Northern KZN one step closer to Ebbo Bastard Trophy
"I'm very proud of the NKZN team for beating Zululand by such a big margin," stated Vryheid Rugby Club's Head Coach and Assistant Coach for the Northern KZN team, Rich Verster. "It just shows the calibre of rugby players we have in the region. Our real big test will come when we play the best of the Durban region on August 26..."
FIVE players from Vryheid Rugby Club took part in a thrilling encounter on Saturday that saw Northern KZN take on Zululand for the Ebbo Bastard Cup and a stake in the outcome of the inter sub-unions clashes between South KZN, Northern KZN, Durban and Zululand.
Based on their outstanding performance throughout a scintillating season for Vryheid’s men in maroon, Lwazi Mdluli, Sticks Mbatha, Khumbulani Khoza, Chris van Rooyen and Jurie Huyser were selected for the Northern KZN squad, alongside players from Newcastle, Piet Retief, Dundee Sentraal and Volksrust, by Head Coach for the Northern KZN side, Andrè Swanepoel.
The Northern KZN squad dominated the lineouts and scrums with their big pack of forwards. Wandile Nkosi, Gift Mabaso, Dubula Madi and Vryheid’s swift-footed phenom, Sticks Mbatha, put the points on the board for Northern KZN, scoring four tries and a conversion in the first half, ensuring that they entered half time with a secure lead of 22 – 13 over the Zululand side.
In the second half, Zululand had no answer for the Northern KZN side’s prevalent command of the match and Dubula Madi, Mfundo Nkwanyane, Jean Els and Henk Booysen continued to rack up the points with another five tries and three conversions before the final whistle.
The Northern KZN squad secured a comfortable win over Zululand in the first of the three matches for the Ebbo Bastard Trophy, with a final score of 53 – 18 and will advance to the next round, one step closer to the cup.
Man of the Match for the Backs was Jean Els and for the Forwards, Nico-Jan Chowles.
“I’m very proud of the NKZN team for beating Zululand by such a big margin,” stated Vryheid Rugby Club’s Head Coach and Assistant Coach for the Northern KZN team, Rich Verster. “It just shows the calibre of rugby players we have in the region. Our real big test will come when we play the best of the Durban region on August 26…”
Vryheid Rugby Club will travel to Piet Retief on Saturday to face the home side in the Quarter Final match of the Junior Murray Cup.
