Mbombela Stadium – schoolboys follow in the boot steps of their heroes
Penryn defeated Bergvlam in the feature game
It was a special occasion for rugby players of various schools from the Lowveld and Highveld on Friday night when they played on the pitch of Mbombela Stadium, the same field on which Siya Kolisi, Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira and Faf de Klerk have played.
The occasion was the Mbombela Rugby Challenge 2020, hosted by Penryn College.
In the feature match of the evening, the first XVs of Penryn and Hoërskool Bergvlam faced off. Penryn were too strong for Vlammies and won 31-5.
Penryn’s Marc Codd scored the first try after a period of sustained attack in the Bergvlam 22-metre area. Jason Taylor nailed the conversion.
Kgopotso Sedibe scored at 25 minutes, once again with Penryn attacking until the Bergvlam defence gave in. Marc Codd was on point with the conversion to give the host school a 14-0 half-time lead.
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Midway through the second half, Penryn scored the try of the day. The Penryn speedsters chased a kick down the right touchline. Mnqobi Mashlamela flicked the ball backwards just before it went over the dead-ball line and Qhawe Mkhatshwa grabbed it to claim the try.
Codd’s boot put Penryn 21-5 up. Minutes later, the ball went down the line as Vlammies broke Penryn’s defence and Bergvlam wing Sandiso Jele scored in the left corner after a tapped penalty.
Penryn ran in two more tries in the final four minutes. First Ntsako Silinda scored, then Delight Dlakude dotted down on the siren for the 31-5 win.
Penryn attacked with precision and defended well. They made better use of their opportunities.
Bergvlam were not at full strength, with players rested for Saturday’s away fixture at Hoërskool Frans du Toit. Vlammies did themselves proud and never gave up. They played with immense spirit against a team that was simply too strong for them.
