Controversy at Grootfontein, as log leaders advance
Rugby
In three of the four matches, the winning side scored 45 points or more.
FNB Unam held on to their status as log leaders and the only unbeaten team so far in the Namibia Rugby Union’s premier league, following their 57-11 victory at home against FNB Western Suburbs.Unam held a lead of 29-6 at halftime and eventually scored nine tries against one – to add the maximum of six log points.
Unam left wing Quirione Majiedt, already one of this season’s leading try scorers, added four tries to his tally.
Solid defence, a dominant scrum and lineout maul were features of the student team’s performance, as well as enterprising counter-attacking from their lively back three of Majiedt, Aljarreau Zaahl ans Shareave Titus.
Captained by loosehead prop Jason Benade in the absence of centre Alcino Izaacs who attended his mother’s birthday celebration, the test of Unam’s depth would have been encouraging to coaches Russel van Rooi and Roger Thompson.
Lesley Klim started as centre partner to Kieron Diergaardt, while the absence of injured loose forwards Berry Gande and Viery Haufiku was compensated for with starts for Abraham Ilonga and Bjorn Kazondunge.
In a media interview afterwards, Benade steered away from getting over-excited about the result, pointing out that the full second round still lays ahead and that the Unam players remains focused on following their plans and processes.
Besides Majiedt’s four finishes, Kieron Diergaardt, number 8 Handre Bezuidenhout (2), hooker Gerhard Thirion as well as his replacement Bigman Kaura scored tries for Unam. Conversions were added by Zaahl (3) and replacement flyhalf Raschano van Rooi (3).
Western Suburbs, struggling to overcome a recent loss of experienced campaigners, recorded one try and two penalties, all from fullback Rudi Pretorius.
At Rehoboth
FNB Wanderers won a high-scoring away match against FNB Rehoboth, 45-31 (halftime 33-10).
Seven players each scored one try for Wanderers, namely fullback Tolley Tjipute, wings Nandivatu Karuuombe and Jurgen Meyer, centres Danco Burger and Tonderai Ndudzo, number 8 Peter Diergaardt and lock Driaan Vorster. Five of scrumhalf and captain Jacques Theron’s conversions were successful.
Rehoboth salvaged a try-scoring bonus point through finishes by fullback Brandon Dentlinger, flank Deevan Mathys (2) and hooker Jeandre Cloete.
Wanderers coach Dirk Human says due to the injury list including André van der Berg (calf muscle), Natie van Rensburg (hamstring), Obert Nortje (groin), Herschell van Wyk (concussion) and Ignus Tripodi (ankle), changes still had to be made on Friday afternoon.
“Peter Diergaardt, Prince !Gaoseb, Danco Burger and Jacques Theron stood out, but amid all the disruptions I reckon this was an overall good team performance, except for a few soft tries we allowed.”
At Grootfontein
FNB Reho Falcon took a somewhat unexpected 19-17 win from their trip to the north when they overcame FNB Grootfontein.
The match finished controversially, about four minutes prematurely, when referee Oscar Lambert issued a yellow card to Grootfontein scrumhalf Zèmuel Marais for backchat to a penalty awarded against the home side while they were strongly on attack in search of a winning try.
Right wing Mischaél Marais, brother of the scrumhalf, reacted by hitting the referee with a flying shoulder charge tackle. Lambert got back on his feet, issued a red card to the number 14 and blew the final whistle.
Earlier, Grootfontein captain Wikus Jacobs, at nr. 8, scored two tries, while prop Bernd Beddies scored one. Fullback AJ Vercuil landed one conversion.
Reho Falcon’s try scorers were scrumhalf Dillon Kahmann and flank Dilhon Daries, along with penalties by fullback Ashton van Wyk (2) and flyhalf Franklin Busch.
At Swakopmund
Trustco United secured a 57-5 win against Simonis Storm Dolphin in Swakopmund (halftime 28-5)., Leandrea Mouers reports.
The black-and-white jerseys remain at the bottom of the log, while Trustco United moved up one place to sixth.
United left wing Kauee Kuhanga (2), centre JD Nel, flyhalf Hanreco van Zyl, scrumhalf Jahno du Plessis, loose forwards Zander Bronkhorst and PJ Ilonga, lock Warren Marais and replacement prop Jano Otto accumulated United’s nine tries, of which six were converted by fullback Ricardo Swartz (3) and Van Zyl (3).
Hooker JM Richter scored the only unconverted try for Dolphin.
United captain JD Nel said the match should serve as a golden opportunity to turn their season around.
“We have something to prove because our season did not start well, but we are never out of the fight. I’m not 100% happy with the performance, but it’s a great foundation to work from. As a team, we need to work on our structure.
“In the last 20 minutes we fell out of the bus, but we never stop working until the end.”
Dolphin recently appointed Namibia’s most capped former test player Eugene Jantjies as their technical and backline coach and Imke Augustyn as the strength and conditioning coach.
• Next Saturday’s fixtures: United v Rehoboth; Wanderers v Grootfontein; Reho Falcon v Unam; Western Suburbs v Kudus.