Rover Shock Tukkies

College Rovers and Brakpan ensured that an open club will play in the final of this year’s SAA National Club Champs, after both teams shocked their more fancied university opponents in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

An early try from scrumhalf Neil Cole saw KZN champions College Rovers race into a 13-0 lead in as many minutes against the Blue Bulls students, after which they defended heroically to run out deserved victors.

Left wing Oscar Mfundisi brought Tukkies back into the game with a long-range breakout from their own tryline before the students cut the deficit to a single point when flyhalf Chandré Bosshoff dived in at the corner and then converted it himself with Rovers leading by a slender 13 points to 12 at the break.

Rovers however stuck to their guns and scored two further tries through classy Sharks fullback Chris Jordaan and wing Wesley Bodmer, to open up a 25-12 lead with 20 minutes remaining. Flyhalf Andrew Borgen added the rest of the points for Rovers with two conversions and two penalties.

RESULTS:

PREMIER QUARTER-FINALS:
Tukkies (12) 12 College Rovers (13) 25
UJ (6) 11 Pukke (5) 17
Ixias (10) 13 Brakpan (3) 18
Maties (20) 44 Roses United (5) 5

PLATE QUARTER-FINALS:
Buffalo (3) 13 SK Walmers (16) 26
Welkom (3) 9 Bridgton (5) 15
Raiders (10) 32 Nelspruit (14) 34
Kimberley Police (17) 22 Despatch (12) 26

BOWL:
Gardens (18) 35 Barbarians (9) 22
Nova Wesbank (17) 17 Eersterust (0) 15

With KZN champions Rovers surprisingly convincing 25-12 winners against Tukkies, and Valke champions Brakpan beating the CUT Ixias 18-13, the two sides will contest the first semifinal on Thursday.

The other semi will feature university powerhouses Maties, the defending champions, up against 2006 title holders Pukke. Stellenbosch accounted for Boland champions Roses United, 44-5, in the main game while the Potch students beat archrivals the University of Johannesburg 17-11 in the day’s first quarterfinal.

The plate semifinals draw has also dished up some mouthwatering matchups: Eastern Province Despatch take on WP’s SK Walmers, while Mpumalanga champions Nelspruit take on SWD’s Bridgton.

Fixtures for Thursday 11 September:

FRIENDLIES:
10am Welkom v Raiders; UJ v Roses United
11.30am Buffalo v Kimberley Police; CUT Ixias v Tukkies

BOWL (final round):
10am Eersterust v Gardens
11.30am Nova Wesbank v Barbarians

PLATE (semifinals)
10am SK Walmers v Despatch
11.30am Bridgton v Nelspruit

PREMIER (semifinals)
2pm Brakpan v College Rovers
4pm Pukke v Maties

- ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY UNION