Winning starts for Northern Force & Khomas Warriors 

The Northern Force and the Khomas Warriors got off to winning starts as the MTC Regional 15s rugby tournament kicked off at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday. 

The Northern Force, made up of Unam and United players, beat the Coastal Samurais (Kudus and Dolphins players) 56-21, while the Khomas Warriors (Wanderers and Western Suburbs players) beat the Hardap Wolves (Rehoboth, Reho Falcon and Grootfontein players) 62-54.

The tournament also serves as unofficial national trials with the Africa Cup lying ahead in July, and several players caught the eye in two high-scoring matches. 

Northerns Force soon took control against the Coastal Samurais, with flyhalf Hanreco van Zyl shining in the backline. 

He opened their scoring when he jinxed his way over for a try and with their backline attacking at every opportunity more tries came their way. Quirione Majiedt turned on the pace to score in the corner; AJ Kearns sniped around a scrum to dot down, and Van Zyl slipped through for another try, while Aljarreau Zaahl converted all four to go 28-0 ahead at halftime. 

The Force continued continued to attack after the break with flanker Rowan Jansen showing a fine turn of speed to dot down twice, but the Samurais finally opened their account when flyhalf Aston Mukwiilongo went over for a try converted by scrumhalf Rayshawn Shoombe. 

Shoombe himself dotted down after pouncing on to a loose ball but the Force went 49-14 ahead when Shareave Titus finished off a backline attack going over in the corner. 

The Samurais pulled a try back through Richard Kasimbu but the Force had the final say when Majiedt rounded off a counterattack by Zaahl to give them a dominant victory. 

Zaahl had a great day with the boot, converting all eight the Force’s tries, while the Forces’ loose trio of Jansen, Gilad Plaatjies and Thehardt Lintvelt were always close to the action. 

The second match saw an entertaining tussle between the Khomas Warriors and the Hardap Wolves, with the Warriors withstanding a lot onslaught to run out victors. 

The Wolves took an early lead when prop Duaine Alexander barged over for a try converted by Miguel Busch, but the Khomas Warriors struck back with three tries withion 10 minutes. 

The lively Jacques Theron went over after breaking around the scrum, while triues by flanker Dhale Cloete and eighthman Sheron Rossouw, converted by Denzo Bruwer put them 19-7 ahead. 

The Wolves remained in the hunt through two tries by flanker Keynan Basson, but the Warriors edged ahead through tries by Natie Janse van Rensburg and flanker Kian Beyer, to go 33-21 ahead at the break. 

Hardap hooker Wicus Jacobs reduced the deficit to 33-26 with a try early in the second half, but the Warriors took control of the match going 55-26 ahead after tries by Edward Drotsky, Danie van der Merwe, Owen Hanvega and Beyer’s second try. 

In an entertaining final quarter the Wolves once again narrowed the gap to 55-47 after a penalty try, Jacobs’ second try, and a Marthinus Nekundi try.

Denzo Bruwer however put the Warriors 62-47 ahead when he dashed over for a try in the final stages, while a Carl Freygang try made the final score 62-54 for the Khomas Warriors. 

For Khomas, Danco Burger shone in the backline along with Natie Janse van Rensburg and the halfback pair of Bruwer and Theron, while the forwards gave a solid performance. 

For the Hardap Wolves, the loose-forward trio of Eloff du Plessis, Keynan Basson and Pieter Luttig put in rampaging performances.

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