The Kimberley faithful witnessed their Diamonds shine brightest when it mattered most, as Diamantveld held off a ferocious Queen’s College fightback to claim a pulsating 40-29 victory at the Absa Wildeklawer tournament on Friday.
The home crowd went absolutely berserk as their heroes took the field, and Diamantveld didn’t disappoint, delivering a masterclass in attacking rugby that had the stands rocking , even if the visitors refused to surrender until the final whistle.
Diamantveld stamped their authority early, crossing in the corner in the 10th minute to ignite the home support. Seven minutes later, they produced a sweeping move that had the Queen’s defence scrambling. Getting the ball out wide with precision, Mikyle Muller danced over the whitewash to extend the advantage to 14-3.
Then came the moment that encapsulated Diamantveld’s physical dominance. Heinrich Swart collected possession and transformed into a runaway freight train, leaving defenders grasping at thin air in his wake. He powered under the posts to make it 21-3, and the writing appeared on the wall.
The Diamonds were winning every collision. Every carry gained precious metres, forcing Queen’s onto the back foot and sapping their defensive resolve. The hosts’ pack operated with brutal efficiency, their direct running game proving unstoppable in the opening exchanges.
Off the field, the junior Queen’s College teams refused to be drowned out, their war cries echoing around the ground in defiant support of their 1st XV brothers battling on the pitch.
Those encouragements proved prescient. In the closing stages of the half, Queen’s finally found some rhythm through brutal carries and fancy footwork. They battered away at the Diamonds defence, probing for weaknesses. Time and again Diamantveld held firm, but Queen’s kept coming. On the stroke of halftime, their persistence paid dividends as they crashed over for their first try, cutting the deficit to 21-10 heading into the sheds.
Whatever momentum Queen’s had built evaporated two minutes into the second half. Diamantveld struck from first phase, getting the ball wide with clinical precision to score and extend their lead to 26-10.
The Diamonds weren’t finished. They reverted to their power game, barrelling over through multiple brutal forward carrying phases to stretch the advantage to 33-10. The home faithful sensed a rout.
But Queen’s College came to compete, not capitulate. Inganathi Mnunu showcased his explosive pace and power, bumping off a defender and making crucial metres. Good interplay got the Queenstown boys right up to the tryline, where they battered the Diamonds defence until it finally yielded. At 33-17, Queen’s had their tails up.
The second half witnessed a fascinating shift in dynamics. Queen’s began standing up to the Diamantveld forwards, matching their physicality blow for blow. The scrums became uncontested, a development that appeared to favour the visitors. They got cleaner ball from their own set-piece, providing an attacking platform they exploited.
With four minutes remaining and Diamantveld awarded a scrum deep in their own 22, they produced a piece of magic. Tyler Campher released LJ Buys, who found VJ Davids in support. Davids showed Queen’s a clean pair of heels, accelerating away to score and seemingly seal the contest at 40-17.
A moment later, a lapse in concentration proved costly. Ncutu Kepe, who had enjoyed a brilliant match, pounced on the loose ball and steamed over the tryline. At 40-22, Queen’s still believed.
As time ebbed away, they produced one final moment of brilliance. Sinqobile Xhentsha exploited space on the outside, beating all defenders with pace to score in the corner. The conversion made it 40-29, and suddenly the margin looked far more respectable.
Diamantveld claimed the victory, but Queen’s College’s never-say-die attitude ensured this Absa Wildeklawer encounter will be remembered for all the right reasons.
