Komati boys show fighting spirit
Two Komatipoort Akademie teams played in the Mpumalanga primary schools rugby finals at Hoërskool Nelspruit on Tuesday.
Although both teams from Komatipoort Akademie lost they did their school and the Onderberg proud with the scintillating rugby and the spirit with which they played it.
The u/9 team took on Laerskool Marietjie van Niekerk (MVN) and the evenly matched teams had the crowd on a knife-edge until the final whistle.
Komati were superb in the first half, dominating possession and territory. Both teams played exciting running rugby and defended well. This made for a tight game.
Despite Komati’s dominance, MVN fly half Damian de Beer scored first to give his team a five-point lead.
Komati tapped and ran a penalty after the half-time hooter. They lost possession but regained it after a poor clearance kick by MVN. Fly half Lourens Preller scored a try from the resulting attack.
The half-time score was 5-5.
MVN came out snorting in the second half and scrum half Kegan Berry finished off an excellent team try in the right corner.
The highveld team lifted their game in the second half and Komati simply did not have enough attacking ball. MVN’s De Beer claimed his second try from constant attacking pressure in the Komati half of the field to take the score to 15-5 and win the trophy for his team.
In the other final Akademie’s u/11 team faced MVN. Komati dominated possession and territory early in the match but MVN defended well.
The defence was eventually broken and flanker Tredoux Ferreira scored a try for MVN.
When scrum half Handroux Roux scored his side’s second try it seemed Komati might be in for a hiding.
Ten points down with 20 minutes to play Komati threw everything at MVN.
MVN gave back as good as they got and it was a thrilling display of running schoolboy rugby.
After camping on MVN’s try line for some minutes Komati took a tap penalty. Prop Johannes Brown scored off the third phase.
MVN hit back with a try by Ziaan Kotze before Brown scored his second.
Akademie gave it their all in the final minutes but MVN defended well.
The final score was 10-5 for MVN.
Komati Akademie’s boys can hold their heads high. They played high-level rugby with passion and pride. These boys showed the character instilled in them at Akademie.
