SATURDAY, 6 August saw the Toti Rugby Club first team travel to the Peter Booysen Stadium in Pietermaritzburg for their semi-final match in the Castle Murray Cup against UKZN Impi.
It was set to be a battle, with the Impi team being bolstered by a number of released Sharks squad players.
Toti received one Sharks squad player being loose head prop, Juan Schoeman. The game started off like many other games this season with Toti striking out of the starting blocks, playing with flare and structure, which saw captain Kevin Buck score two of his three tries for the day. Both were converted by firstly Jakes De Jager and secondly Le Roux van Zyl. The score was 14–0 to the Toti boys at half time.
The second half started with a penalty slotted by De Jager to take Toti into what looked like an unassailable lead of 17–0. However, Impi had other ideas and they struck back two converted tries of their own, to take the score to 17–14. Some minutes later saw Buck run in his third try for the day, taking the score to 22-14. A while later De Jager slotted another penalty, taking the scoreboard to 25-14.
It was then Impi who closed off the game with a try, leaving Toti the deserved winners with a score of 25-19. To win a game like this takes an enormous effort from all 15 players on the field.
The Eagle Canyon Spur man of the match awards went to lock John Wilsnacht and the backline man of the match went to centre Ryno Els. The main Castle Lager man of the match award to Kevin Buck for his efforts.
The Toti second team also travelled to the Pietermaritzburg stadium for their first-ever semi-final in the Castle Murray Cup against UKZN Impi.
It was Toti who scored first with a well-worked backline move that was converted. Soon thereafter Impi replied with a try of their own. However, the half changed from minute to minute, with Impi putting in some resistance and almost matching the Toti side try for try. The half time score was 26-19 for the boys from Toti.
At half time, the message was simple in that the boys needed to settle down, be patient, take control and stick to the structure. The half time chat seemed to pay off because from the start, the forwards lay good foundations for the backline.
This resulted in the Toti boys demolishing Impi. The final score was 59–19 to Toti. The day’s scorers were fullback Louis Le Grange and eighth man Mike Uppink with two tries each. Flyhalf Dan Janse van Rensburg, wings Dian Van Rooyen and Chad Kopke, centres Jacques Blignaut and Tyron Brand each scored a try. Players who also stood out were prop Travis Clarke, lock Nagel Niemand, captain Gerhard Ingram and Jacques Blignaut. It should be mentioned that every player stood up and played for one another, which has become the norm with this team.
The Eagle Canyon Spur forward man of the match award went to eighth man Mike Uppink and the backline man of the match award went to centre Jacques Blignaut.
The biggest hit of the day award went to the second team’s Travis Clarke.
The team extends big thanks to all supporters and sponsors who joined them in Pietermaritzburg. The first and second team, who will for the first time play in a final of the Castle Murray Cup, will now both come up against Durban Collegians on Saturday, 13 August at Crusaders. The club requests its loyal supporters to make their way to the Crusaders ground, wearing black and orange to support the teams in their efforts to win the age old Castle Murray Cup trophies.
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