Exciting schools rugby action was on show at Port Rex on Saturday as the Buco Port Rex Technical High School Rugby Festival took centre stage.
It is the first festival of its kind hosted by the school and saw six teams in action with some really good match-ups.
The hosts triumphed 47-11 over Adelaide Gymnasium in the day’s main game, while Cathcart beat the St Andrew’s Invitational team 34-24 and George Campbell from Durban won 25-15 against Port Elizabeth’s Ithembelihle.
“Everything has worked out according to plan, we didn’t get the crowd we wanted but being a new thing and it being school holidays, we are happy with what we have seen,” said event organiser and Port Rex first team coach Daneal Steyn.
“The matches today were very exciting.
“The St Andrew’s Invitational v Cathcart game and George Campbell v Itembelihle were close matches, while although we may have been a bit too strong in our game against Adelaide, they made us work for the win and it wasn’t a walk in the park, which was really good.”
In the Cathcart v St Andrew’s game the sides went in to half- time at 10-all after two unconverted tries each.
The second half then swung back and forth but in the end it was Cathcart who managed to creep ahead, thanks to the effort of man-of-the-match Yongama Qwabaza whose two tries helped them finish 10 points ahead.
In the second match between George Campbell and Ithembelihle just three points separated the sides going into the break with George Campbell 13-10 up.
Two tries to one in the second half meant George Campbell were able to feel more comfortable, but it was still a close result in the end.
The Port Rex match was then almost a walk-over as a strong forward performance gave the back line the freedom of the park as the hosts took a massive 40-3 point lead at the half-time break.
Three tries in the first 11 minutes set the tone as first flyhalf Anathi Diko went over under the posts and converted his own try, Denzil Kropf dotted down at the back of a big rolling maul in the corner and inside centre Liyabongo Yapi sliced through a gap to go over untouched for a 19-0 lead.
Adelaide then fought well and got on the board with a penalty from Luigi Johannes, but three converted tries in the last four minutes of the half to Yapi, Zukanye Tomose and Yakha Khenke saw them take a commanding lead.
The second half was then a much closer affair with Adelaide actually edging it 8-7 on the score sheet.
However, it was not nearly enough to prevent Port Rex from claiming a big win.
“I was happy with the way we conducted ourselves in the first half, I feel we let it slip in the second when we rang the changes, so it was definitely a game of two halves,” admitted Steyn.
Today will see the final day of the festival with two big games on the cards, with Port Rex against George Campbell and Ithembelihle taking on Adelaide.
Port Rex excel at festival
It is the first festival of its kind hosted by the school and saw six teams in action with some really good match-ups.
The hosts triumphed 47-11 over Adelaide Gymnasium in the day’s main game, while Cathcart beat the St Andrew’s Invitational team 34-24 and George Campbell from Durban won 25-15 against Port Elizabeth’s Ithembelihle.
“Everything has worked out according to plan, we didn’t get the crowd we wanted but being a new thing and it being school holidays, we are happy with what we have seen,” said event organiser and Port Rex first team coach Daneal Steyn.
“The matches today were very exciting.
“The St Andrew’s Invitational v Cathcart game and George Campbell v Itembelihle were close matches, while although we may have been a bit too strong in our game against Adelaide, they made us work for the win and it wasn’t a walk in the park, which was really good.”
In the Cathcart v St Andrew’s game the sides went in to half- time at 10-all after two unconverted tries each.
The second half then swung back and forth but in the end it was Cathcart who managed to creep ahead, thanks to the effort of man-of-the-match Yongama Qwabaza whose two tries helped them finish 10 points ahead.
In the second match between George Campbell and Ithembelihle just three points separated the sides going into the break with George Campbell 13-10 up.
Two tries to one in the second half meant George Campbell were able to feel more comfortable, but it was still a close result in the end.
The Port Rex match was then almost a walk-over as a strong forward performance gave the back line the freedom of the park as the hosts took a massive 40-3 point lead at the half-time break.
Three tries in the first 11 minutes set the tone as first flyhalf Anathi Diko went over under the posts and converted his own try, Denzil Kropf dotted down at the back of a big rolling maul in the corner and inside centre Liyabongo Yapi sliced through a gap to go over untouched for a 19-0 lead.
Adelaide then fought well and got on the board with a penalty from Luigi Johannes, but three converted tries in the last four minutes of the half to Yapi, Zukanye Tomose and Yakha Khenke saw them take a commanding lead.
The second half was then a much closer affair with Adelaide actually edging it 8-7 on the score sheet.
However, it was not nearly enough to prevent Port Rex from claiming a big win.
“I was happy with the way we conducted ourselves in the first half, I feel we let it slip in the second when we rang the changes, so it was definitely a game of two halves,” admitted Steyn.
Today will see the final day of the festival with two big games on the cards, with Port Rex against George Campbell and Ithembelihle taking on Adelaide.
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