OH SO CLOSE BAY
Bay's two week hiatus surely accounted for their uncharacteristically untidy first half hour, wherein they dropped simple passes, slipped tackles and just generally seemed to still be on mid-season break. Compounding this lethargy was a determined and energetic Hamiltons outfit, hell-bent on redeeming their first round loss at Constantia.
Within 30 minutes the scoreboard read 6-22, and the Bay's silent admirers were wondering if the floodgates would open. The Hammies forwards, big and strong were all fire, relentlessly driving the visiting pack off the loose ball. Lock Mzwanele Zito, flank Thabani Sangweni and eighthman Francois Prinsloo were in the vanguard of these attacks. At the back centre Jaques Rossouw and wing Allshaun Bock ran with elusive pace.
False Bay conceded three tries in this period, one being a particularly soft concession. Skipper Prinsloo took an inside pop from his scrum half off a scrum and waltzed over the line.
But the Bay are a feisty bunch. Half an hour of the contest gone, a sixteen point deficit and facing the National Club Champs, most teams would have capitulated. Not False Bay. With their pack solid in the set scrums and their fitness a weapon in the latter stages of any contest, the Bay set about organising themselves and improving their accuracy, especially their handling, which had let them down a bit.
With the half time break imminent and the scoreline at 22-7, a tough one to turn around on, Demetri Catrakilis’s opportunistic cross kick from a penalty found diminutive wing Willie Pieterse, who sailed skywards to snatch the ball from his opponent and score. He then converted a difficult kick.
Hamiltons have a big pack of forwards and ample reserves of quality, but their fitness is perhaps not where it should be, especially considering the National Championships are in September. They noticeably fell off the pace as the second half progressed and gaps were opening further aiding False Bay's resurgence.
Wing Jaco Roux narrowed the gap with a well taken try.
There were anxious moments a few minutes later as centre Damian Janse van Rensburg chaperoned a kick to the dead ball line. It stood up a bit and the Hammies wing Bock seemed to touch it down. The dead ball areas at Oranjezicht are extremely shallow, and the ball had narrowly crossed the line, although to many it was a valid try, controversially disallowed.
With minutes left to play, the Bay launched their characteristic late attacks on the opponents line. The score was at 25-19 and a converted try would snatch victory. Wing Danie Roux was given the ball on his own 25 and proceeded to outpace and batter his way to the Hammies line. He was stopped just short by flank Gareth Rowe, who employed a professional foul to prevent the ball from exiting the ruck. At the time there were three Bay attackers and no other Hammies players, which would have constituted a penalty try. Instead he received a yellow card for the remaining thirty seconds of the contest.
Old club rivals and friends were heard to debate the cancelling out of the two disallowed tries afterwards.
False Bay attempted a kick to win the game, but the kick from the sideline was off target. Standout player, Marc Davids wisely following the kick attempted to collect the ball in the air, but the breeze which had restricted the kick, carried the ball too far towards him and it bounced off his shoulder. This was indicative of the Bay's luck on the day.
False Bay players who caught the eye were captain Justin van Winkle, Davids and van der Walt.
For Hamiltons Prinsloo,JG Giillomee and Bock scored tries. Fullback Jano van Zyl, who had a sound game, converted two as well two penalty kicks.
For False Bay, Pieterse and Roux each scored tries. Catrakilis converted one as well as four penalty kicks.
False Bay host Villager in their first Southern Suburbs Derby at Constantia in nine years on Saturday. All rugby followers are invited to attend and the first games kick off at 13h30.
