In front of a packed Riverside Park and an electric derby atmosphere, Macassar RFC delivered a statement performance to defeat neighbours All Saints RFC 26–13, thereby strengthening their grip on top spot in the Western Province Super League B standings.

With first place taking on second in what had been billed as one of the biggest fixtures of the season, excitement reached fever pitch long before kick-off. Supporters from both communities descended on Riverside Park from as early as 06:00, eager to secure the best vantage point for a match that had all the ingredients of a classic local derby.

The occasion certainly lived up to its billing, but it was Macassar who seized control from the opening whistle.

The home side made full use of the vocal support behind them and immediately imposed themselves through a dominant forward display. Their superiority at scrum time, in the line-outs and at the breakdown gave All Saints very little opportunity to build any momentum.

At the heart of that dominance was tighthead prop Nangamso Bukani, who produced a performance worthy of the Man of the Match accolade. Bukani dismantled his opposite number in the scrums while carrying aggressively and repeatedly winning the collision battle on defence.

Macassar wasted little time opening the scoring. Just two minutes into the contest, flyhalf Garth de Bruin’s penalty attempt rebounded, only for alert winger Kyle Cookson to react quickest. Collecting the loose ball in mid-air, he dived over for the opening try, which was converted to hand the home side a dream start.

The MC Boys doubled their advantage shortly afterwards when captain and scrumhalf Jovan Cookson spotted space around the fringes of the ruck and sniped over from close range. Another successful conversion stretched the lead to 14–0, leaving the visitors searching for answers.

With All Saints struggling for possession and territory, Macassar continued to apply relentless pressure. A series of dominant scrums deep inside the visitors’ 22 resulted in repeated infringements, forcing the referee to award a penalty try after the All Saints pack continually collapsed under pressure.

Although the visitors managed a penalty goal before halftime, Macassar entered the break firmly in control with a deserved 21–3 advantage.

The second half began much like the first.

Straight from the restart, Macassar struck again through fullback Lethan Rhodes, who finished off an outstanding attacking move after receiving a delicate offload from centre Ronaldo Condradie. Although De Bruin was unable to add the conversion, the scoreboard read 26–3, and the home side appeared to have one hand firmly on the contest.

To their credit, All Saints refused to surrender. A raft of forward substitutions brought renewed energy, and the visitors began enjoying more success in the tight exchanges. Their persistence was rewarded when replacement loose forward Jeraldo Jacobs crossed in the corner for an unconverted try.

As the match wore on, handling errors and fatigue began to affect both teams. Macassar shifted into game-management mode, content to defend their healthy advantage while the visitors chased the game.

Lee-Mondre Benjamin added a late consolation try for All Saints, but it proved nothing more than a footnote as Macassar comfortably saw out the contest.

While the final stages were more evenly contested, the outcome had effectively been decided during a dominant first-half display. Macassar’s forward pack laid the perfect platform, their backs finished clinically, and their defence ensured the visitors never truly threatened a comeback.

The victory sees Macassar RFC remain at the summit of the Super League B standings, while All Saints drop to third place.

If this derby was meant to showcase the two leading teams in the competition, Macassar sent a clear message to the rest of the league. With a powerful forward pack led by the outstanding Bukani, experienced game managers in Jovan Cookson and Garth de Bruin, and dangerous finishers out wide, the McBoys are emerging as genuine title contenders.

However, the season is still young, and tougher tests undoubtedly lie ahead. Based on this performance, though, Macassar have every reason to believe they can remain the team to beat in Super League B.

Point scorers

Macassar

Tries: Kyle Cookson, Jovan Cookson, Penalty Try

Conversions: Garth de Bruin (3)

All Saints

Tries: Jeraldo Jacobs, Lee-Mondre Benjamin

Penalties: Dylan Scholtz