There were close margins in Durban and Despatch in Saturday’s SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division second round matches, but not so in Hawston where DHL Western Province notched up 50 points in their clash with Boland Dames.
The Capetonians scored eight tries – six of those by their backs – as the ran the Boland side ragged to win by 52-7. The match was played in front of a lively Overberg crowd of close to 3000 people, but they had little to cheer for as the sheer pace and class of DHL WP’s backs proved too much for the host team.
The midfield combination of Chumisa Qawe and Shaunique Hess showed why they are also South Africa’s international centre pair and they created a number of attacking opportunities, resulting in right wing, Asiphe Mayaba, getting a second hat-trick in as many games.
Mayaba has now scored six tries in two Women’s Premier Division matches.
Incumbent Springbok Women right wing, Nomawethu Mabenge of the EP Queens, was also on the score sheet, this time against the Border Ladies in Despatch.
Her sixth try of the campaign – she scored five last weekend – proved the only shot fired by the Queens though, as they were beaten by 18-8 by the defending champions at a wet De Wet Stadium.
EP could not get going at all, despite dominating the scrums, and too often dropped the ball or ran out of options, and they hardly sent the ball wide to the dangerous Mabenge.
Border held a 6-3 lead at the break after two penalty goals by fullback Siphenathi Yeko, with EP’s points coming from the boot of fullback, Raylene Noubos.
Mabenge’s try – when she held off two defenders to score in the corner – handed the Queens a two-point lead early in the second half, but that was it for the home side. Their Eastern Cape opponents scored twice through Springbok Women’s Sevens wing Snenhlanhla Shozi, with Yeko converting one.
The win will boost the Border side after they were blanked 31-0 by the Bulls Daisies – who had a bye this weekend – last Saturday.
The Mastercard Golden Lions Women also showed a big improvement from last weekend. They conceded 48 to the Queens in the opening round, but managed to push the Cell C Sharks to the wire in Durban, with the home side winning 17-12.
The KwaZulu-Natalians were forced into three backline changes from last weekend and that impacted their effort, as they were way too individualistic in the backs. The home team’s lineouts also were shambles to say the least.
Lions coach Timmy Goodwin would have been happy with the way his troops handled the ball in wet conditions and by doing so, delivered a number of sustained attacks.
It was a tight affair all match, with neither team managing score by halftime. Tries by Lindelwa Gwala (hooker), Mary Zulu (flyhalf) and Sisanda Ndlela (centre) eased the Sharks past a determined Lions team, who scored two late tries via replacement lock Akhona Nkosi.
Round two scoring summary:
Boland Dames 7 (0), DHL Western Province 52 (26)
Boland – Try: Yola Lumko. Conversion: Theresa Ruiters.
WP – Tries: Sinazo Mcatshulwa (2), Alicia Willemse, Asiphe Mayaba (3), Veroeshka Grain (2). Conversions: Elme Kruger (6).
EP Queens 8 (3), Border Ladies 18 (6)
EP – Try: Nomawethu Mabenge. Penalty goal: Raylene Noubos.
Border – Tries: Snenhlanhla Shozi (2). Conversion: Siphenathi Yeko. Penalty goals: Yeko (2).
Cell C Sharks Women 17 (0), Mastercard Golden Lions Women 12 (0)
Sharks – Tries: Lindelwa Gwala, Mary Zulu, Sisanda Ndlela. Conversion: Zulu.
Lions – Tries: Akhona Nkosi (2). Conversion: Nontuthuko Shongwe.
Universe Bullet
Although the Nelson is feared by some players, there is no solid evidence that it is actually inauspicious. Regardless, some people choose to take precautions. Umpire and former cricketer David Shepherd would lift one leg up when it is a bowler’s turn to run in to bowl and the score is at 111. Fans would cheer him on when he did this.
teedersmartie
Sunil Gavaskar was out off the first ball of a Test match thrice in his career – Sunil Gavaskar was the first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs and he ended his career scoring 34 Test centuries. But did you know he was out three times off the first ball of a Test? The bowlers to dismiss him were: Geoff Arnold (Edgbaston, 1974), Malcolm Marshall (Kolkata, 1984) and Imran Khan (Jaipur, 1987).