False Bay FC were edged out by a passionate Tygerberg RFC in a closely-contested Western Province Rugby Union (WPRU) Super League A match, at Constantia on Saturday.
The final score was 8-10 after the Bay led 8-0 at the break. It was a rugby day eagerly awaited by so many. The two clubs have enjoyed a close relationship over several years, which extends to competition on the pitch and warm camaraderie off it. This club-day had just that much more adding to the occasion.
False Bay’s Third XV were unbeaten going into the fixture, their opponents having lost only one match to date. As if that was not enough, the under-20 fixture, in the build up to the main match, promised to be a thriller, and the two second teams both took to the pitch unbeaten.
They all registered wins, their seconds and thirds with their unbeaten tag intact and the under-20 A team with a healthy victory in the bag and the local support was quietly confident of it being a clean sweep for the home club, Fortress False Bay, the graveyard of practically all visitors over the last number of seasons.
With a swirling wind and intermittent rain falling on an already sodden pitch, knowledgeable rugby folk were reticent to forecast a result, the wet conditions a renowned leveler in any contest between favourite and underdog. The weatherman had suggested rainfall would taper off by the time the two teams squared off, but forecasting is not an exact science and the squalls merely served to test the skills of the players. It was to be a quality contest with high skills levels delivered by both despite the conditions.
The opening quarter hour was characterised by the defence of the “Tiere”, the standout feature of their game, as they repelled the persistent attacks on their line. One such foray saw the Bay break the defences of their opponents and they appeared on their way to score when the referee called them back for an infringement. Number 31, while having a tidy game for the most, did make some bemusing calls, especially in the second stanza of the contest.
Bay fullback Adnaan Osman opened the scoring for his team in the 17th minute with a penalty. The first 40 minutes saw False Bay in control, the spirited defence of Tygerberg a massive obstacle in their way to crossing the line. Indeed, they opted on a number of occasions to secure a lineout from a penalty instead of kicking, such was their ascendency, but it was the sheer doggedness of the Tygers defence that kept their line unbroken. False Bay’s try came from a sweeping move off a lineout on the Tygerberg 10-metre line, ending with centre Morne Small wrong-footing his opponent to score.
Both teams endeavoured to play running rugby, in total contrast to what the coaching manuals may advise for conditions such as these.
