Penryn’s pace too fast for Oosterland
Penryn College XV scored three tries in their 19-10 defeat of Hoërskool Oosterland of Secunda to be crowned as the 2015 Mpumalanga Medium Schools winners.
Both teams were unbeaten during the pool phases of the league. As the teams have never competed against each other previously, the match began with them testing the other’s set phases and defensive lines. They were closely matched and did not allow the opponents to settle into their normal game plan.
The first try of the match came as a result of good support play between Penryn’s forwards and backs. The ball was moved through the hands when the loose head prop and wing on the outside linked up with a chip kick ahead which the skillful scrumhalf collected and carried over the line. The visiting side were quick to reply and their backline used practiced inside passes to break the Penryn defense. The score at half-time was 5 each.
After an advisory team talk, the Penryn team finally started to play the sort of rugby that had gotten them into the final.
They played quick multiple phase balls with the forwards attacking the fringes and sucking in the Oosterland defence on which the Penryn backline capitalised.
This fast pace proved too much for Oosterland with Penryn scoring two more tries by their scrumhalf Wakhe Shongwe – giving him his hat-trick of tries on the day.
The solid Penryn defence held out the Oosterland attack until the second last minute of the match when Oosterland scored a consolation try.
“In 2015 Penryn introduced core sports and this allows our boys to focus on a maximum two team sports a term. This policy has greatly benefited us and enabled us for the first time ever to have both our senior rugby teams in the Mpumalanga finals and we trust this policy will bear fruit in our other sporting codes as well,” said coach Graeme Stewart.
They now progress to the qualifying round of the Noordvaal Beeld trophy with a match against Hoërskool Piet Potgieter in Mokopane this Saturday. Unfortunately they lost 29-48.
The schools that qualified for the various finals were Penryn College, hoërskole Bergvlam, Barberton, Oosterland and Lowveld High. Penryn first XV point scorers – Tries: Wakhe Shongwe (3). Conversions: Ernest Mthethwa (2).
Lowveld High School’s u/16 team beat Kanonkop in the medium schools finals by 17-10. Frank Muwayi, Sabelo Mazibeni and Khanya Gama scored a try each.
Coach of Lowveld High School, Ronald Msimango talking about the game:
“We would like to thank the Lord Almighty for giving us the oppurtunity to play this well-loved games and our supporters that gives us motivation to keep working hard,” said coach of LHS Ronald Msimango.
Gallery of the final day: Penryn crowned championships
Penryn’s XV team had a massive year with a winning ratio of 77 percent. They played 13 games this season only losing 3. The third team could not win one of the two games they played this year.
The u/16’s were knocked-out of the Mpumalanga finals after showing great passion for the game throughout the year. Out of the 13 games, Penryn won six and lost seven giving them a percentage of 46.
