An immense second half defensive effort saw Hudson Park High first rugby team claim a solid 17-8 derby victory over Cambridge first team at Hudson on Saturday afternoon.
After going nine points ahead with 15 minutes of the match left, Hudson spent the rest of the match mostly camped in their 22m repelling wave after wave of Cambridge attackers who could just not get over the try line to give themselves a shot of sneaking a win.
It was a superb defensive effort from Hudson as they had to deal with countless tap and goes as time and again Cambridge turned down taking a shot at goal.
However, they may look back and wonder why they did not decide to reduce the deficit, especially when with around 10 minutes left, they received three penalties in quick succession in Hudson’s 22m in front of the poles and did not take the chance to bring the score within a converted try.
It was a scrappy kick-off to the match in the first half as a few handling errors saw a couple of early scrums, with Hudson’s pack getting early dominance over their Cambridge opponents.
However, Cambridge began to work their way into the game and decided not to take a shot at goal when they earned a few penalties wide on the left in Hudson’s 22m, probably due to the swirling wind, but could not take advantage after setting up a couple of line-outs close to the Hudson try line.
Hudson then took the lead against the run of play with a long range try as they swung the ball wide in their own half, ending with Hudson flyer Ga-cula Poswa sprinting down the left hand touch line and going over in the left hand corner despite a valiant effort from his opposite number Aphiwe Damani to chase him down.
Hudson eighth man Keenan Purcell, tasked with the kicking duties, hit the post from the touch line, leaving Hudson 5-0 up after 17 minutes.
Four minutes later Cambridge got themselves on the board when they earned a penalty on Hudson’s 22m just to the left of the posts, with centre and captain Milasakhe Qabaka stepping up to knock over the penalty, reducing the deficit to just two points.
In the 25th minute Hudson decided to play territory, kicking into the Cambridge 22m.
Cambridge knocked on their defensive line-out, giving Hudson a scrum, from which they almost scored but were tackled out, with Cambridge losing the resulting line out and Hudson setting up a ruck on Cambridge’s try line before popping the ball blind for prop Cole Haggard to crash over in the right hand corner.
Purcell slotted the difficult conversion attempt as Hudson went 12-3 up, and despite them having one last chance to add to that Cambridge held out as they went into half time nine points down.
Despite Cambridge battling with their line-out at the start of the second half and Hudson playing well in the opening minute, Cambridge managed to come back and score their own long range effort to bring themselves into the game.
From a scrum just inside Hudson’s half Cambridge went to the short side with the ball reaching wing Dashaan Mitchley, who put on the after burners to sprint 30 metres down the right hand touch line and beat the last ditch tackle to go over in the corner.
The unsuccessful conversion meant just four points separated the sides with 20 minutes left.
However, Hudson re-established their nine-point advantage five minutes later as from a line out on Cambridge’s 22m they swung the ball and fullback Jared du Plessis joined the line well to receive the ball and dot down in the right hand corner, with that being the final points of the match as Purcell missed the conversion.
All Hudson first teams won their derby encounters.
The Hudson first boys’ hockey team won 6-1, while the first girls claimed a 2-0 win and the first netball team beat their Cambridge counterparts 29-20.
Hudson defence pays off
After going nine points ahead with 15 minutes of the match left, Hudson spent the rest of the match mostly camped in their 22m repelling wave after wave of Cambridge attackers who could just not get over the try line to give themselves a shot of sneaking a win.
It was a superb defensive effort from Hudson as they had to deal with countless tap and goes as time and again Cambridge turned down taking a shot at goal.
However, they may look back and wonder why they did not decide to reduce the deficit, especially when with around 10 minutes left, they received three penalties in quick succession in Hudson’s 22m in front of the poles and did not take the chance to bring the score within a converted try.
It was a scrappy kick-off to the match in the first half as a few handling errors saw a couple of early scrums, with Hudson’s pack getting early dominance over their Cambridge opponents.
However, Cambridge began to work their way into the game and decided not to take a shot at goal when they earned a few penalties wide on the left in Hudson’s 22m, probably due to the swirling wind, but could not take advantage after setting up a couple of line-outs close to the Hudson try line.
Hudson then took the lead against the run of play with a long range try as they swung the ball wide in their own half, ending with Hudson flyer Ga-cula Poswa sprinting down the left hand touch line and going over in the left hand corner despite a valiant effort from his opposite number Aphiwe Damani to chase him down.
Hudson eighth man Keenan Purcell, tasked with the kicking duties, hit the post from the touch line, leaving Hudson 5-0 up after 17 minutes.
Four minutes later Cambridge got themselves on the board when they earned a penalty on Hudson’s 22m just to the left of the posts, with centre and captain Milasakhe Qabaka stepping up to knock over the penalty, reducing the deficit to just two points.
In the 25th minute Hudson decided to play territory, kicking into the Cambridge 22m.
Cambridge knocked on their defensive line-out, giving Hudson a scrum, from which they almost scored but were tackled out, with Cambridge losing the resulting line out and Hudson setting up a ruck on Cambridge’s try line before popping the ball blind for prop Cole Haggard to crash over in the right hand corner.
Purcell slotted the difficult conversion attempt as Hudson went 12-3 up, and despite them having one last chance to add to that Cambridge held out as they went into half time nine points down.
Despite Cambridge battling with their line-out at the start of the second half and Hudson playing well in the opening minute, Cambridge managed to come back and score their own long range effort to bring themselves into the game.
From a scrum just inside Hudson’s half Cambridge went to the short side with the ball reaching wing Dashaan Mitchley, who put on the after burners to sprint 30 metres down the right hand touch line and beat the last ditch tackle to go over in the corner.
The unsuccessful conversion meant just four points separated the sides with 20 minutes left.
However, Hudson re-established their nine-point advantage five minutes later as from a line out on Cambridge’s 22m they swung the ball and fullback Jared du Plessis joined the line well to receive the ball and dot down in the right hand corner, with that being the final points of the match as Purcell missed the conversion.
All Hudson first teams won their derby encounters.
The Hudson first boys’ hockey team won 6-1, while the first girls claimed a 2-0 win and the first netball team beat their Cambridge counterparts 29-20.
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