Queens College threw the first punch but Helpmekaar landed the knockout blow, running in eleven tries in a devastating 73-36 victory on the final day of the Absa Wildeklawer that showcased both the beautiful chaos of attacking rugby and the brutal reality of defensive lapses.
What started as a genuine contest descended into a one-sided masterclass as the Johannesburg outfit exploited space with surgical precision.
Early promise turns to defensive nightmare
Queens College burst out of the blocks with serious intent, storming over the line within three minutes to claim a 5-0 lead and send an early statement. But Helpmekaar’s response was swift and merciless, two quick-fire tries flipped the script to 14-5 and gave the Johannesburg boys their first taste of control.
The Eastern Cape side refused to buckle. Working a slick strike move from a scrum, they shipped the ball wide to big winger Ncutu Kepe, who stepped around defenders with deceptive footwork to narrow the gap to 14-12. The momentum swung again when Inganathi Mnunu read the play perfectly, plucking an interception out of the air and galloping 50 metres to dot down. At 19-14, Queens College were back in front and playing with real confidence.
But Helpmekaar possessed firepower of their own. A beautifully executed shift drive sent Jeandre van der Merwe crashing over the line to reclaim the lead at 21-19. With eight minutes remaining in the half, the visitors flexed their forward muscle with a textbook driving maul that rumbled over for a 28-19 advantage.
Queens College continued to prey on every Helpmekaar mistake like opportunistic scavengers. When the Johannesburg side misfielded a kick, Kepe was on hand to grab his brace, though the conversion rattled the uprights, leaving the score at 28-24. Helpmekaar took a slender lead into the break, but the match remained very much alive.
The floodgates open
Two minutes into the second stanza, Helpmekaar signalled their intentions with a brilliantly worked wide attack that sent Zuan Krige racing over under the sticks. At 35-24, the cushion was growing. John van Druten added another shortly after, stretching the lead to 42-24 and forcing Queens to chase the game.
Kepe completed his hat-trick to claw back some respectability at 42-29, showcasing the individual brilliance that kept Queens in the fight. But Helpmekaar hit straight back, then went wide again to extend their advantage to 54-29. The dream was slipping away from the Eastern Cape boys.
Queens College continued exploiting the opportunities when Helpmekaar went wide, Mtokozisi Mbambo grabbed an interception to pull one back at 54-36, but the Johannesburg side’s wide game was simply too potent. When they got the ball into space, they were lethal.
Xander van Niekerk provided the moment of the match, finding a seam in the Queens defence and unleashing an 80-metre rampage that saw him beat three defenders before dotting down under the sticks. At 61-36, the contest was effectively over.
Helpmekaar kept the pedal to the metal. Shaye Lourens profited when a little space opened up, scoring to make it 66-36. Jayden Brown added another as Helpmekaar once again exploited the wide channels, taking the score to 73-36. Queens College were slow to the fold, giving Helpmekaar all the space they needed to work their magic.
In the end, the men from Johannesburg won with ease, their attacking prowess proving far too hot to handle despite Queens College’s brave efforts and opportunistic scoring.
