VRYHEID KZN: Vryheid dominates against Pongola
When the first team jogged onto the field against the Pongola first team, they were ready for a battle until the end
The heat was on between old-time rivals Vryheid’s second team and Hluhluwe’s first team on Saturday in Pongola. Even though the Vryheid team had quite a few new players, they still managed to play an excellent game. During the first half, Vryheid made a lot of handling errors which saw Hluhluwe gaining momentum in the scrums, which they dominated. At some stage, Vryheid was behind with a score of 0-21, but they rose from the ashes like a phoenix and came back with force. Luyanda Ndlangamandla scored two tries, while Ndumiso Gcaba scored one try for Vryheid. Flanker Thami Mbatha (who is small in stature but has the heart of a lion) and Xolisani Shabangu (who was the link between the forwards and the backline) played with passion and they were both honoured with the ‘Man of the Match’ award. Vryheid eventually lost with a far more respectable score of 21-33.
When the first team jogged onto the field against the Pongola first team, they were ready for a battle until the end. Vryheid dominated the field from the kick-off with their defence, which was in excellent form. Pongola has a very strong team and they didn’t back down from Vryheid, but Vryheid was the much more powerful team on the day and left Pongola in the dust with a score of 57-17. Danie Nel and Mnotho Mathe each scored two tries, while Zakes Dlamini, Juanre Botes, Pieter Oosthuizen, Spha Ndlangamandla, Sgora Nzuza and Ben Momina each scored one try. Juanre Botes played as if he was wearing the green and gold (Springbok jersey), while Buhle Nene controlled the backline like a sergeant major. Both of these players took the crown as ‘Man of the Match’. Both games showed great sportsmanship between the teams and the referees, Marius Jonker and Cassie Kruger were very pleased with the players’ excellent attitudes on the field. A huge thank you goes to Pongola and Hluhluwe rugby clubs for their willingness to play against Vryheid, as well as a shout out to the referees and coaches. (The photos are courtesy of Pongola Rugby Club)
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