Last gasp Ikeys keep dream alive

UCT beat Hamiltons by 25:23 on Saturday after a last second try by Marcel Brache and are closing the gap to the top seat Maties in the grand challenge.

The young Ikeys who had to do without several of their regulars – including skipper Nick Fenton Wells – showed great composure to come back from a 0:15 deficit and produced a fine piece of Ikey Tiger magic to clinch the game in the last second.

In fact, the game was in many aspects a reversal of the 2009 showdown between the two teams which Hamiltons – who went on to win Club Championships that year – won in injury time.

Hamiltons with all their experience got out of the starting blocks a bit better and denied the students any points – with a  bit of tactical help from the famous Green Mile breeze. Then UCT sprung into action with a tries by wing Richard Stuart and captain Don Armand. 

But the visitors got further ahead with a third try of their own and had the gameall but wrapped until Ikeys centre Marcel Brache played a neat chip over the Hamiltons’ defence from close range and gathered to go over the whitewash and draw the score level at 23:23.

Flyhalf Nick Holton added the conversion to clinch a massive victory for the Tigers.

The win is UCT’s ninth consecutive win in the WP Super League and sees them move up into third position in the standings, with two games in hand over leader Maties.

The scorers:

For FNB UCT:

Tries: Richard Stewart, Donovan Armand, Marcel Brache
Cons: Nicholas Holton (2)
Pens: Nicholas Holton (2)

For Hamiltons:

Tries: Martin du Toit, Jano van Zyl, Claude Berger
Cons: Jano van Zyl
Pens: Jano van Zyl (2)

Ikey Tigers: 15 Ricky Rijs, 14 Richard Stewart, 13 Therlow Pietersen, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Mark Winter, 10 Nicholas Holton, 9 Nicholas Farrar, 8 Gregory Mallett, 7 Alexander Macdonald, 6 Donovan Armand, 5 Bradley Bosman, 4 Pallo Manuel, 3 Shane Meier, 2 Neil Rautenbach, 1 Wesley Chetty  

Replacements: 16 Dayne Jans, 17 Francois Van Wyk, 18 James Kilroe, 19 Kyle Kriel, 20 Stephen Wallace, 21 Andre Coetzer, 22 James Richards.