Police draw sets up a winner-takes-all clash with Teachers

In the first men’s rugby game of the afternoon, Police took on Renegades in a hotly-anticipated rematch.

In their last encounter ‘Gades demolished Police up front and there were plenty of scores to settle from that affair.

Police fielded a veritable hodgepodge side as they were missing several key players who were either off island or injured.

Police coach Roedolf van der Westhuizen dusted off his RWC boots and started alongside Police Chairman Sean Field-Lament, who came out of retirement for a one-off game — underlining not only the importance of the game but also how bare the cupboards were for the Blues.

Renegades were fielding a strong side with the return of John Quigley in the centre bolstering a dangerous-looking back line.

The Police gained early ascendancy and looked to expose Renegades out wide.

Set-piece ball by Adam Richards and Ben Beasley was quickly shifted to their danger men on the wings and the strategy paid dividends as Tommy Edwards opened the scoring with a strong finish.

Dan Cole knocked over the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

From the restart, Police forwards set up a good platform and the ball was recycled out to the speedster Neville Zuille who fought his way over for an unconverted try.

Police were in control and looked to close down the first half with a 12-point lead. However, Renegades showed character and ground their way into the Police 22.

Recycled ball saw Alex Donkervoet power through some weak tackling for a converted try deep into injury time.

The 12-7 half time score did not reflect Police’s dominance and the second half saw Renegades’ belief grow as their gnarly set of forwards began to make in-roads and some massive runs by a invigorated Quigley in the centre ensured the Gades were on the front foot.

Renegades had the try line in sight and with the Police reeling on the ropes like a punch-drunk heavyweight prize fighter, national team scrum half Tom Healy displayed immense sportsmanship and told the referee to stop play as a Police player had a bloody head injury.

The game was stopped and Tom Edwards was carried off for treatment to a nasty cut to the top of his head.

From the scrum restart Renegades continued to knock away and with the front door barred by stout tackling, Healy shifted the ball down the blind side and let winger Angus Warnich glide over way out wide to score in the corner. Rich Cumbers sliced the difficult conversion and things were tied up at 12-12.

A cynical killing of the ball saw referee John Weale award a kickable penalty to Police, however a quick tap was taken by van der Westhuizen who ploughed over several opposition players to score in the corner.

The difficult sideline conversion was missed but Police regained the lead 17-12, arguably against the flow of play.

Renegade’s confidence was growing and some quick recycling saw them expose the blind side again and Donkervoet scored his second out wide on a three-on-two overlap from 10 yards out.

The conversion was agonizingly missed by Cumbers, who was having an unlucky time with the boot.

Renegades’ Warnich scored again to take the lead for the first time of the game and he also secured a bonus point for scoring four tries. The conversion was once again missed but with less than 12 minutes left, Renegades had a tenuous 22-17 lead.

A series of controlled recycling saw Police forwards led by Nick West make valuable yards. A surging run by Cobus Vermaak produced quick ball and blue scrum half John Stathakis capitalized on the subsequent gap to dart over from twenty five yards out- tying the score again at 22 -22.

Police full back Dan Cole stepped up to kick the conversion but it sneaked excruciatingly wide right by inches to deny Police a deserved win in a fantastic game of rugby. Both teams shared honours in a bonus-point tie.

Police temporally regained the lead in league standings and they held out hope that a Mariners victory over chasing Teachers would give them the league title.

Teachers 34-0 Mariners

This match was worth double points to both sides as a way of making up for a previously cancelled game.

So Teachers knew that an emphatic bonus-point win would ensure that they took a two-point lead in the league standings heading into the last round and an unimaginable loss would hand the league title to Police.

Mariners were looking to build on their improving form as a way of preparing for the approaching Nichol Shield knockout competition.

The game started off well and both teams looked to impose their will on the other. Neither team could gain the ascendancy and a battle of attrition slowly evolved up front.

The crucial breakthrough came when Mariners talisman Tony Ward went off with a suspected shoulder injury.

The burly back-rower’s absence was immediately felt as the Reds gained dominance in the forwards with strong runs by Taeshon Desilva and the noisy Anthony “Church” Cupidore.

The first try came from series of strong forward drives with Peter Otin crossing over after 20 minutes. The conversion was knocked over by Shauntino “Puppy” Simmons for a slender 7-0 lead. Both teams looked to spin the ball wide and the dangerous combination of Chakote Wainwright, Rory Dublin and Jamel Easton bodes well for the Mariner’s long-term future.

However, it was a surging run by the ageless Harry Andrews from the Teacher full-back position that extended the Reds lead to 12-0 at the half time.

Teachers scored four unanswered tries in the final 20 minutes of an intense game.

Patrick Richardson’s solo effort gave the Reds a commanding 17-0 lead and then a sniping run by feisty scrum-half David Porter ensured the bonus point for the Reds.

Up 22-0, the Reds began to get the bit between their teeth. Mariners played on gamely but their collective will was sapped when a powerful run by the versatile Aldo Campbell saw the big man take the score to 27-0.

In the dying embers of a fiery game, the try of the day came from Teacher speedster Corey Boyce, who collected a probing kick deep in his own 22-metre area.

A scintillating weaving run of nearly 90 meters showcased the national team winger’s pace and vision. He touched down near the posts and Simmons converted to put an exclamation mark on a fine 34-0 Teachers victory. The bonus point win lifted Teachers two point above a hurting Police side with a mouthwatering winner-takes-all encounter next weekend.

Ladies rugby

Mariners and Teachers played to a competitive 1-1 draw in their ladies’ rugby match, with Gilliam Smith scoring for the Reds and Denika Borden striking back for the Mariners.

In the other game, league champions Police outlasted a fired-up Renegades team 6-4.

With both teams looking to play expansive rugby, the spectators were treated to a 10-try display of open rugby.

Police got three tries from Isabel van der Westhuizen and additional scores from Joanne Godfry, Joanne Hickley and Jeane Hofmeyer, while Melissa Franklin, Kacie Birch each scored one and Rebekah Kasumu bagged a brace for Renegades

League tables:

Men’s  League

Women’s League