A clinical performance from Tygerberg saw MPM Old Selbornians end off their 2017 Gold Cup campaign on a low note as they went down 29-7 at Mike Pendock Motors Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was an efficient effort from the visiting Cape Town team, who led 17-0 after 40 minutes.
The hosts fought back in the second half, but too many mistakes in crucial areas robbed them of any chance of claiming a win.
The result meant Old Boys ended the Gold Cup at the bottom of the Pool C log, while Tygerberg finished on top and will host a quarterfinal next weekend.
“It has been the story of our Gold Cup; big decisions at key parts of the game have swung it, and today was no different,” said Old Boys coach James Winstanley.
“Coming into the last weekend having not won a game and still having a chance to qualify was a testament to the quality of the pool, so we are disappointed. We thought we were worth three or four results and in the end none went our way.
“I thought the guys played well over the competition, but unfortunately we just did not have the rub of the green this year.”
In the match it was a mixed start from both teams as they felt each other out in the opening phases.
Old Boys enjoyed some early play in the opposition half but Tygerberg soon took hold, and after a good period of play in the hosts’ 22m they broke the deadlock.
From a scrum in the 22m they attacked and scrumhalf Jerome Sight crashed over next to the uprights, with wing Alroy Brandt popping over the easy conversion after 17 minutes. A good long-range penalty from Brandt four minutes later, and a powerful driving maul in the 28th minute that saw flank Gary Williams dotting down in the right-hand corner, with Brandt on target again, gave the visitors a comfortable 17-0 half-time lead.
After the break Old Boys came out firing. Lock Duran Alberts smashed his way over from close range and scrumhalf Craig Shone slotted the conversion in the 48th minute, to bring the hosts back into the game.
Old Boys then thought they had scored in the 61st minute through eighthman Shane Spring, who went over in the corner off the back of a scrum, but the linesman flagged the ref and informed him that an Old Boys player had held a Tygerberg player back at the scrum, with a penalty then given to Tygerberg.
That decision proved to be a turning point for Tygerberg as they scored an unconverted try in the left-hand corner through Brandt four minutes later, and then saw prop Christo van Wyk bash his way over from close range with five minutes to go, with Brandt’s conversion the last points of the match.
This now ends what has been an up-and-down season for Old Boys, which should still be considered a success after they claimed the Border Super League title once again.
“The club will be in transition. We have a lot of guys retiring so this was their last game and we will have a proper review in the off-season and look at everything. “This is a strong club and the aim is to stay that. We want to attract new players and develop the ones who are staying. We have proven ourselves to be the best team in the league again, and then we had high aspirations for the Gold Cup but it wasn’t to be.” Winstanley said as the team prepares to rebuild..
Erratic Old Boys no match for Tygerberg
It was an efficient effort from the visiting Cape Town team, who led 17-0 after 40 minutes.
The hosts fought back in the second half, but too many mistakes in crucial areas robbed them of any chance of claiming a win.
The result meant Old Boys ended the Gold Cup at the bottom of the Pool C log, while Tygerberg finished on top and will host a quarterfinal next weekend.
“It has been the story of our Gold Cup; big decisions at key parts of the game have swung it, and today was no different,” said Old Boys coach James Winstanley.
“Coming into the last weekend having not won a game and still having a chance to qualify was a testament to the quality of the pool, so we are disappointed. We thought we were worth three or four results and in the end none went our way.
“I thought the guys played well over the competition, but unfortunately we just did not have the rub of the green this year.”
In the match it was a mixed start from both teams as they felt each other out in the opening phases.
Old Boys enjoyed some early play in the opposition half but Tygerberg soon took hold, and after a good period of play in the hosts’ 22m they broke the deadlock.
From a scrum in the 22m they attacked and scrumhalf Jerome Sight crashed over next to the uprights, with wing Alroy Brandt popping over the easy conversion after 17 minutes. A good long-range penalty from Brandt four minutes later, and a powerful driving maul in the 28th minute that saw flank Gary Williams dotting down in the right-hand corner, with Brandt on target again, gave the visitors a comfortable 17-0 half-time lead.
After the break Old Boys came out firing. Lock Duran Alberts smashed his way over from close range and scrumhalf Craig Shone slotted the conversion in the 48th minute, to bring the hosts back into the game.
Old Boys then thought they had scored in the 61st minute through eighthman Shane Spring, who went over in the corner off the back of a scrum, but the linesman flagged the ref and informed him that an Old Boys player had held a Tygerberg player back at the scrum, with a penalty then given to Tygerberg.
That decision proved to be a turning point for Tygerberg as they scored an unconverted try in the left-hand corner through Brandt four minutes later, and then saw prop Christo van Wyk bash his way over from close range with five minutes to go, with Brandt’s conversion the last points of the match.
This now ends what has been an up-and-down season for Old Boys, which should still be considered a success after they claimed the Border Super League title once again.
“The club will be in transition. We have a lot of guys retiring so this was their last game and we will have a proper review in the off-season and look at everything. “This is a strong club and the aim is to stay that. We want to attract new players and develop the ones who are staying. We have proven ourselves to be the best team in the league again, and then we had high aspirations for the Gold Cup but it wasn’t to be.” Winstanley said as the team prepares to rebuild..
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