Kudus bounce back to win coastal rivalry
FNB Kudus retained the Herbie Fransman Cup in dominant fashion on Saturday after defeating coastal rival FNB Dolphin 45-12 in an entertaining NRU Premier League clash at the Jan Wilken Stadium in Walvis Bay.
The coastal derby once again drew strong local support as the two sides battled it out in honour of Kudu legend Herbie Fransman. The cup has become a tradition over the past three years between the two leading coastal clubs.
Kudus had narrowly lost their previous match 43-36 against United two weekends ago. Dolphin arrived with some confidence after accumulating 12 log points from their first three matches, which had put them in fourth spot on the log and one place ahead of the defending champions.
Kudus fullback Aston Mukwiilongo wasted no time stamping his authority, crossing for a try shortly after kick-off. The home side continued to apply pressure throughout the first half, showing physical dominance and exploiting gaps in Dolphin’s defensive line.
Centre Tonderai Ndudzo scored a try right under the goalposts, giving flyhalf Aurelio Plato an easy conversion (12-0).
Dolphin missed a penalty attempt, before Kudus captain and nr 8 Alexander Jansen added to the tally with another try from a line-out and quick passing sequence. Plato converted.
Ndudzo went on to score his second try, before left wing Lucio Isaacs put his speed on display, chasing the ball to score his first try of the day. Plato converted.
By the break, the hosts had built a commanding 31-0 advantage, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb in the second half.
The young Dolphin side showed some resilience and managed to score through nr 8 Shaun Useb, who found a gap on the right side. Kudus responded swiftly, with Isaacs scoring his second try, which Plato again converted.
Dolphin added another try through centre Ronaldo Diergaardt, with fly-half Maughan Jarman adding the conversion.
The home side maintained momentum, with Mukwiilongo scoring his second try of the match, while Plato’s reliable boot sealed the deal.
Kudus celebrated retaining the trophy, while their two bonus points (for seven tries) allowed them to climb from fifth to third place.
Red and yellow card
Afterwards, Kudus coach Cameron Langenhoven praised his side’s determination, especially after spending large portions of the game with reduced numbers.
Hooker Jarren Koning was red-carded after about 20 minutes for head contact in a tackle, while lock Adriaan Ludick later also spent ten minutes in the sin bin for a no-arms tackle.
“It was a misty day in Walvis Bay with nice conditions for rugby and not a lot of wind. We pulled through the victory through sheer grit and determination,” he said.
“Despite the disciplinary setbacks, when we were reduced to 14 and later also playing with 13, the guys were still able to push through.”
The newly appointed coach says Kudus has shown improvement since the start of the season and will shift focus to their next fixture away against FNB Grootfontein in three weeks’ time.
Langenhoven also acknowledged the significance of the Herbie Fransman Cup tradition.
“We play for the Herbie Fransman Cup, one of our old Kudu legends. I think this is the third year we are competing for the trophy and we have won it every year so far. It’s an honour to continue this tradition and show respect to our Kudu legends,” he said.
He thanked the supporters for turning out in numbers.
“Kudus has the biggest crowd in the league. Thank you to our fans and sponsors for supporting the team and helping us get over the line.”
Looking to regroup
Dolphin coach Hauta Veii admitted his side were denied any momentum in the opening half.
“We knew the intensity in the first half would be very high and if we held on, we could get back into the game. But unfortunately, the game slipped away in the first half already,” he said.
Veii nevertheless praised his players’ second-half response.
“I’m very proud of how the boys came back after halftime. For about 20 to 30 minutes we were doing really well, but we lost the game in the first half.”
Looking ahead, Veii said the break before their next fixture (home against United, 06 June) will allow the side time to recover and improve defensively.
“We have a few weeks off, so we’re hoping to get injured players back. We have a lot to sort out, especially our defence. We couldn’t defend for enough phases, but we now have time to work on the details.”
He reckons supporters can expect a “much better” performance in the coastal derby’s return leg in Swakopmund. “We have a very young team and they are improving all the time.”
• The NRU Reserve League encounter earlier in the day also saw the side in blue securing a dominant 50-3 victory against Dolphin II.
