Wanderers edge Suburbs

REHO Falcon and Wanderers qualified for the MTC Premier League final after winning their semi-finals in contrasting fashion on Saturday.

Reho Falcon were just too classy for an inexperienced United, winning their encounter 34-10, while Wanderers had to pull out all the stops to beat Suburbs 28-27. Wanderers’ encounter ended in controversy when a late Suburbs try was disallowed.The try would have given Suburbs the lead but it was disallowed when the linesman pointed out a high tackle for a Suburbs high tackle leading to the try.This infuriated some Suburbs’ fans, who had to be restrained by security guards after the match.Suburbs’ president Robert Thompson was very unhappy about the disallowed try.”I am really disappointed.The decision was a disgrace and we don’t need this type of thing in our rugby.It was a very attractive game of rugby which was spoiled at the end,” he said.Wanderers coach Piet Louwrens didn’t want to get involved in the merits of Suburbs’ disallowed try.”The referee had a tough job in an intimidating atmosphere and the players must just accept his final decision.How can our rugby progress when there is so much indiscipline at our matches? The fans were drunk and intimidated our players and had to be restrained by the security guards after the match,” he said.In an exciting match, Wanderers took an 11-10 halftime lead after a try by centre Johan van der Westhuizen and two penalties by fullback Herman Bothma.After the break the lead changed several times until the dramatic final minutes when Suburbs seemed to have clinched the winning try, but the referee disallowed it for a high tackle.The Suburbs players were furious and remonstrated with the referee, but it was to no avail and Wanderers came back with a fine try by wing Marcus Bean, converted by Du Plessis to take a 28-20 lead.Suburbs answered with a late converted try, but it was too late as Wanderers held on for a narrow win.JANSEN IS FALCONS’ HERO Scrumhalf Elrich Jansen was Reho Falcons’ star player, scoring a hat-trick of tries and creating a few more in their comprehensive 34-10 victory against United.United struggled especially amongst the forwards where they were missing key national players Herman Lintvelt, Michael McKenzie and Domingo Kamonga.United took the lead through a penalty by fullback Jacques Vermaak, but Falcons went ahead through a fine try by hooker Philippus Isaacs.Reho Falcons’ forwards started to get the upper hand with driving mauls to United’s line, which allowed Jansen to score two tries from the base of the scrum in quick succession.United came back with a try and conversion by fullback Jaco Vermaak shortly after halftime, but that was the end of their challenge.With Reho Falcons dominating the forward exchanges, United’s defence crumbled in the final quarter as Falcons ran in three more tries, by Jansen, centre Ronaldo Pedro and right wing Leandro van Wyk.Falcons’ forwards laid the foundation for the victory, with the locks Joseph Losper and Joachim Plaatje, hooker Isaacs and prop Maurice Kapitako all prominent.For United, eighthman Pat Kotze fought a lone battle up front, while fullback Jacques Vermaak was their best back on display.namibiasport.com.naWanderers’ encounter ended in controversy when a late Suburbs try was disallowed.The try would have given Suburbs the lead but it was disallowed when the linesman pointed out a high tackle for a Suburbs high tackle leading to the try.This infuriated some Suburbs’ fans, who had to be restrained by security guards after the match.Suburbs’ president Robert Thompson was very unhappy about the disallowed try.”I am really disappointed.The decision was a disgrace and we don’t need this type of thing in our rugby.It was a very attractive game of rugby which was spoiled at the end,” he said.Wanderers coach Piet Louwrens didn’t want to get involved in the merits of Suburbs’ disallowed try.”The referee had a tough job in an intimidating atmosphere and the players must just accept his final decision.How can our rugby progress when there is so much indiscipline at our matches? The fans were drunk and intimidated our players and had to be restrained by the security guards after the match,” he said.In an exciting match, Wanderers took an 11-10 halftime lead after a try by centre Johan van der Westhuizen and two penalties by fullback Herman Bothma.After the break the lead changed several times until the dramatic final minutes when Suburbs seemed to have clinched the winning try, but the referee disallowed it for a high tackle.The Suburbs players were furious and remonstrated with the referee, but it was to no avail and Wanderers came back with a fine try by wing Marcus Bean, converted by Du Plessis to take a 28-20 lead.Suburbs answered with a late converted try, but it was too late as Wanderers held on for a narrow win.JANSEN IS FALCONS’ HERO Scrumhalf Elrich Jansen was Reho Falcons’ star player, scoring a hat-trick of tries and creating a few more in their comprehensive 34-10 victory against United.United struggled especially amongst the forwards where they were missing key national players Herman Lintvelt, Michael McKenzie and Domingo Kamonga.United took the lead through a penalty by fullback Jacques Vermaak, but Falcons went ahead through a fine try by hooker Philippus Isaacs.Reho Falcons’ forwards started to get the upper hand with driving mauls to United’s line, which allowed Jansen to score two tries from the base of the scrum in quick succession.United came back with a try and conversion by fullback Jaco Vermaak shortly after halftime, but that was the end of their challenge.With Reho Falcons dominating the forward exchanges, United’s defence crumbled in the final quarter as Falcons ran in three more tries, by Jansen, centre Ronaldo Pedro and right wing Leandro van Wyk.Falcons’ forwards laid the foundation for the victory, with the locks Joseph Losper and Joachim Plaatje, hooker Isaacs and prop Maurice Kapitako all prominent.For United, eighthman Pat Kotze fought a lone battle up front, while fullback Jacques Vermaak was their best back on display.namibiasport.com.na