Ballito Dolphins continue winning ways
With their solid pack of forwards laying the foundation, the Dolphins held out a late charge to beat Harlequins 17-12 in their most recent league game.
It was a close call, but the Ultra Liquors Ballito Dolphins continued on their winning ways at their home ground at Maidstone on Saturday.
Travis Rainford scored the opener after the team put together multiple phases of solid play,
The plucky Quins hit back quickly, however, scoring a brace before forwards Man of the Match Yamtsha Ngodwana barrelled over for some well deserved points.
At 10-12 heading into the shed, the game was on a knife-edge.
Continued dominance from the big lads up front paid dividends, with centre Grove Akker dotting down to take the game to 17-12 with about 25 minutes to go.
The Dolphins defended ferociously to keep a spirited Harlequins at bay before it seemed as though their hearts would be broken by a late try in the corner from the visitors.
“The players were briefly crestfallen as it appeared they would be pipped at the post, but it turned out that Akker had delivered a match-winning tackle,” said Dolphins chairman, Mark Svenningsen.
Owing largely to their defensive prowess, the centre pairing of Akker and Rudi Delport were jointly awarded the Roco Mamas Man of the Match award.
The Dolphins also managed to assemble a second team for the first time this season.
Forward dominance was the name of the game in this match as well, with Beast Khoza and ‘Big Marv’ Chakanyuka adding their considerable weight to the scrum.
“A blistering run from Big Marv saw him barge over for the first try of the game, with the conversion slotted by Dawie Lindeque,” said Svenningsen.
Two quick-fire tries from the Quins saw a 7-12 scoreline at the interval.
The visitors capitalised on their momentum, scoring first in the second half, before Lindeque crossed the whitewash to set up a tantalising final period.
Unfortunately, despite creating a few chances in the face of heavy pressure, the Dolphins couldn’t close the 12-19 gap.
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