In their FNB Classic Clash in Cradock on Saturday afternoon Oakdale of Riversdale beat their hosts Marlow 14-12 in an excellent match on a perfect day for rugby.
Oakdale scored two tries in the first half and led 14-0 at the break, but the home side came back with two tries of their own with only a conversion's difference. That said, for most of the second half the score was 14-5 and Lood de Jager's try came in the last move of the match.
Oakdale suffered three big injuries - to flyhalf Christian Willemse in the first 10 minutes, outstanding centre Michael Bernardt, who suffered a broken jaw and captain François van der Vyver. This made survival difficult.
It was a hard match. Oakdale dominated the scrums, Marlow the line-outs, and all in all there was not much to choose between the two sides - as was the came for most of the other 12 rugby matches as well.
The two agricultural schools get on really well. On the Friday before the match the two sets of coaches went hunting together and bagged 16 buck, which may well end as biltong. When Marlow go down to Riversdale, the Oakdale coached take the Marlow coaches fishing. And then there are huge braais. It is, as Oakdale said this time, 'a nice outing'.
Scorers:
For Oakdale:
Tries: Michael Bernardt, Dewald de Lange
Cons: Dewald de Lange 2
For Marlow:
Tries: Lood de Jager, Robbie Brunsdon
Con: Louis Snyman
Teams
Marlow: 15 Louis Snyman, 14 Juan van Schalkwyk, 13 Marnus Ferreira, 12 Lood de Jager, 11 Robert Brunsdon, 10 Marlow van Niekerk, 9 Kobie van der Walt, 8 Paul Schoeman, 7 Bennie Kitching, 6 Ricky van Straaten, 5 Ines Pretorius, 4 Henfred Linde, 3 Olivier Dippenaar, 2 Corrie van Zyl, 1 Dean Ferreira
Replacements: 16 Johan van der Vyver, 17 George Annandale, 18 Daniël Holmes, 19 Melville Gravett, 20 Luan van der Walt, 21 Zubin Baartman, 22 Stefan Schutte
Oakdale: 15 Ryno Wepener, 14 Jandri Meyer, 13 12 Dewald de Lange, 11 Lex Botha, 10 , 9 JP Joubert, 8 Juandré Rudolph, 7 Janneman Stander, 6 (captain), 5 Ruan Snyman, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Kabous van Schalkwyk, 2 Simon Snyman, 1 Piet Louw Strauss
Referee: Phillip Bosch (Eastern Province Referees' Society)
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