Barberton Rugby Club outmuscled and outsmarted Nelspruit Rugby Club in an Ehlanzeni Premier League match at Kudu Park on Saturday. Barberton won 34-28.

Nelspruit did not have a good game. Poor decision-making, unforced errors and weak defence cost them the match.
Barberton did the basics well and the rest fell into place.

The visitors scored in the fifth minute. In a well-worked team try, the ball was moved through various phases before Kabous Engelbrecht went over the try line. Robbie Malan failed with the conversion.

Twelve minutes later Barberton claimed their second try. The attack began in their own half with Jaice Terblanche going over in the right corner. Malan missed the extra two points from a difficult angle.

Nelspruit battled to cope with the pressure Barberton’s basic, but clinical, game plan created.

Matheus Oberholzer scored next for the visitors. The ball went down the backline after a scrum with the flanker claiming the five points. Mark

Pretorius scored shortly before half-time for Barberton. They were awarded a penalty and mauled from the resulting line-out. Pretorius broke away and scored in the right corner. Malan slotted the conversion.

The visiting team held a deserved 22-0 lead at half-time.

Nelspruit were better value for money in the second half.

The home team scored early in the half when Neo Mavundla was gifted possession from a Barberton error six metres from the try line and put his team’s first points on the scoreboard. Ruben Behrens kicked the conversion.

Barberton did not take long to hit back. Matheus Oberholzer, who was all over the field and simply refused to run out of steam, blocked a defensive kick. The ball rolled over the try line and the flanker followed up and dived on the ball. Malan added the two points.
Barberton led 29-7.

Nelspruit’s gutsy fightback continued and Marnus Kruger scored a try, finishing off an attack that started in the home team’s half. Behrens converted.

Oberholzer claimed his third try. He received the pass from Pretorius after a strong maul and went over. Nelspruit scored two late tries, but it was not enough.

Leon Nagel claimed a try, followed by a Behrens conversion.

The match was concluded, but a bit a magic from 38-year-old Stompie Botha, who came on as a replacement and showed remarkable speed to go over for a try, ensured five more points. Behrens kicked the conversion.

• In the other Premier League match on Saturday, White River thrashed the Pumbas from Hoedspruit 94-0.