Affies downs Maritzburg College
This was one of those games in which the final score belies the game on the ground. Despite the 26-point difference, College played with courage and determination and by halftime the scores were separated by just 5 points. Throughout the game, College fullback Jesse Kriel shone, particularly in leading the defense.
Affies’ Andries van der Merwe put the first try on the board in the opening ten minutes followed not long afterwards by Heinrich Viljoen to raise the Affies lead to 12-0.Affies continued in this vein with their surging attacks as College mustered their valiant defense.
Maritzburg College got their first points when Marcel Coetzee made a break for it and flew downfield to score under the posts against all odds much to the delight of the home crowd.
By halftime, Affies had retaliated with their third try, carried over by Louis Venter (scrumhalf) to bring the score to 19-7.
This game started off at a fast pace and the second half delivered more of the same, with Affies bludgeoning against College’s brave defense and plenty of running ball. Affies came back to score again soon after the break, this time carried over by Jurie Linde. His teammate Steven Meiring scored the next points when he forced his way over the line to put the score at 33-7 after 69 minutes.
It is telling that no points on the day came from kicking; instead this was a display of running rugby greatly appreciated by the large Goldstones crowd.
