Ballito Dolphins fall agonisingly short in exciting match against Toti
The players gave it their all in a fantastic home atmosphere at the Oaklands Equestrian Estate on Saturday.
The Ballito Dolphins suffered an agonising 36-30 home defeat to Amanzimtoti at Oaklands Equestrian Estate on Saturday (May 24).
With seconds remaining, the hosts went in search of a winning score, only to be held up on the final play of the game.
The Dolphins led 18-12 at the break, but three second half tries to two saw Toti edge the nine-try thriller by six points, solidifying second position in the KZN Club Rugby First Division South standings.
The defeat marks the Dolphins’ fourth straight loss since beating Maritzburg Rugby Club in early April. Runaway leaders Hillcrest Villagers (33 points) hold a 13-point advantage over Toti (20) in second place. The Dolphins have eight points from six matches and currently sit fifth on the log.
The hosts raced into a 15-0 lead after 30 minutes, but two late first-half tries kept the South Coast visitors in the contest.
The Dolphins struck two minutes after the break to go 23-12 ahead. A yellow card to the away side – following a series of infringements inside their own half – went unpunished, and the 11-point cushion was soon whittled down to just one heading into the final quarter.
Two converted tries in four minutes saw the visitors take a 13-point lead with 10 minutes to play. The Dolphins hit back late to set up a grandstand finish, but they just couldn’t find the decisive score. It’s their third defeat by six points or fewer in the past four games.
“It was a tough one to lose. The boys fought to the end and I’m really proud of them, but we need to learn to close games out,” said head coach Jared Stanford.
“Winning is a mentality and we made too many errors at critical moments in the game. We have a great bunch of boys, with a lot of heart and excellent character, and I’m confident we can push on and start turning these narrow losses into wins.”
Meanwhile, the Dolphins’ 2nd XV scored a late converted try to earn a 19-19 draw with Toti.
Check out some of the best photos from Ballito Dolphins Rugby Club versus Amanzimtoti Rugby Club on Saturday, May 24, 2025
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