SK Walmers beat resurgent Ikeys

SK Walmers 30:20 UCT

It was a scorching day on the Greenpoint track, filled with its usual vibrant crowd, brass band and festive atomosphere. The Ikeys had big plans, back after last weeks 1point loss to long time rivals Maties. The team started well, putting great pressure on the SK defence, with Matt Turner coming close to scoring twice in the first 10 minutes, but it was SK who opened the score with a penalty after their first visit into UCT’s half. 

SK also scored the first try and looked dangerous whenever they won
ball in open play or were kicked to without the necessary pressure and
defense lines in place. 
UCT dominated the scrums and lineouts and eventually managed a try by Marcello Sampson after some great work by his fellow backs.

However, the try was followed by a classic UCT mistake, letting the opposition back in the game with the kick-off – which was secured, but the Ikeys failed to boot it into touch or down-field after some pressure by the speedy SK backs which resulted in a turnover and try in the corner. SK now had their tails up and managed to turn pressure into points on a couple of occasions – as their flyhalf had an excellent day with the boot. They remained dangerous after kicks to them, which UCT failed to control effectively.

The halftime score was 23:8.

The Ikeys came back and staged one of their much feared second hald comebacks, playing some great rugby and looking dangerous when taking the ball through the phases. With twenty minutes gone, SK hadn’t even been out of their own half and UCT’s pressure showed on the scoreboard, after a try by Matt Turner. The Tiger’s continued playing well and kept up the one way  traffic, with fullback Dave Clayton superb under the high ball and instrumental creating attacking momentum. After another siege of the SK tryline, Matt Rosslee scored in the corner to make it 23:20 with just under ten minutes to go.

The tides certainly had changed and it looked like it was only a matter of time for the next UCT points to come and clinch the game, but SK had one last card up their sleeves. In a frantic scramble they managed to move the game back into the UCT half and after a ruck on the 22, Walmers’ Samoan international Junior Leota shrugged off two defenders to score under the posts. The conversion was added and all SK needed to do was hold on for the last three minutes to clinch the vital points and a 30:20 win.

Yet another "should have won" game for the Ikeys and time to get back on track for real with a homegame vs Tygerberg next weekend. 

UCT’s man of the match was hooker Brad Gornall who did well on a last minute call up for regular JP Coster, who alongside  Sean van Tonder, Danie
van der Merwe, Bodo Sieber and Dylan Rodgers had to sit out injured. Hard working Chiliean international scrumhalf Matias ‘Chili’ Vergara had a solid varsity 1st team debut, when he came on as a second half substitute.

Scorers:
Tries: Sampson, Turner, Rosslee
Kicks: Rosslee (1Pen , 1 Con)

Ikey Tigers:
1. Vakai Fish Hove, 2. Brad Gornall, 3 Herbert Mayosi, 4. Martin Miller,
5 Mike Ledwidge, 6 Luzuko Panya, 7. Jody Burch, 8 JJ Gagiano (c), 9  Kyle Wickens, 10 Matthew Rosslee, 11 Marcelo Sampson, 12 Kevin Foote,
13 James Martin, 14 Matthew Turner, 15 Dave Clayton

Reserves:
16 Ashley Wells, 17 Brad Emslie, 18 Craig Kleu, 19 Kyle Brown, 20 Matias ‘Chili’ Vergara, 21, Tim Whitehead, 22 Pieter Engelbrecht