Late try earns Poorte firsts’ nail-biting win over Pirates
The victory for the home side sees them take an unassailable lead at the top of the open clubs log, securing a Gold Cup position in the process.
Roodepoort Rugby Club earned a hard-fought victory over Pirates Rugby Club thanks to a try in the last three minutes of the game.
Things kicked off for the seniors when the U/21s locked horns at Allen Glen High School while the 3rd teams clashed at Ruimsig Stadium. Poorte’s U/21 side got off to a dismal start, as they found themselves 0–17 behind at half-time. The situation got worse for Poorte as they conceded two more tries to find themselves 0–27 behind. A strong resurgence from Poorte in the last 15 to 20 minutes saw them come back to 21–27, but they were unable to grab the match-winning try.
Back at Ruimsig Stadium the Poorte 3rds continued their strong run of form in the recent weeks, earning themselves a 31–26 victory against a Pirates side that find themselves top of the open clubs log in the 3rd Team Division.
Next Poorte’s second team were overpowered by a strong Pirates team who have dominated the 2nd Team Division. Unfortunately for the home side, Poorte suffered a whitewash, going down 0–31. The U/19 side however were able to earn themselves their second victory in a row, coming out tops by two points, beating Pirates 17–15 in their game at Allen Glen High School.
What was expected to be the match of the day, lived up to the hype as the two first teams waged a heated war on a chilly night at Ruimsig Stadium. The first half was dominated by the men from Greenside, as Pirates found themselves nine points ahead at the break. However, as the cold air drifted in from the dam next to the stadium, the fire inside Roodepoort roared to life as they looked a much stronger and formidable side in the second half.
Poorte managed to keep Pirates at bay the entire second half, and scored a try courtesy of a brilliant Louis Trichard run to find themselves only three points behind heading into the last five minutes. Poorte managed to earn a penalty just outside the Pirates 22 with five minutes to play. But, in a Victor Matfield-esque decision, they opted for the lineout instead of going for three points.
The brave decision to go for the try instead of a penalty paid off when Gideon Roux crashed over the line with three minutes to play. The conversion from Steven Griffiths secured a tough, dramatic 31–26 victory for Poorte. The victory for the home side sees them take an unassailable lead at the top of the open clubs log, securing a Gold Cup position in the process.
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