The Walter Sisulu University (WSU) first rugby team spoiled the Intervarsity party by comprehensively beating the favoured hosts Rhodes University 28–15.
The Walter Sisulu University (WSU) first rugby team spoiled the Intervarsity party by comprehensively beating the favoured hosts Rhodes University 28–15.
The two first teams played the last match of the games on Saturday afternoon and the highly anticipated affair brought huge crowds to the university's Great Field.
The home team lost their fourth consecutive Intervarsity match. Supporters were disappointed as Rhodes, who has been beaten by Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) three times since 2009, let an early lead slip.
This Saturday’s main match was actually a clash of last year’s bottom placed sides, with WSU going down to the University of Fort Hare (UFH) at last year’s tournament.
Rhodes started out as the stronger of the two teams. They hurled themselves at the opposition without fear. The rapturous home support urged them as they struggled to establish their dominance. The Rhodes forwards looked good, and their early vigour resulted in a rumbling maul from a set piece.
The resulting ball was swung out wide to wing Kaizer Tabane, who scored an unconverted try in the corner. Rhodes looked set to take the game by the scruff of the neck. This was not to be, as WSU forwards showed fight when they started making inroads into Rhodes territory by picking and driving.
Their quick backline used the platform to run the ball out wide. So what went wrong for Rhodes? They showed bark in the game, but no bite. For too long a passage of play they camped in the opposition’s 22, without scoring points.
They failed to finish attacking moves and too many point scoring opportunities went a-begging. To make matters worse, the Rhodes kicker wasn’t converting the kicks, missing two penalties and three conversions.
Rhodes’s impotency was the lifeline WSU needed and they emerged from the changing rooms in the second half, a team transformed. Not a minute after play resumed, they kicked and chased the ball to score under the poles.
The converted try added to the penalty they scored in the first half. WSU ran rampant as Rhodes struggled to keep up. They built more and more momentum, with the forwards creating the right platform for the speedy backs to launch attacks.
Soon WSU was 16-5, courtesy of a try by wing Sbongiseni Matshikiza. Matshikiza hammered the final nail in the Rhodes coffin by holding onto an interception and running 50 metres for the score. Although Rhodes came on strongly in the second half and scored a further two tries, their efforts were not enough to contain a competent WSU team that deserved a win.
