Maties outmuscle NMMU
The FNB Maties Young Guns produced a complete performance to beat the FNB NMMU Young Guns 34-24 in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
The fixture started fairly slowly with both sides feeling each other out in the first 20 minutes and the game was dead-locked at 8-8 for most of the first-half.
Maties gained the ascendency when flank Pieter de Wet went over for his teams second try six minutes before the break which meant that Maties were ahead 16-8 at the break.
De Wet went over for his second try early in the second-half and one might have thought that Maties were going to run away with it but NMMU hit back again to bring the score to 21-16 with 20 minutes to play.
The side from Port Elizabeth were going hard against the Maties but this tactic lead to them conceding another try right after they scored which meant Maties went into a 26-16 lead.
The never-say-die attitude from the NMMU side meant that they would get over for yet another try and bring themselves right back into the game as it headed into the last five minutes with the score being 26-24.
There was one last play and Maties scored their fifth try in the 79th minutes of the game and the conversion was kicked which meant that Maties won the game 34-24.
The scorers:
For FNB NMMU Young Guns:
Tries: Loest, Ndlela, Malotana
Cons: Turner 2, Lutge
For FNB Maties Young Guns:
Tries: Le Roux, de Wet 2, Murphy, Meyer
Cons: Le Roux 3
The teams:
NMMU Young Guns: 15 Gary Loest, 14 Khaya Malotana, 13 Ayabulela Dlepu, 12 Siphumelele Msutwana, 11 Zuko Ndlela, 10 Mitchell Turner, 9 Wandile Mbambeni, 8 Marius le Roux, 7 Kevin Kaba, 6 Zane Marx, 5 Brendan Hector, 4 Ervine Slabbert, 3 Mzuvukile Sofisa, 2 Tyrone Rankin, 1 Yakha Qinela.
Replacements: 16 John-Henry Schmitt, 17 Similile Qinela, 18 Pelser Hanekom, 19 Riaan Barkhuizen, 20 Sonwabo Majola, 21 Tiaan McGregor, 22 Gregory Lutge, 23 Ruaan de Jager.
Maties Young Guns: 15 Wihan Lombard, 14 Lihleli Tini, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Wilhelm Visagie, 11 Boutros Mbina, 10 Andre le Roux, 9 Bjorn Bernardo, 8 Petrus Uys, 7 Pieter de Wet, 6 Jacobus de Kock, 5 Michael Murphy, 4 Ryan Odendaal, 3 JE van der Merwe, 2 Cullen Collopy, 1 Anton Versveld.
Replacements: 16 Craig Corbett, 17 Johnny Meyer, 18 Myles Tucker, 19 Sifiso Shabango, 20 Cameron Opperman, 21 Kobus Putter, 22 Beuton Nero, 23 GV Orlam.
