Double delight as Vryheid 1 and 2 clinch championship in dramatic final clash
The second team took to the field first against the undefeated Piet Retief seconds, who arrived with the upper hand, having beaten Vryheid’s seconds twice already in this year’s league matches.
VRYHEID Rugby Club hosted an epic clash between formidable rivals, Vryheid and Piet Retief, on Saturday, where both the first and second teams went head to head with their respective opponents for the title of Northern KZN Rugby League champions.
The second team took to the field first against the undefeated Piet Retief seconds, who arrived with the upper hand, having beaten Vryheid’s seconds twice already in this year’s league matches.
The visiting side shone in the first half, keeping Vryheid on the back foot with bulldozing runs throughout and dominating right up until the halftime whistle, with two tries and one conversion to Vryheid’s single penalty, successfully kicked by Kobie Marè.
The hosts trailed 12 – 3 at the end of the first half and it seemed that history might repeat itself as the visitors displayed their prowess against Vryheid.
However, a halftime ‘pep-talk’ by second team coach, John Beghin, saw the home side returning to the field somewhat inspired and the visitors facing a seemingly different team.
Vryheid’s seconds fought back gallantly, with tries being scored by Nathan Stride, Mxolisi Nkosi, Jaco Joubert and Alex Sandalls. Kobie Marè and Andrè Ellis scored one conversion each.
A drop goal by Marè put another five points on the board for Vryheid, eliciting a massive cheer from the crowd.
In a glorious comeback in the second half, the hosts managed to not only wipe out the nine-point deficit on the scoreboard, they also tallied up an eighteen point lead over Piet Retief by restricting the visitors to a scoreless second half.
Vryheid’s second team clinched the victory and the title against Piet Retief, winning the final of the second division 30 – 12.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5rLMQlCWR8
The first team battle saw underdogs, Piet Retief coming out in full force, but the visitors had no answer to Vryheid’s dominance in the first fifteen minutes.
Two brilliant tries by wings, Sticks Mbatha and Khumbulani Khoza, both converted by Juan Booyens, saw the hosts take an early lead. However, good positional play by the Piet Retief kept the men in black in the game as their fullback charged over the try line.
The first half came to an end with Vryheid holding a six-point lead over Piet Retief and the scoreboard showing 17 – 11 in favour of the hosts.
The second half played out with Piet Retief dominating territory and possession for most of the game, until a try by Francois Scheepers in the last ten minutes of the match saw Vryheid retaking the lead by a small margin.
With the scoreboard showing 27 – 24 in Vryheid’s favour in the dying moments of the match, Juan Booyens took a penalty kick from 52 metres to put the final nail in the coffin, sealing the win for the bold men in maroon with a final hard-earned score of 30 points to Piet Retief’s 27.
As the final whistle blew, the celebration began, as Vryheid’s first team claimed the title of Northern KZN Rugby League champions.
Vryheid’s first and second teams will be playing the final for the Dewar Shield (Best first division side in KZN) against the winners of the Southern KZN League, Hillcrest, as a curtain-raiser to the Sharks in Durban on July 15.
“Well done to the boys who showed a lot of character,” stated Head Coach, Rich Verster, “and thank you to the sponsors who made it possible.”
