East Rand United juniors win Peregrine League
East Rand United’s u-21 side overturned a four-point first-half deficit to win by 35-14 over Vereeniging, in an entertaining Valke Peregrine League final match, in Kempton Park, on Saturday, August 6.
The Barnard Stadium, which traditionally hosts all the finals across the various Valke leagues, is becoming a good hunting ground for the Reiger Park-based club, with the u-21 victory arriving a year after the unforgettable Merlin League triumph by their seniors.
United’s juniors enjoyed a fast start to the game and raced to a 10-0 lead early on, only to be pegged back by lapses of concentration, which allowed Vereeniging to claw their way back before taking a 14-10 half-time lead.
Rejuvenated by the half-time team talk, the local side began the second stanza the same way they began the first. Whatever coach Stephen Nel told them seemed to have worked wonders, as his troops kept Vereeniging scoreless, before scoring 25 points themselves, for the convincing win.
United’s blockbusting outside centre, Jacky Jonkers, made his presence felt for the first time in the 16th minute, with a powerful run which helped to create United’s first real chance of the game, but Vereeniging successfully got rid of the threat inside their own 22 metre line.
With momentum on their side, Nel’s men kept up the pressure, sharing the ball well and which creating gaps in the Vereeniging defence.
The continued pressure finally told in the 20th minute, when United’s wing, Ruben Joubert, opened the scoring with a well-taken try, before mercurial fly-half Jeandre Lucas’s conversion.
Lucas almost immediately received a chance to extend his side’s lead, from a penalty, after Jonkers had been adjudged to have fairly won the ball on the ground deep in Vereeniging’s half.
The halfback made no mistake and made it 10-0.
The try seemed to help Vereeniging to get out of their shell and they immediately hit back through Ruan Ludick, after a neat team move.
Scrumhalf Thabo Kobus added the extras from the resulting conversion and United’s lead was suddenly cut to just three.
Following a lengthy period, with the score deadlocked at 10-7 in United’s favour, they made a mistake which Vereeniging punished.
United fullback Samson received the ball deep in his half and with time on his hands, but, he opted for a reckless, aimless kick which went out on the full.
The green and red swiftly spread the ball from coast to coast from the resulting line-out, before pacey wing Christiaan Franke raced to the try-line and marked an end to his side’s best period in the game.
Vereeniging were dealt a massive blow from the second-half kick-off, when key prop Broge Ré lost two front teeth and sustained a nasty cut from a freakish accident.
Blindside flank Michàl Collins restored United’s lead with the half’s opening try, which Lucas again converted to make it 17-14.
Lucas would extend the lead to six, from a penalty won by Jonkers, after again winning the ball on the ground deep in Vereeniging’s half.
United were controlling both the possession and territory, but the score-line would remain at 20-14 for a fairly lengthy period.
The game was at this stage in need of excitement and United’s No 10 gave it just that as he produced a piece of magic from a move stemming from a line-out move deep inside his side’s half.
The fly-half received the ball and chipped it to himself around the 50m mark; he successfully re-gathered before sprinting and diving under the posts. He converted his own score.
His teammate and Jonkers’ midfield partner, JP Fleming, would add another try moments later, which killed-off Desmond Lamont’s men.
Lucas missed the resulting conversion, but the No 10 would have the last laugh as he put the nail in Vereeniging’s coffin, with a penalty to extend his side’s lead to 21.
Scorers
United: Tries: Ruben Joubert, Michàl Collins, Jeandre Lucas, JP Fleming. Conversions: Jeandre Lucas (3).
Penalties: Jeandre Lucas (3)
Vereeniging: Tries: Ruan Ludick, Christiaan Franke
Conversions: Thabo Kobus (2)
United: 15 Samson Mbengeni, 14 Ruben Joubert, 13 Jackie Jonkers, 12 JP Fleming, 11 Stefan Britz, 10 Jeandre Lucas, 9 Damian Jooste; 8 Jaco Herselman, 7 Michàl Collins, 6 Martin Boddington, 5 Lionel Meintjies, 4 Quinton van der Schyff (c), 3 Marcell Beukman, 2 Brandon-Lee Haywood, 1 Khahliso Thabana. Subs: 16 Thys Myburgh, 17 Marciano Teixeira, 18 Sheldon van der Westhuizen, 19 Tarrquin van der Westhuizen, 20 Cobus Pelser, 21 Shawn Redgard, 22 Juan Hattingh – @SabeloBoksburg
