Anyone thinking that all the nail-biting action is reserved for the FIFA World Cup would have been blown away on Saturday by the exploits of 30 men who battled, ran, tackled and bled for their teams as Sentraal defeated old foes Vryheid 33-21 in an epic encounter.

The first half was an edgy affair, with play not flowing as smoothly as the players or supporters would have hoped. Sentraal opened the scoring through Van Heerden. Vryheid then hit back with a converted try, which was answered by ‘Bearings’ Hlongwane, who flew over the try line.

Not to be outdone, Vryheid scored again, with the half-time whistle sounding at 14-14. With the sun finally peeping out, Sentraal started the second half strongly, with Marius Groenewald powering his way over for a try.

Strong second half seals victory

Vryheid responded with another converted try, but Sentraal finished the stronger of the two sides. A late penalty try sealed the victory for Sentraal, before another try put the cherry on top for a memorable 33-21 win.

A delighted captain, Xander Kriel, paid tribute to both teams after the tough encounter. Sentraal will now host Volksrust in the semi-final, while the final is scheduled to be played in Vryheid the following week