Depleted Wanderers takes fifty against Kudus
Club rugby
Weekend 12 of the Namibia Rugby Union’s premier league season saw FNB Unam open up a six-point gap ahead of FNB Wanderers at the top of the standings, with fifth-placed FNB Reho Falcon being handed a setback in their quest to break into the top-four.Wanderers was on the receiving end of a fifty against them, as FNB Kudus took revenge 51-27 at Walvis Bay for their first-round 25-35 loss in Windhoek during March.
Wanderers and Kudus’ second and third log positions remain unchanged, despite Kudus’ run-away win by seven tries to four.
Coach Dirk Human’s Wanderers side contained only five in the starting line-up that also took the field in their most recent match, the 27-24 home win against Unam two weekends ago.
Call-ups of influential players such as Danco Burger, Nandi Karuuombe, club captain Jacques Theron, Prince !Gaoseb, Peter Diergaardt and Obert Nortje to the national squad to face the Vodacom Blue Bulls this coming weekend was the big factor in the depleted Wanderers side that travelled to the coast. Additionally, André van der Berg was absent due to his pending departure to French club USA Limoges.
Led by Driaan Vorster, Wanderers managed to add a try-scoring bonus point thanks to five-pointers by Vorster, left wing Jurgen Meyer, lock Rainer Augustyn and replacement Esegiel Unanisa.
Kudus took the maximum six points from the match thanks to their seven tries by scrumhalf Rayton Paulse (2), flyhalf Kyle Wentzel, wing Surami Kambombo, captain and inside centre PJ Walters, and replacements Diago Julies and Luaan Karsten. Conversions by Wentzel (2) and Julies (3) and two Wentzel penalties further enhanced Kudus’ winning margin.
Unam downs United
Front-runners FNB Unam took a 35-20 away win against the ever dangerous sixth-placed defending champions Trustco United.
At halftime, the student team already held a commanding 29-3 lead, but United was allowed back in the match in the next 40 minutes as Unam found themselves heavily penalised by referee Ngatatue Mate.
According to some counts, Mate awarded 19 penalties against Unam in the second half which did not allow them to play a lot of rugby and forcing them into a stern test of their defence. United’s three tries in the second half was scored by captain and centre JD Nel and the locks Zander Bronkhorst and Johan Brockman. Flyhalf Hanreco van Zyl added one conversion and a penalty.
Despite scoring no tries in the second half, Unam earned a bonus point through the tries by centre Kieron Diergaardt, scrumhalf AJ Kearns and hooker Gerhard Thirion (2), who captained the student team against his former club. Kicking points were added by flyhalf Raschano van Rooi (one conversion) and fullback Aljarreau Zaahl (three conversions, two penalties).
Suburbs beat Falcon
At Khomasdal, FNB Western Suburbs’ home win by 29-27 against FNB Reho Falcon earned the two teams five and one log point, respectively.
Reho Falcon were aiming at gaining ground on fourth-placed FNB Grootfontein, but their pack was disrupted by the absence of three lock options in Francois Visagie, Jerome Schuman (both injured) and Tony Isaacs (work).
Falcon was nevertheless ahead at halftime (10-5) with one try by scrumhalf Dillon Kahman and flyhalf Franklin Busch’s conversion and penalty, against Suburbs’ flyhalf Rudi Pretorius’ run-away sprint try from halfway to the right corner, which he failed to convert.
After a string of quick phases, Suburbs worked wing Dumarcho Hartung over in the 42nd minute, with Pretorius’ conversion giving the hosts the lead. Busch and Pretorius exchanged penalties, before Falcon struck the next blow with centre Nando Dentlinger breaking through to score for Busch to convert (Falcon leading 20-15).
Suburbs managed the next two tries that swung the match their way. A quick throw-in was worked to the opposite touchline, where left wing Jayden Links scored off the inside pass for Pretorius to convert. Another smooth backline handling move created the space for centre Morgan Esterhuizen to add their vital converted fourth try which put Suburbs 29-20 ahead.
Falcon fought back for replacement flank Boris Majiedt, returning to full action from a leg injury, to score under the posts, but Busch’s conversion was too late to make a difference on a day where his missed attempts at goal could have brought the team closer to the desired result.
Grootfontein take the points
FNB Grootfontein stormed to a 55-12 domination against visiting Simonis Storm Dolphin, after leading 28-10 at halftime.
Grootfontein accumulated nine tries, including two each by wings Lazarus Joseph and Uroél Marais. Centre Jahzéel Marais, scrumhalf Christopher Deck, nr. 8 and captain Wikus Jacobs, tighthead prop Renard Hattingh and replacement forward Saari Uugwanga also added five-pointers, of which five were converted by Uroél Marais.
“It was a free-flowing game from both sides. Dolphin took us on in the scrums, one of our strong points, which was good to see. We’re happy to come out with a win and no new injuries, which always helps,” Wikus Jacobs told Sport Wrap.
Dolphin’s tries were scored by flank Wayne Hearlen and hooker Lorenco Klaase, along with flyhalf Kenan Walters’ two conversions and one penalty.
• Log standings, results, fixtures and news at www.fnbrugby.my.na/