By Chesley Daniels
Swallows 1st XV ended their EPRU SEDRU Regional League campaign unbeaten, with a clinical 24-20 win over hosts Rhodes Stallions at the Rhodes University Great Field on the evening of 16 August 2023.
Swallows is the only unbeaten side in the competition with 12 out of 12 wins for the season. They rightfully earned the SEDRU undisputed champs accolade as deserved log leaders with 53 points from their 12 matches. Old Collegians are in second position on 35 (11), and Rhodes is in third with 28 (9) and three games in hand.
FIRST HALF
The first half was evenly matched with both teams coming very hard at each other and launching wave after wave of attacks. Log leaders, Swallows drew first blood in the 10th minute when lanky and aggressive lock forward, the evergreen Ivan Mot Agnew, crossed over for a well-worked try. Fly-half Zenovan Denston made no mistake and gave the Birds a 7-0 lead. Rhodes kept on coming hard at the visitors and was rewarded with a try by winger Ethan Daniels Sonanze in the right-hand corner, after confusion in the own goal area by the Swallows players.
SECOND HALF
A brilliant 40m sprint by loose forward Jaco Buys extended the lead for Swallows with a try under the poles. Denston converted as Swallows led 14-5. Denston was in the act again with a penalty for Swallows and the lead became 17-5. Another superb play by Denston followed when he neatly offloaded to scrumhalf Ethan Williams who scored next to the poles. Denston again converted and Swallows took a commanding 24-8 lead. The Stallions didn’t lie down either and started throwing the ball around especially in broken play, putting Swallows under some pressure on attack. This yielded dividends for them when winger Tatenda Kamdengwa crossed over while Jano Rouw converted. Ethan Daniels Sonanze scored an excellent individualistic try towards the end of the second half in the right-hand corner to give his side a snuff for a win, 20-24 to Swallows.
Swallows held their nerve and defended like champions, preventing the students from scoring the winning try. On the stroke of full time, Rhodes received a penalty 22m out and decided to kick for poles instead of attacking. Jano Roux kicked the ball into the hands of Swallows within 10m and possession was back in Swallows’ favour. The ball then went into touch after a wild pass and the final whistle went off with Swallows marching off the park as deserved 24-20 winners and SEDRU Champs.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Ethan Slang September was voted the Grocott’s Mail/Daniels MEDIA Man of the Match for his all-round brilliance and consistent performance throughout the game. He was all over the park, carrying the ball with his powerful and storming attacking runs, gaining metres every time he touched the ball. Slang was just a monster and was in the faces of his opponents from the kickoff. He was a constant headache until the final whistle. He was also involved in a few of the tries for his team.
LATEST EPRU SEDRU REGIONAL LEAGUE LOG AS AT 16 AUGUST 2023
- SWALLOWS – 53 (12)
- OLD COLLEGIANS – 35 (11)
- RHODES – 28 (9)
- KOWIE UNITED – 24 (11)
- KLIPFONTEIN UNITED – 23 (9)
- NDLAMBE TIGERS – 12 (11)
- ROSEBUDS – 4 (9)
