The Newcastle Boschpick Highlanders have ended their run in the Premier Puma League on a very successful note after beating Witbank’s I and II teams 15-12 and 46-19 respectively.
Head coach, Andre ‘Swanie’ Swanepoel, said the team had set a goal for themselves which was to win every home game and at least two away games.
“This goal was achieved, but unfortunately, with the withdrawal of Middelburg against Secunda, the Highlanders fell one point short of reaching the semi-finals,” said Swanepoel.
In their clash against Witbank, Highlanders I led 7-5 at halftime.
At one stage, Witbank, currently top of the log, pressed hard with attack after attack, but the Highlanders’ defence stood firm, forcing Witbank into making mistakes.
The Highlanders looked like the side that wanted to win more – their lineouts were good, and the backline always asked questions on attacks, leaving Witbank scrambling to try in a bid to stop them.
On defence, Witbank only scored two tries in the 80th minute.
The game changer came after a penalty was missed from the half-way line.
Sphe Dladla (22) caught Witbank’s player ball and all, and from the subsequent scrum, the Highlanders converted the penalty to lead 15-5.
Outstanding defence: Khwesa (6) was outstanding on defence. Giraffe (8) on attack did very well and was well supported by DJ Siwela (7). Buffalo (1) and Kwanda (3) carried well on attack, while captain Henk Booysen (4) led from the front and organised the lineouts to perfection backed up by Dillon de Beer (5) who played his best game of the season.
The backline possessed a lot of speed from player nine to 23 and it was a pleasure to watch.
Gumede (9) was again outstanding, while Siwela (13) had Witbank grabbing air every time he attacked. Shaka Nkosi (23) made a huge impact when he had the opportunity to do so.
“We reached our goals by winning all our home games and two away games. We might have missed the semis with one log point, but the rugby we play is exciting for the future of our club and our supporters. We have a policy that if we score more tries than our opposition, then we should win, and that is our motto,” said Swanepoel.
Points scored: Gumede (9) scored one try, and Siwela (13) scored one try. Renison (15) scored one conversion kick, and Siwela (13) scored one penalty.
“Highlanders II had a 400% improvement, winning one away game and three at home games, ending 3rd on the log.”
Highlanders III and IV will still be playing in July. One or both of these teams will be in the NKZN 3 Division finals on July 20. After that, they will participate in the knockout games starting on August 3.
The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and request an add on our WhatsApp (082 874 5550).
