Three yellow cards handed out after a scuffle following allegations of a racist remark marred the otherwise exciting reunion match between PJ Olivier and Kirkwood high schools on Saturday afternoon.
A late penalty from substitute Tiaan Crous gave PJ Olivier a 20-17 victory over Kirkwood at the Grahamstown school's fields.
Handling errors from both teams marked the early stages of the game, which saw PJ pinned to their own 22 metre line and Kirkwood looking like the more likely team to run away with the game.
PJ was 12-7 behind at half-time, largely because of Kirkwood flyhalf JC Pattaway, who contributed 7 points – a try and a conversion.
The other points in the half came in the form of a try scored by winger CK Lushuli.
Speedster Ruan Pagel scored the only try for PJ in the first half – converted by Alvino Williams.
The second half was a different affair, with PJ racking up 13 points to the visitors' 5 to take the closely contested match.
Three yellow cards handed out after a scuffle following allegations of a racist remark marred the otherwise exciting reunion match between PJ Olivier and Kirkwood high schools on Saturday afternoon.
A late penalty from substitute Tiaan Crous gave PJ Olivier a 20-17 victory over Kirkwood at the Grahamstown school's fields.
Handling errors from both teams marked the early stages of the game, which saw PJ pinned to their own 22 metre line and Kirkwood looking like the more likely team to run away with the game.
PJ was 12-7 behind at half-time, largely because of Kirkwood flyhalf JC Pattaway, who contributed 7 points – a try and a conversion.
The other points in the half came in the form of a try scored by winger CK Lushuli.
Speedster Ruan Pagel scored the only try for PJ in the first half – converted by Alvino Williams.
The second half was a different affair, with PJ racking up 13 points to the visitors' 5 to take the closely contested match.
The first points of the second half came when Williams was alert to the dangers facing him, defending a two-man overlap.
He decided to gamble and go for the intercept – and it paid, as he ran the length of the field to score underneath the posts.
He also successfully converted, gaining his school the extra 2 points.
With 10 minutes to go, the PJ defence went to sleep, allowing a Kirkwood player to walk over the line from a ruck close to the post, levelling the score. The resulting conversion was missed.
This set the stage for second-half substitute, Tiaan Crous, who took over kicking duties from Williams and put over the last-ditch penalty to win the match.
Before the match, PJ Olivier coach, Lydon Brandt, said, “I have a good feeling about today,” despite the fact that the school had come into the match without one of their star players, flyhalf Grathan Windvogel.
At one point in the game, three yellow cards were issued after a fight broke out on the field.
wo Kirkwood players and PJ Olivier scrumhalf Asaphila Zani were issued yellow cards after a scuffle following an alleged racist remark.
