False Bay secure hard-fought win in tough Cape wintry conditions

Jon Harris

The Cape Winter struck at the beginning of the weekend, spoiling the fun for some.

Fortunately, it was insufficient to prevent Motorvaps False Bay's from continuing their quest for a Top Six spot in this year's Super League A competition, as they held off a determined challenge from Brackenfell RFC at Constantia on Saturday.

The Bay won 28-16 after leading 20-10 at the change.

Both pitches at the Phillip Herbstein Fields showed the severity of the pelting rain, which had moved across the peninsula the night before, pelting the region with torrential, uninterrupted rain for the better part of ten hours.

These pitches are equipped with more than adequate drainage but for safe and entertaining contests to be held, the Third XV match was postponed and the Under 20 A & Second XV contests were shifted to the firm underfoot B field.

This would then allow the all-important SLA fixture to take place on a dry, and more importantly, safe surface, unaffected by the ravages of forty-plus pairs of feet churning the surface up.

All that can so easily mean nothing if the main event does not go according to plan and the visitors return home with the match spoils in the boot of their car. The SLA table is difficult to use as a true measure of a team's progress, some clubs having two games in hand, and an extrapolation is the only, albeit not entirely reliable, means of comparison. Whatever the situation, "Brakke" find themselves in the lower third of the table, a position both unfair to their value and an indicator of the quality of SLA2025.

By the time Bay captain, Darren Jaftha, led his team into the arena, the home side were two-from-two on the programme, with sound victories registered by their under-20A and Second XV.

Even the more frivolous of supporters braving the weather in support of their beloved Bay would not allow themselves the luxury of resting on laurels and taking the result for granted. And with good reason.

False Bay opened the scoring with a penalty by Dylon Freelance, the Bay's Peter Pan of the game defying the ravages of age and showing his value as an athlete and rugby brain.

He is a solid cornerstone in the foundation of this team, and again proved it on the day. Brackenfell, a determined, industrious and talented, unfazed, flooded the point of breakdown, swamping their opponents with numbers, opening space for their fleet-footed backs, particularly fullback Brandon Jaftha.

This man has electric pace, a frame which instills over-confidence in defenders, and a step that has given many a would-be tackler whiplash. He is also their deadly accurate goal kicker.

After the first quarter, these two had traded penalties, which saw the brightly illuminated scoreboard showing a 6-all tie. It was during the ten-minute break forced upon False Bay's lineout maestro, Andrew Good for a dangerous tackle, that the visitors gathered the ball from a mis-timed Bay jump in the Brackenfell 22, which saw the ball being spread wide and Jaftha outstripping the cover defense, feeding to center Angelo du Toit for an electrifying 70-meter counterattack and score.

Jaftha made it a goal, and the visitors were in a 10-6 lead, sufficient grounds for concern amongst the home support. 

Unfazed, the Bay executed their game plan, their support of the ball carrier, and capacity to shift the ball out wide, causing concern for the Bracke defense.

At times, it seemed that there were clones on the pitch. Wing Daniel Haynes and hooker Jacques Goosen, both slight men in comparison to some of the behemoths in the SLA, both employing white headgear and almost disrespectful of the size of the defender in the path, popped up all over the place. They dovetailed superbly in the try of center Josh Florence, a breathtaking counterattack which showed the threat the Bay pose with the ball in hand.

That score gave the home team the lead, which they refused to relinquish, even in the face of some determined attack as the contest progressed. Grobler capped an enthralling move started on halfway, which, when converted by Frylinck, gave the Constantia team their ten-point lead at the break.

The second half was always to be make-or-break for both teams, their benches clearly of prime importance. False Bay was to suffer a devastating loss early in the second half when skipper Jaftha suffered a broken leg. It was a horrific incident, without any malice, loaded with bad luck, which has robbed this young man of the chance to complete his dream season, his first as captain of a team that elected him to the position. 

After the lengthy interrogation, the match continued with the same intensity. Motorvaps False Bay again suffered a yellow card which complicated their crusade, but they held firm.

Brackenfell had reduced the difference to just four points through two penalty conversions by flyhalf Hendrik Mullder, who had converted their earlier try. 

Crowd favourite Daniel Hayes added to his impressive season try tally. This was unconverted, but Florence had converted an earlier penalty, which gave shape to the 28-18 final score in the referee's notebook.

 False Bay now faces a resurgent SK Walmers at Constantia on Saturday. The historic Bo-Kaap side has an unheralded return to the top flight. SK Walmers pose possibly the greatest challenge to False Bay's season to date, and the rugby expected to be on display will be to the benefit of those in attendance. The first games at Constantia kick off at 1,25pm, and the main game starts at 4pm. Scholars under 18 enter free of charge.  

Jon Harris is a member of False Bay Harriers