Vineyards tighten grip on top spot
2010-08-12
AFTER the first round’s 1 point loss to Windmeul United, the men in maroon had something to prove on Friday night at Boy Louw fields. Vineyards Rugby Club maintained their grip on the top spot in the Paarl region as their daring rugby carried them to a 30-12, bonus point victory over Windmeul. This, after Windmeul’s 50 point win over Young Standards last week. The outgunned Windmeul side, including four Paarl region backline players, battled valiantly and held Vineyards to a 15-5 lead at half-time, but Vineyards opened the floodgates after the break to score three more tries and claim the bonus point. The much bigger Vineyards pack provided the foundation for the backs to always play on the front foot, with the loose trio of Zahier Chippendale and Morné Tank Williams dominating the breakdowns. The opening try was scored by wing Sharief Mack, who constantly teased the defence with his running from the back. Flyhalf Ricky Jordaan converted and added another 3 pointer, but Vineyards struggled to get into gear for the rest of the half and Windmeul would have cancelled out the Vineyards’ lead had they converted pressure into points. Windmeul missed two opportunities, before getting on the board in the 18th minute. Windmeul remained on the attack for the rest of the half, but Vineyards’ defence was rock solid. Here, brothers Adlee Moerat and Shukri Moerat (centres) were keeping the Windmeul backline on the back foot with big hits. Before the break, flank Williams burst over to give Vineyards a 15-3 lead. The second half was a one-sided affair as Vineyards would play the territory game, with impact player, flank Thaamir Moerat, scoring after dominant periods by his pack. Prop Toufeek Matthee gained valuable metres with ball in hand. Jordaan was off target with the conversion, but Vineyards had made sure of four points with a 20-5 lead. The bonus point was still in doubt, however, and they only clinched it in the last minutes as utility back Timmy Rhode broke the line twice to score. A last minute try by Windmeul made the score line more respectable at 30-12. The five log points gained keep Vineyards well on track for a league title this year as the 76 log points should be enough to clinch the title. Vineyards will have a four week break before taking on Violets in the last game of the season.
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