After suffering a heavy 104 – 0 defeat in the first round away to White River Rugby Club, Newcastle Highlanders showed real character and determination on Saturday (June 27) at the Arbor Park sports grounds.

Highlanders bounced back with a much-improved performance, eventually going down 43 – 33 after trailing 19 – 15 at halftime.

Their effort was even more impressive considering they played with 14 men for 40 minutes after their number 9 received a red card.

Highlanders respond with resilience

From the opening whistle, Highlanders showed a positive mind set and made it clear this would not be another one-sided encounter.

The Highlanders’ three-man lineout functioned effectively throughout the match, while the scrum unit, Buffalo (1), Daniel (2), Herman (3), Henk (4), and Dillon (5), gained the upper hand against White River.

Giraffe (8) delivered an outstanding performance in the lineouts, while Kheswa (6), despite his smaller build, showed the heart of a lion with his relentless work on attack and defence.

Gift (12) led by example across the field, and the two young backs, Bandile (11) and Siyabonga (10), impressed with excellent performances. Moyane (14) also delivered his best game of the season.

Points Scorers:

• Tries: Bandile (11) – 2, Moyane (14) – 2, Siyabonga (10) – 1
• Conversions: Siyabonga (10) – 1
• Penalties: Siyabonga (10) – 2

In other results, Newcastle Highlanders 4th team secured a dominant 54 – 0 victory over Flying Eagles in the 14th game, while the Highlanders Women claimed a 12 – 5 win against Bears Women.

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