By Chesley Daniels
In a stunning upset, Swallows ASC delivered a clinical 22-0 drubbing of neighbours Old Collegians (OC) in their Epru Adams Cup Group D opener at the Albany Sports Ground on Saturday. The convincing win marked a significant turnaround for Swallows, who had been on the receiving end of four consecutive defeats against OC since 2024.
Swallows’ victory was built on a solid foundation of skill, determination, and teamwork. The team’s attacking prowess was showcased through tries from Jason Henson, Jason Potgieter and Antonio Mohapi.
Declan Muller’s boot also proved decisive, with two conversions and a penalty adding to the scoreboard.
The game was played in a very good spirit, but very physical and brutal with some OC players carried off the field with injuries. Swallows dominated all facets, all set pieces for the whole game, underlining their profound dominance over their neighbours. Whilst Swallows’ dominance in the scrums saw them winning numerous scrum penalties, OC were found nowhere in the contest as they were outplayed in all departments.
Swallows’ defence was also rock-solid, putting in some big hits on their opponents. OC had no real intentions to attack and score tries and preferred to play a kicking game and giving the ball away in the process.
Swallows’ 1st Res reinforced the team’s dominance with a 20-12 win over OC’s 1st Res. This victory underscores Swallows’ depth and quality across all levels.
Swallows’ impressive win sends a strong message about their intentions in the Adams Cup. After being written off by many, the team has proven they are a force to be reckoned with. Can they continue this form and make a deep run in the competition? Only time will tell.
The powerful 135kg front ranker of Swallows Jerome Blaauw was voted man of the match for his outstanding all-round performance on the day. He was rock-solid in the scrums with his powerful scrumming and made a lot of line breaks on attack and was also dangerous on defence with his big hits.
Swallows’ senior player, Stefan Mentoor, praised his team’s performances and was delighted with their opening win in the Adams Cup competition. “Our preseason games and testing of combinations, paid dividends in getting the new team and players getting used to each other. The game was very physical and we can be proud of our defence and dominance in all departments.
“We missed a lot of tries that we think we should have scored, but were not given due to AR calls. We should also work on our discipline considering the amount of penalties we conceded. Still a lot of hard work is ahead for us with the season still very long.”
