Owls celebrate historic yet thrilling win over Brakpan

Such was the ecstasy, it even reduced club chairman Danie Matthee to tears as the Owls began the campaign in the best possible way by earning their first victory over the formidable champions since 2014.

The win was secured just moments after kicker PJ Beukes converted a high-pressure penalty from a Brakpan obstruction to give the home side a one-point lead to make the score 18-17 in the dying minutes.

The visitors inevitably went on full-out attack as both teams’ desperation grew, but Boksburg turned the ball over deep inside their territory.

With the crowd fully behind them, the red and white suddenly grew in confidence and went for the lottery of running instead of kicking.

They quickly spread the ball until it got into the hands of David Woolls, who ran half the length of the pitch before accurate off-loading involving a number of Owls released Lewis, who went on to dive under the posts.

Beukes converted and that was all she wrote for the stunned champions.

It was a win the home side could have easily thrown away, as multiple handling errors throughout the game, and especially in the first half, undid good build-up work from multiple phases that was well-directed by the half-back pairing of Johan Labuschagne and former Brakpan fly-half Ashley Buchler.

Labuschagne was later announced as the man of the match.

Woolls put the first points on the scoreboard as he dotted down early on to give the home side the lead. Beukes failed to convert.

Brakpan scored an unconverted try of their own to cut the lead, but it was the Owls who dictated play, with Buchler’s delicious passes causing trouble for Brakpan’s defensive line.

However, the Owls just couldn’t fashion a way to add to their lead, as a mixture of handling errors and good defending from the visitors kept them at bay.

With the cagey first stanza drawing to an end, the visitors showed their class and took a 12-8 lead for the first time in the match from a 5m scrum.

Boksburg retook the lead after the break as Jamie Evans forced his way over the line before Beukes secured the following deuce.

The visitors scored a five-pointer of their own to take a 17-15 lead, which wasn’t converted, before both kickers from either side missed crucial penalties with 15 minutes on the clock.

A potential game-changing point soon followed as Owls centre Jacques Bouma was sent to the sin bin.

But the gods of rugby were seemingly with the PG Park outfit as Beukes was presented with a chance to reclaim the lead around the area were Bouma received his marching orders.

The experienced fullback made no mistake and put the 14 men in the lead. With hearts in throats, Lewis killed off the champions and Beukes slotted the much-easier conversion.

Coach Marcell Fourie, who gave his side the hairdryer treatment right in the middle of the pitch during the half-time break, said: “I told the boys that if there was a time to beat Brakpan, it was today. I’m very passionate about the game and I’m very proud of my players, who put their bodies on the line.” – @SabeloBoksburg