing performance to overcome a star-studded  Stellenbosch University in a WPRFU Super League A (SLA) fixture at the Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday. The final score was 58-38 after False Bay lead 26-19 at half time.

The festivities were kicked off by the under-20 A match. Spectators were treated to a seesaw, thrill-a-minute contest with the victors only decided in the dying moments of the contest, the visiting False Bay under-20 lads of Kwaks Ngwanya, entering the tunnel proud 29-24 winners. Following that was the Third League fixture, False Bay’s log-leading squad were expected to bag honours there and in another close contest, hosts Maties snatched a 18-12 victory.

Meanwhile, outside of the stadium, the False Bay Women’s team were facing their Maties nemeses, and to the screams of delight of their supporters, they delivered a power performance in their 48-7 win over their hosts.

Back inside the cauldron, Victorians were stepping on both the gas pedal and the throats of their guests, squeezing the life out of a False Bay Second XV who somehow could not gain momentum. The 62-12 win for Maties lowered a nervous pall over the section seating the strong travelling False Bay support.

This heavy feeling grew to a dark gloom as the False Bay First XV found themselves 12-0 down after 12 minutes, the ease of the two Maties tries somewhat disconcerting. Stellenbosch University entered the contest with two loses out of two matches in SLA 2025 and casting an eye over their match line-up, it was clear that with 11 fully-fledged Varsity Cup 2025 squad members and three Young Guns, they were in a focused frame of mind, Maties pride at stake.

False Bay were off to yet another slow start, lethargy haltering their execution. The Maties pace and execution slickly guided foreign exchange student Hippolite Draux over the line and then fullback Dylan Thompson scythed through the Bay line to score under the poles, which he easily converted.

Regrouped, the Bay worked their way up the field only to be repelled, facilitated by an adjudication which allowed Maties some respite. With towering lock Andrew Good exerting pressure on the Maties lineout, the Bay worked their way back up to the maroon-tinted tryline, loosehead prop Nizaar Nazier crashing over for the first of his team’s tries. Bay playmaker Evan Adams, used the conversion as his range finder, failing to bag the extra two points, but definitely learning from his mistake for later attempts.

The students did not panic. From a five-metre lineout, their forwards rumbled the ball up to close to the line, scrumhalf Mchyle Volmoer wresting the ball from the jaws of the maul to feed to centre Mathew Malherbe who required some deft footwork to open a gap for himself. Thompson converted and the vocal Bay support was silenced yet again.

Trailing by 14 points to a wounded Maties outfit is not ideal for any team visiting the hallowed Stellenbosch grounds. In fact, given the circumstances, it would be a death knell for most teams.

What followed was an hour of in-your-face, relentless attack from Motorvaps Bay, backed up by crunching defence, individual flair and team unity. Spearheaded by a dynamo of a flank, shifted out from hooker, an accomplished player at his tender age, Jacques Goosen reveled in the freedom to play, which coach Ashley Wells had afforded him. 

Yet it is totally unfair to mention individuals in this gargantuan effort from the Bay, but some cannot go without observation, like the platform on which this victory was built, that of the front row, made up of Nazier, hooker Kamva Mqwali and Tahriq Allen, the quintessential strongman at tighthead. Behind them every unit performed optimistically. In the back line, veteran scrumhalf Dylon Frylinck, with several summers behind him, again delivered a master performance worthy of every accolade he received. His performances in the Bay’s SLA campaign so far have been outstanding, each valiant to the end. Later in the contest, Wells introduced Frylinck’s understudy, Matthew Damonze, a man who patiently awaited his opportunity to shine. He grabbed the opportunity, igniting a blistering try by Khanya Ncusane.

In all Motorvaps False Bay scored nine tries to the five of Maties.

This week Mortorvaps False Bay resumes a long and warm relationship with Van der Stel RFC.  

The match takes place at Constantia with a full programme. False Bay’s exciting under-20s start proceedings at 1.25pm and the main event starts at 4pm.