Club’s fighting spirit not enough to win
The second team lost 47-20, while the first team was outclassed 57-0.
It was a mismatch, frustrating and hard to watch, and always a bridge too far for the Benoni Northerns Rugby Club second team as their Valke President’s Cup campaign ended in a 47-20 loss to NWU-Vaal on April 13.
But Benoni should pat themselves on the back for their fighting spirit. They didn’t take NWU’s jabs lying down. But it was a distant hope that a team playing in the lower Valke Merlin League could get one over a formidable opponent campaigning in the higher Peregrine League.
The hosts started positively, enjoying a period of possession in the NWU 22, but once Johann Nortier got over for the opponents’ first try, the floodgates opened.
NWU crossed for seven tries in a dominant display, with wingers Sphiwe Mbaya and Tshepo Masupha scoring two each, while fly-half Thabo More added seven conversions to end the match with 14 points.
Riek Myburgh, Sheldon Botha, Lex Laurens and Luthando Thokoana crossed over for the hosts, a shadow of the team that comfortably beat Meyerton on the same ground last week.
After Nortier’s try, Mbaya touched down, and More added the kick to stretch their lead to 14-0, but Myburgh pulled one back for Benoni to surprise their opponents, who showed signs of complacency.
Mbaya extended NWU’s lead after comfortably catching More’s cross-field pass. The winger sent his marker to the shops with a beautiful side-step to cross over for his second try of the day.
The left-footed More, who could kick all day without missing, added the two points before David Mokhothu went over the whitewash on the stroke of half-time as NWU went into the break leading 26-5.
Botha crossed the whitewash for Benoni immediately after half-time after capitalising on Mokhothu’s mistake in the NWU 22. The fullback outsprinted his marker to run in unchallenged, reducing the deficit to 26-10.
But Masupha increased NWU’s lead with his first try, and More again added the conversion. Afterwards, Benoni showed tremendous fighting spirit with sustained periods of pressure in the NWU half and was rewarded when Laurens went over for their third try.
The opponents, however, wrestled control quickly, and Prince Mighty and Masupha added two more tries before Thokoana scored Benoni’s fourth later on as the match ended 47-20 for NWU.
Scores:
Benoni: Tries – Riek Myburgh, Sheldon Botha, Lex Laurens and Luthando Thokoana.
NWU: Tries – Johann Nortier, Sphiwe Mbaya (two), David Mokhothu, Tshepo Masupha (two) and Prince Mighty. Conversions: Thabo More (six).
NWU’s first team ran in nine tries to outclass the Benoni first team 57-0 in the late match.
Also Read: Eight-try Benoni put Meyerton to the sword
Also Read: Benoni beat Meyerton in President’s Cup
