Makhanda was treated to a nail-bitingly close encounter on Saturday as St Andrew’s College claimed a thriller to win their annual derby against Graeme Collegein their clash on Lower Fieldafter a back-and-forth affair.
In the last movement of the game, which celebrated 125 years of 1st XV matches on Lower Field, Graeme College was awarded a penalty at scrum time, with the scoreboard reading 17-15 in favor of St Andrew’s.
Time had almost expired when Marcus Williams opted for a shot at the posts, from a tight angle. Unfortunately for the flyhalf, his kick came up just short of the mark.
It was, however, a missed dropped goal opportunity, five minutes prior to that last penalty kick which was the pivotal moment of the match. It was probably not the right call, because there was more than enough time left on the clock for Graeme to work their way towards the St Andrew’s try line. Instead, the kick was brilliantly charged down and the pressure shifted back onto Graeme.
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The fixture held special significance because for Nico van der Meulen as it marked his final involvement in the annual derby between the rivals. Van der Meulen, a Graeme old boy, retires in June. He previously coached the Graeme 1st XV before passing on the baton to his son, Jonty.
Van der Meulen senior’s involvement with the fixture began 42 years ago, in 1982. That’s just over a third of the 125 years of rugby history made on Lower Field.
Saturday’s match took a while to catch fire, with both sides scoring a try in the first half, which left them deadlocked at 5-5 at the break. Nick Hall opened the St Andrew’s account, while Graeme’s backline substitute Damon Sias scored in the corner for his side.
In the second half, St Andrew’s turned to the driving maul, which had brought them some success in the opening stanza. However, when they held onto the ball too long in their own 22, instead of putting in a relieving touch-finder, Graeme turned over possession and turned that into points.
Marcus Williams, after receiving a pass from his twin, Ashton, flummoxed the St Andrew’s defenders with a dummy to go over for a brilliant try.
St Andrew’s responded strongly, scoring tries through Murray Wilson and their talented fullback, Karabo van Heerden, who both made Graeme pay for small defensive errors, which gave the hosts the lead for the remainder of the game.
Point Scorers
St Andrews College 17 (5) – Tries: Nic Hall, Murray Wilson, Karabo van Heerden. Conversion: Will Stern. Graeme College 15 (5) – Tries: Ashton Williams and Inathi Planga. Conversion: Marcus Williams. Penalty: Marcus Williams.
