Roodepoort Rugby Club record back-to-back wins in 2023 Castle Lager Pirates Grand Challenge

Roodepoort Rugby Club (Poorte) kept the momentum with their second win of the season.

Poorte followed up a 63-0 demolition of Alberton Rugby Club with an end-to-end thriller against Raiders Rugby Club, on May 13. Poorte would face an early test of their depth as they would be without Anton Gerber due to a family commitment as well as hard-running centre Riaan de Jager who sustained a concussion earlier in the week.

Poorte gained field position early and earned a penalty inside Raiders 22. They opted to kick it into the corner but the lineout did not go to plan. Running the clearance back they would earn a second penalty, prompting a repeat lineout attempt. Raiders disrupted the throw again but the ball bounced out, giving Poorte a third chance from five metres out. They would not pass up the opportunity again, driving over following an accurate throw.

Raiders came back strong, venturing into the Poorte 22. The defence held strong but from a clearance kick, Raiders exploited space outside and aided by some fancy footwork rounded the last defender for their opening try. In return, Poorte would work the ball downfield again, scoring from a scrum five metres out before Reinhardt Appelgrein added a third. From a chip kick by Tiaan Naude, the bounce favoured Appelgrein who regathered, popping to Quinton Englebrecht who found Appelgrein again to dive over in the corner.

Raiders would not let the game get away from them and decided to give the ball some air. Their pacey backline was causing Poorte to sweat and they ran in two well-worked tries with the accuracy from the kicking tee the difference. On the stroke of halftime, Poorte would again decline the shot at goals in favour of a lineout. The throw missed the jumper and a Raiders knock-on ended the half with the visitors leading 21-17.

Raiders came out firing in the second half and were metres from extending the lead but a knock-on with the try line beckoning spared Poorte. The visitors seemed to have control of the game as they attacked their supporters but indecision from a clearance kick broke the momentum. Urged by the fans to take a quick throw, the Raiders were closed down and a know-on gifted Poorte valuable field possession.

After earning another kickable penalty, to the lineout they went and their ambitions would be validated as Tristan Dullisear wrestled his way through the defence for Poorte’s fourth try. The middle period of the second would be played between the 22s but Poorte would win the arm wrestle. Massive scrummaging by the hosts earned them several penalties and they finally opted for the points, Naude slotting home from just outside the 22.

Jeandre van den Heever was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle for the second consecutive game but would not dent Poorte’s energy who could have extended the lead twice save for final passes going astray in the corner. The wasted chances would be punished, the Raiders’ dangerous backline again proving deadly to take the lead again. The Raiders kicker had no problem with the conversion ticking the scoreboard over to 28-25.

A defining moment came with roughly seven minutes to go when flanker Theunis Muller broke through the defence from a scrum on their 10-metre line only to be hauled down in the 22. An offside penalty gifted Poorte an attacking line out and after several phases, Dullisear produced another captain’s effort for the go-ahead try near the post to set up an easy conversion.

With the clock against them, Raiders threw caution to the wind hoping their backline could run them to victory. After gambling with a tap and go in their own half, their hands let them down and Poorte recovered the knock-on, driving home the final nail to seal a 39-28 win.

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