VIDEO: Curro’s captains ready for finals
Curro Nelspruit's u/15 rugby team will hope to defend their Virsekerbeker for medium schools trophy when they face Brits in the finals on Saturday.
Last year was the first time any Curro school played in a Virsekerbeker final. This year the school will make history once again with two teams that will fight for the trophy at LC de Villiers, Pretoria.
The u/15s, in 2017, thrashed Hoërskool Hoogenhout 40-5 in the finals.
The u/14s travelled to Randfontein to play the Golden Lions winners, Hoërskool Jan Viljoen. In windy conditions the home team chose to play a tactical kicking game to try and turn the Curro forwards around and play for territory.
The Curro back three had planned for this style of attack and were up to the task. They were sound under the high ball and linked up successfully to run back the ball and set up phase play. From here Curro were able to use their faster backs to send the ball wide and outstrip the Jan Viljoen defenders to score the first try of the match.
The home side hit back with strong runs from their eighth man which resulted in a try under the posts.
Curro again used their fast tempo of play to create overlap opportunities and score before half-time. The score at the break was 14-7 to Curro.
After a tough match Curro were deserved 42-19 winners.
The u/15 match was against Leeuwenhof Akademie in Johannesburg. Some ill discipline from the visitors resulted in Leeuwenhof going 10-0 up early on. Curro then settled into their game plan and used their fast tempo of play to outstrip the narrow defence.
Curro scored four tries in the half to lead 20-10 at the break. In the second half the Leeuwenhof eighth man kept the Curro defenders busy with his storming runs and scored an additional try for the team.
Curro scrum half Jaco Odendaal made a clear line break to score the try that broke the home team’s spirit. From here, Curro maintained their tempo to win 36-15.
The finals will be played at LC de Villiers on Saturday. The encounter against 2017 Virsekerbeker winners, Monument and Helpmekaar will be a thriller.
This is how the teams played
Quarter finals
• u/14 – Curro 53 vs Sasolburg 14
• u/15 – Curro 43 vs Erasmus 10
Semi finals
• u/14 – Curro 42 vs Jan Viljoen 19
• u/15 – Curro 36 Leeuwenhof 15.
