Hillcrest Villagers bag mixed results
The Land Rover Durban - Hillcrest Villagers' Rugby Club said the next two games in the league are crucial.
ON Saturday, the Land Rover Durban – Hillcrest Villagers’ Rugby Club made their way to Winterton on a dry and sunny day to take on the Drakensberg Rugby Club.
The Villagers’ knew it would again be a tough challenge as they played them in the pre-season friendly and only won by a 7-point margin.
The 2nd XV team took on the Voortrekker Rugby Club, which represents the Drakensberg 2nd XV side, in a match that saw both teams compete for the top-of-the-table spot.
Although the Villagers started well, the hosts absorbed the pressure and countered with a flurry of tries to reach a score of 21 – 0 shortly after half time.
As the Voortrekker team tired, the spirited fight back began. Gaps opened up and the visitors started scored try after try.
Unfortunately, the Hillcrest Villagers 2nd side was beaten by the clock, even though victory looked on the cards, with a final score of 26 – 24 to the hosts.
Although it was a heart-breaking result, the local team was upbeat and hope to take that confidence forward. Man of the Match went to Bradley Cohen (forwards) and Brandon Young (backs).
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In the 1st XV match, the Hillcrest Villagers had it all to play for as a bonus point win would be essential to keep the pace with the other contenders in the league.
Basic errors were made from the kick-off and the hosts scored first. The Villagers immediately struck back and scored two tries in quick session.
Pressure on defence led to two more breakaway tries just before the half, with the score at 26 – 7 at the break.
The never-say-die attitude of the hosts once again prevailed as they scored two tries right after halftime.
The experience and structures of the Hillcrest Villagers’ team however allowed them to close off the game with a solid 38 – 22 victory.
Man of the Match went to Robbie Skilton (backs) and to Sphe Khambule (forwards).
The club’s head coach, Mike De Kock, said, “The next two weeks are crucial in the race for the league as our teams take on UKZN and South Coast Warriors away from home.”
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