Victory for WBPS; WHS and Gym win in the north
Schools rugby
Title holder Samsung WHS is now the only unbeaten team left – although OK Moria is still hanging on to the leading position.
Namib Diesel Walvis Bay Private High School (WBPS) was the dominant team on Saturday when they defeated their coastal rival, Pro-Ed Academy, in a Namibia Secondary Schools Rugby (NSSR) under-19 premier league match.The match played at Swakopmund ended 36-17 in favour of WBPS.
Pro-Ed set out to assert dominance on their home ground, opening the scoreboard with a try, but WBPS retaliated with a try soon after. Conversions for both teams proved challenging due to the strong east wind.
Pro-Ed soon found another gap in the orange team's defensive line, to go 10-5 in front, but their score remained unchanged for the remainder of the first half, while WBPS managed to add two more converted tries and two conversions, bringing the halftime score to 19-10.
In the second half, WBPS ramped up their attack, scoring three additional tries and one conversion, taking their final score to 36 points. Pro-Ed Academy came back with a vengeance in the final five minutes, scoring and converting one more try, but it was too little and too late.
WBPS captain and hooker Tiaan van der Westhuizen scored two tries for his team, with one each by wing Silvano de Klerk, flank Valintino Niigambo and centre Baron van Wyk. Three conversions by fly-half Adriaan Boonzaaier sailed through the uprights.
Van der Westhuizen said his team underperformed in the first half.
“We gave tries away, but in the second half, after the coaches had a word with us, we really started playing rugby. The first half was a bit shocking, but the boys played well in the second half.”
Next Saturday, WBPS (now fifth) will face Windhoek Afrikaans Private School (sixth) in the capital.
“Our plan is to win and to stay in the U19 Super League contention,” he said.
Top of the log
Reigning title holders Samsung Windhoek High School had success on their trip to face previously unbeaten log leaders OK Moria at Outjo, taking the winning points by 31-19.
Moria’s Bears delivered a very competitive performance, especially in the tight exchanges. WHS’s ability to create space for its backline runners enabled the visitors to eventually take the result away from the Outjo team with two late tries.
Captain and flank Pieter Jan Strydom was again among the try scorers for the WHS Kudu Bulls, along with centre Caleb Buys, while scrumhalf Dominique Isaacs scored two tries after being sent on to replace Damian Klein.
WHS fly-half Mc-Rein van Wyk had a good day off the kicking tee, with all four conversions and one penalty.
Loose-forwards Armand Esterhuizen and Keyo Kruger, as well as centre Jano Erasmus scored tries for Moria.
The result leaves Moria (47 points from six matches) still hanging on to their first position of the nine teams, but WHS (43 from five matches) has one match in hand and is the only unbeaten team so far.
Whk Gym wins at Tsumeb
With five tries to one, King Price Windhoek Gymnasium remained firmly placed in the running for the play-off positions after Saturday’s 29-7 away win against Compack Tsumeb Gymnasium.
For the winners, fullback Jaydrian Jansen, left wing Hanre Cocklin, nr 8 and captain Vincent Scholtz, flank Lihan Horn and scrumhalf Jan Daniël de Villiers each scored a try. Conditions for kicking at goal proved more troublesome, with centre JD Jankowitz and flyhalf JD Meintjies only succeeding with one attempt each.
Windhoek Gymnasium coach Mauritz Thirion says it was a tough assignment as always, and Tsumeb played well.
“It was a windy day, but a physical and clean battle played in a great spirit, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
“We dominated in the first twenty minutes, but Tsumeb came back strongly in the stretch before halftime, before we took control again in the second half. I’m proud of our boys, who gave everything.
“Tsumeb should still be a considerable factor in the playoffs. We also look forward to hosting Moria at our Lions Den next weekend.”
Thirion said Gymnasium has some concern regarding their prop Rudolph Harmse, who will be assessed this week after leaving the field with a probable knee ligament injury.
For Tsumeb, Emile Kuhn (normally a lock, who played tighthead) scored their only try, which wing Grant Ras converted.
Tsumeb coach Wouter Niehaus congratulated the Windhoek team, describing their performance as “typically structured and well-polished”.
“Although our Tsumeb boys gave them a physical challenge, we just did not have enough experience on the field to swing the momentum back in our favour,” Niehaus said.
WAP take points at Stampriet
Autohaus Windhoek Affies climbed from seventh to sixth with their 40-17 away win against Farmstyle Elnatan (halftime 17-7).
Affies fullback Carter Loubser stood out with three tries and five conversions, for 25 points on the day. He was also named player of the match, in the FNB Classic Clashes fixture between these schools, while Elnatan’s loose-forward Bootje Booysen was named the best forward.
Besides Loubser’s contribution, the prop Panda Shipena, wing Dreyer Oberholzer and scrumhalf Malan Esterhuizen pushed up Affies’ try tally to six.
For Elnatan, fly-half Janco Esterhuizen and Henru scored five-pointers.
• Results, fixtures and log standings at www.rugby.my.na/