IT was a great day for FNB Wanderers as they won three trophies at the rugby finals on Saturday. Their women’s team beat FNB Rehoboth 29-0 in the women’s final, their reserve team pipped FNB Rehoboth 31-30 in the Reserve League final and their Premier League team beat FNB Unam 51-31 to lift the Premier League trophy for the first time in four years.
The latter match was still evenly poised at half time with Wanderers holding a 23-17 lead, but Unam indiscipline as well as several missed opportunities after the break saw Wanderers pulling away to win with ease.
Wanderers flyhalf Andre van der Berg had a great day with the boot, contributing 23 points, through five penalties and four conversions, while Wanderers scored five tries.
Right wing Nandivatu Karuuombe scored two tries, running the length of the field for one intercept try, while left wing Nico Maartens, centre Louis Meyer and substitute prop Iyambo Tsuuya scored one each.
Unam scored four tries through centre Darryl Wellman (two), scrumhalf JC Winckler and right wing Aljarreau Zaahl, who added four conversions and a penalty.
Wanderers took an early lead through a Bruwer penalty, but Unam centre Daryl Wellman scored the first try after a quick counter attack by Lorenzo Louis and with Aljarreau Zaahl converting they went 7-3 ahead.
Van der Berg and Zaahl exchanged penalties but Wanderers regained the lead when left wing Nico Maartens went over for a converted try and from then on they never looked back.
Wanderers stretched their lead to 20-10 after a great converted try by centre Louis Meyer, who cut through the middle, sidestepping past two tacklers to dot down, but Unam immediately responded when JC Winckler nipped over for a try converted by Zaahl.
A penalty from the halfway line by Van der Berg put Wanderers 23-17 ahead at the half time break but Unam were still well in the game, and could have regained the lead had it not been for some missed penalty attempts by Zaahl.
They won three penalties early in the second half, but Zaahl hit the post with two attempts while a third went narrowly wide, and it was Wanderers who went 28-17 ahead when right wing Nandi Karuuombe kicked a loose ball ahead and beat the cover defence to dot down.
Unam narrowed the gap to 28-24 through an intercept try by Zaahl, but from then on Wanderers steadily pulled away.
Karuuombe scored another counterattack try, running the length of the field to dot down, while three penalties by Van der Berg put Wanderers well in control at 44-24.
Wanderers’ replacement prop Iyambo Tsuuya crashed over from a forward maul for their fifth try and although Unam replied through Welmann’s second try, it was too little too late as Wanderers closed out a comprehensive 51-31 victory.
It was the first time since 2018 that they had lifted the trophy and captain Christo van der Merwe said some hard words at half time helped pull them through.
“It was a hard game – the first half was touch and go, but the boys pulled together nicely in the cloak room at half time. We had a hard chat with each other and decided what we wanted to do with the end of the season and we came out here and made it happen,” he said.
“Our lack of discipline was something that disappointed us throughout the season, so we had a hard chat with each other and said if we want to make this game count we’ve got to maintain the discipline, off the ball as well, and we came together as a team and that pulled us through,” he added.
