Ikey Tigers trade win for a draw

The Ikeys were full of value playing Club Champions Hamiltons and could have capped a good performance with a deserved win, however they allowed the visitors back into the game after being up 19:7 with just over ten minutes to go. Hammies were grateful for the opportunity and held the students to a 19:19 draw.

“We threw some points away there, didn’t we” one of the UCT spectators said after the game and he was probably right, as this was a game that should have been won and won well.

The first half was scoreless for a long time with two penalties by Paul Cohen missing the target narrowly as UCT were looking to get rewards on the scoreboard for all their hard work on the field.

Like in the first encounter the Ikeys forwards had a slight upper hand in the tight exchanges scrumming well and never allowing the heavy Hammies maul an inch. The home team had a lot of possession and territorial advantage to show for their efforts – just the points wouldn’t come.

Cool headed Ricky Rijs showed a lot of exciting promise making his run on debut at full back, as did Scot Watermeyer who had a solid game at scrumhalf – both are proof of the impressiv edepth at the club.

While UCT had more of the game in the first half there were not many opportunities to score and in the end it was a Paul Cohen penalty for a 3:0 that was the only movement on the scoreboard before the break.

The second half started badly for UCT – a fumbled kickoff gave the visitors possession just outside the UCT danger zone and moments later Hammies took their first opportunities for points after a missed tackle in midfield, when their flyhalf found a gap and only had the fullback to beat to make it 3:7.

But UCT struck back immediately with a penalty and shortly later with an excellent try after a silky switch by prop Chris Heiberg set up Don Armand for a 40m run. He was caught eventually, but the ball was kept in play and Tiger Bax played a back flick to keep the ball alive and set up Jody Burch for a great try 10:7

Cohen kept ticking over the scoreboard with penalties and it was Burch again who came close after some well played phases. The big man was going for the tryline with two men outside him, but was tackled and then penalised for a double movement.

When the score was 19:7 the game seemed done and dusted for the Ikeys but never say die Hammies were smart enough to capitalise on UCT’s moments of wrong option taking, sloppy kicking and defense.

In the end it was only a 19:19 draw and not a win that kicked off what is a very promising second half for the Ikeys.

Nick Fenton Wells and Don Armand lead from the front and in the backs Adrian Kritzinger and Rijs had excellent games.

Scorers:
Try: Burch
Kicks: Cohen

UCT Ikey Tigers:

1. Ash Wells 2. Hanyani Shimange 3. Dylan Rogers 4. Mike Ledwidge 5. Levi Odendaal 6. Don Armandt 7. Nick Fenton-Wells (c) 8. Jody Burch 9. Scot Watermeyer 10. Tiger Bax  11.Marcello Sampson 12 Adrian Kritzinger , Andre Coetzer 14. Paul Cohen 15. Ricky Rijs

Reserves: 

Page, Kemp, Heiberg, Manuel, Ryan Jans, Luzuko Panya, Sharief Hendricks,  Bailes, Winters