Raithby Universals (RU) delivered a commanding 15-37 away victory against Rocklands in a Promotion League match that showcased their superior pace and attacking prowess from the opening whistle on Saturday 16 August.
The visitors immediately set an aggressive tempo that Rocklands struggled to match. Seasoned flyhalf Brandon Manuel opened the scoring with an early penalty, setting the tone for what would become a dominant display by the Raithby charges (0-3).
RU quickly extended their lead with two tries by wingers Imeraan Flaendorp and O’Ryan Gordon, but both scores went unconverted (0-13). Gordon then crossed the whitewash for his second try, this time behind the posts, with Manuel adding the conversion (0-20).
Lezaine Botto secured the bonus point with another try, successfully converted by Manuel (0-27). Rocklands managed to respond with a penalty and a converted try, but trailed 10-27 at half-time.
The second half continued in the same vein as Raithby maintained their relentless pressure. The prolific wing combination of Flaendorp and Gordon was relentless, with Flaendorp adding his second five-pointer of the match and Gordon crossing over for his hat-trick, further extending the visitors’ advantage (10-37). Rocklands managed a consolation try late in the game, but it proved too little too late as Raithby secured a comprehensive 15-37 victory.
The star performers were the wing duo of Flaendorp and O’Ryan Gordon and flyhalf Manuel, who contributed 12 points with his boot.
RU will enjoy a bye this weekend, before travelling to face Elsies River on Saturday 30 August, where they’ll look to maintain their impressive form.
Meanwhile, in the other Promotion League encounter featuring a Helderberg Club, Sir Lowrians were on the road to lock horns with Morningstar in Durbanville. The Navy Train, however, could not secure the much-needed victory, falling 20-14 short at the final whistle.
In the Challenger Cup, Gordon’s Bay Pioneers secured a convincing 61-17 victory over Cloetesville in their Pool B match played at the Navy Sports Ground in Gordon’s Bay.
For Strand United, their fate seems to be sealed for the season and they will likely face relegation from Super League C after they suffered a 28-16 defeat at the hands of Caledonian Roses in Athlone. United, who currently occupy second-last place (14 th) on the log, have one match remaining for the season, an outing against a spirited Violets team that will have their eye on the last top-six spot to reach the play-offs. The match is set to be played at Chukker Road Sports Ground next week.
Most Helderberg clubs have ended their seasons, with only All Saints having confirmed their place in the SLC play-offs. Helderberg ended their season in 13th place in SLA, while Macassar narrowly missed out on a play-off spot in SLB, ending in seventh place. Strand RFC have also closed off their season, finishing in ninth place in SLC.
The Super League championship and play-off dates were confirmed last week, with the quarter-finals scheduled for Saturday 6 September, the semi-finals for Saturday 13 September and the finals set to be played on Saturday 20 September.
Fixtures for Saturday 23 August:
– SLA: Villager vs St George’s (Brookside);
– Promotion League and Challenger Cup: No matches due to the Springboks vs Wallabies test.
