Moria faces unbeaten WHS in semi-final
Schools rugby
A narrowly missed final touch-line conversion could have kept Windhoek Gymnasium unbeaten, instead of WHS.
From both sides it could be risky business trying to make accurate predictions based on Samsung Windhoek High School’s narrow 22-21 home win against King Price Windhoek Gymnasium in the last of their scheduled seven matches in the 2024 Standard Bank Under-19 Premier League season.The match between two unbeaten sides was a possible dress rehearsal of a generally expected repeat of their 2023 final showdown, which ended in a 34-34 draw.
Before the upcoming final on 31 August, there will however be the obstacle of their respective semi-final fixtures the weekend before, that were also confirmed on Saturday.
WHS, who finish top of the log, will face OK Moria who secured the fourth place despite their 17-27 loss at PSG Walvis Bay Private High School, who would have finished fourth if not for the fact that both teams had scored three tries and therefore shared one bonus point each.
Thriller at Vegkop
After a error-ridden first half, both teams found their groove in the second half and delivered much more of the potential that spectators and supporters have come to expect from the WHS Kudus Bulls and Gymnasium Lions.
WHS coaches Jan Dames and Devano Alcock will be somewhat concerned by their team’s potential 11 kicking points that went unconverted.
In contrast, Gymnasium’s fly-half Waldré Kotze had maintained a 100 percent record until his final conversion, which was narrowly adjudged to have gone past the left upright and which would have swung the celebrations to the black and red, instead of the blue team.
Gymnasium led 9-3 at halftime thanks to Kotze’s three penalties. While the Lions were penalised more than the home team, WHS had only one penalty (from three attempts) by fly-half William Beukes to show for the first 35 minutes, while full-back Joshua Moller’s aim was also off with one penalty kick.
Gymnasium was also first in the second half to extend their lead to 16-3 with a line-out maul from they drove their captain and number 8 Ruan Agenbag over, for Kotze to convert.
The Kudu Bulls finally emerged from their slumber 48 minutes into the match. Wing Alejandro Morkel quickly went to full speed after catching a clearance kick from Gymnasium’s goal-line and went flying down the left touch-line and over in the corner, with Beukes failing to convert.
Morkel added his second try just five minutes later. From behind a ruck, his scrum-half Dominique Isaacs delivered the shortest of aerial kicks which Morkel plucked away in front of Agenbag to reach the line.
From the bench, WHS wing Ignatius Kandowa by converting, before rounding off his team’s best try of the day following a backline attack from the halfway line, which he also converted (22-16) as WHS took the lead for the first time after more than an hour’s play.
With three minutes left on the clock, Kotze failed to find touch from a penalty, but WHS allowed it to bounce inside the corner flag and Gymnasium replacement back JD Meintjies, who followed up in a flash, collected to score the try which put them just one point behind, before Kotze’s vital first failed kick of the day.
Moria edges fourth spot
At Naartjie Park, the winner between PSG Walvis Bay Private School and OK Moria was expected to secure fourth place.
Full-back Antua Klein was the playmaker for the Naartjies’ 27-17 win, first landing two penalties, before converting the try by his captain and lock Herman Lombard.
Klein was also in the backline attack from which his inside pass sent flank Valentino Niigambo on a clear run to the posts, for an easy Klein conversion to lead 20-5.
The Naartjies were also awarded a penalty try by referee Anthonie de Greeff, while Moria’s try scorers were loosehead prop Sethinio Idan (two) and nr 8 Benjamin Mostert, with one conversion by centre Bertus Narib.
Vitally, according to the NSSR’s unique points allocation system, the shared bonus point for the equal number of tries, along with the losing bonus point (within a margin of 10) secured Moria’s finish on 40 log points (fourth), while WBPS were fifth (39 points).
• At the bottom of the log, Elnatan withdrew from their last away match to Autohaus Windhoek Affies, who finishes sixth out of the eight teams.
Top-of-the-log finishers in recent seasons
2019 (8 matches each)
1 Tsumeb Gymnasium – 66 points (7 wins)
2 Windhoek Affies – 65 points (7 wins)
3 Windhoek Gymnasium – 60 points (6 wins)
2022 (6 matches each)
1 Windhoek Gymnasium – 54 points (6 wins)
2 Windhoek Affies – 44 points (4 wins)
3 Windhoek High School – 41 points (4 wins)
2023 (7 matches each)
1 Windhoek Gymnasium – 59 points (6 wins)
2 Windhoek High School – 59 points (6 wins)
3 Windhoek Affies – 51 points (5 wins)
2024 (seven matches each)
1 WHS – 63 points (7 wins)
2 Whk Gym – 58 points (6 wins)
3 Pro-Ed – 44 points (4 wins)
4 Moria – 40 points (3 wins)
5 WBPS – 39 points (3 wins)
6 Whk Affies – 35 points (2 wins)
7 Tsumeb Gym – 27 points (2 wins)
8 Elnatan – 24 points (1 win)