FNB Unam and FNB Rehoboth both pulled off stunning away victories on Saturday to keep their Rugby Premier League title hopes alive and ensure that the title race will go down to the wire.
Unam beat FNB Kudus 20-13 at Walvis Bay, while Rehoboth collected maximum bonus points after scoring nine tries in a 61-24 thumping of FNB Grootfontein.
The results leave Rehoboth in fourth place on the log on 37 points and Unam sixth on 33, and along with fifth-placed FNB Western Suburbs on 34 points, they all still have a chance of making the semifinals, ahead of next weekend’s final round of league matches.
In another encounter on Saturday, Trustco United beat FNB Wanderers 46-38, in a match of little consequence as both teams had already booked their places in the knockout stages.
At Walvis Bay, a highly motivated Unam kept their title hopes alive with a hard-fought victory over second-placed Kudus.
With the two sides evenly-matched, there were not many scoring opportunities, but Unam took the lead through a Lorenzo Louis penalty, while a try by rightwing Aljarreau Zaahl gave them an 8-0 lead at the halftime break.
Aurelio Plato opened Kudus’ account with a penalty, but Unam upped the tempo and further tries by Zaahl and hooker Bigman Kaura, interspersed by another Plato penalty put Unam in the driving seat with a 20-6 lead.
Kudus struck back with a converted try by substitute forward Anthony Hoebeb, but it was too little too late as Unam held on for a priceless victory to keep their chances alive.
At Grootfontein, Rehoboth went into overdrive in a high-scoring romp against the home side.
Rehoboth’s nuggetty scrumhalf Miquel Busch led the way with a hattrick of tries, while leftwing Dolano Vries scored two; and rightwing Deevan Mathys, centres Hillian Beukes and Nando Dentlinger and flanker Jeandre Cloete one try each.
Flyhalf Henrique Olivier converted seven tries for a personal tally of 14 points, while prop Kevin Cloete added one conversion.
Grootfontein replied with four tries by leftwing Isaiah Muhinda, replacement forward Renard Hattingh, replacement back Chris Deck, and scrumhalf Ronald Deck, who added two conversions.
At Trustco United Park, United got a morale-boosting 46-38 win against Wanderers in a high-scoring encounter, with both sides scoring six tries.
The sides matched each other the whole way, going into halftime at 24-all, and then midway through the second half drawing level at 31-all, before a penalty by United flyhalf Renier Benade and a late try by flanker Feddy Mazila swung the match United’s way.
United’s other try scorers were leftwing Christo Gresse, eighthman Dean Blom, hooker Arnu Gouws, replacement hooker Gerhard Thirion and replacement looseforward Eloff du Plessis, while Benade added five conversions and two penalties for a tally of 16 points.
Wanderers’ try scorers were centres Danie vander Merwe (two) and Christo van der Merwe; leftwing Nandi Karuuombe, eighthman Driaan Vorster and hooker Obert Nortje, while flyhalf Eugene Jantjies added four conversions.
Despite the defeat, Wanderers remain at the top of the log on 54 points, while United remain third on 49 – one point behind Kudus.
With only one league round now remaining next weekend, the battle for the knockout stages is still wide open. Wanderers, Kudus and United have all booked their places, while Rehoboth, Suburbs and Unam will battle it out for the fourth spot.
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