Bay taught tough lesson in Stellenbosch

JON HARRIS

Motorvaps False Bay travelled to Stellenbosch on Saturday full of hope of returning victors but instead left the Danie Craven Stadium the vanquished in their 26-5 defeat on Saturday. The students led 14-5 at the break.

The visitors’ third and second teams recorded narrow victories which often bodes well for a clean sweep, but it was not to be. Nevertheless, these victories are each important in the bigger picture of the seasons league results.

The sizeable crowd in attendance on the day was treated to five entertaining encounters, the others being that between the women’s teams of the two clubs, which Maties handsomely won 45-5 and the under-20 fixture which Maties narrowly won.

The Bay were energetic and full of running in the first half, indeed overshadowing the hosts for most of the stanza, despite the 9-point lead enjoyed by Maties at the break.

With both sides playing entertaining, running rugby, the visitors enjoyed a territorial advantage which barely saw their hosts exit their own half in the first quarter. It was on one of their territorial exits that the students countered from the mid-line to register an entertaining try by centre Aydin Topley. Flyhalf Jacques Rosseau converted. It was Maties’s first visit within the Bay quarter and in typical fashion, they registered points.

False Bay, without the services of hooker Vlam van Vuuren and utility prop Wesley Chetty, both schoolmasters and away on rugby tour, looked sharp and intense. They readily attacked the gain line, spread the ball wide, took it up through the forwards, but despite threatening the Stellenbosch goal line, they fell victim to the wrath of the referee as their enthusiasm and impatience to score caused them to transgress, on three occasions forfeiting penalties five metres from the Maties line.

The Bay’s back three, wings Ryno Mapoe, Mustaqim Jappie and fullback Michael Goedeke, were exciting on attack, the bane of the home defence on the day.

Maties increased their lead to 14 with a maul-over try from a lineout by flank (and captain) Gift Dlamini.

An unattractive piece of rugby, the rolling maul enjoys polar respect from teams in the same contest. For the scoring outfit, it is a well-executed, devastatingly effective, controlled method of rumbling the ball to a 5-point conclusion, while effectively neutralising defences in the process. It may not be a swashbuckling, thrill-a-second route to the tryline, but the effect is the same. The try was goaled by Rosseau.

Travelling Bay support were hushed, their faith in their team shaken by the two scores and blunted attacks on the Maties line. Eighthman Izzi Wharton changed the gloom to joy when he scored in the corner from the restart, his effort involving pace and power to keep his line and not succumb to the cover defence.

The first half drew to a close, with the Bay 9 points adrift and very much a threat based on proceedings during the half. The Constantia team may not have enjoyed the advantage on the electronic scoreboard, growing brighter as dusk approached, but few would dispute that the half belonged to them.

Flank Bussanda Mabena shone alongside Wharton and hooker Neil Rautenbach, still loosening his engine after coming back and lock Ryan Olivier, were a steady influence of play up front. At the back, scrum-halves Niyaaz Johnson and Dylon Frylinck were influential during their time on the pitch respectively. Flyhalf Ewan Adams was steady as always, his running of affairs at the tiller sound.

To be brutally honest, the second-half whitewash was not so much through the efforts of Maties, even their own support would be wont to admit this. False Bay were perhaps to blame for losing their way, allowing the students to exploit the gaps and opportunities arising from this. Maties ran in a further two tries, one of which was converted to give the scoreboard its final tally.

Bay should take encouragement from their performance, especially in the first half, where they played exciting, running rugby and were stifled by a lack of discipline in execution, resulting in the slew of penalties they received. Their second half never got off the ground partially through their desperation to right the scoreline and further sanctioning for transgressions, which saw them down to 14 men on three occasions.

False Bay travel to the Stephen Grounds in Sea Point to face Hamilton on Saturday.

Hammies, also winless after two outings, one of these being a draw, smell blood and clearly want to register their first victory of SLA 2023.

For the Bay, the result of this past week was not the one they were seeking but when that disappointment settles, the players know that they produced effective, entertaining rugby, which rocked the students back on their heels. The mirror, however, will not lie and they know that their discipline in execution needs to be improved.

Kick-off on Saturday is at 4pm, with first matches kicking off at 1.25pm.

• Jon Harris is a member of False Bay RFC.