Masiphumelele pushes for Top 9 spot

Patrick Nuthall

Masiphumelele Rugby Club hosted Blue Jets on Saturday, 24 May, in a high-stakes home fixture as they push for a spot in the WP Club Rugby Top 9 competition.

Spectators were treated to an afternoon of intense rugby, with Masiphumelele securing two wins from three matches in front of a home crowd.

The third team opened the day with a hard-fought 28–21 victory, securing a valuable four-try bonus point. It was a tight game throughout, but Masiphumelele’s grit and composure saw them over the line.

The second team entered the match on a three-game winning streak and looked sharp early on, with tries from JC Barkhuizen and Dylan Malander, who converted his own score, giving Masiphumelele a 12–0 lead.

However, Blue Jets clawed their way back into the game, narrowing the gap before half-time and dominating the second half. Masiphumelele couldn’t regain control, eventually falling 12–20.

The first team, led by Captain Richwen Warries on his 100th cap, came out firing. Flanker Zollie Twani opened the scoring, followed by tries from Wesley Kok, Siyabonga Mbali, and Jason Holt, with conversions by Monwabo Totsini and Gregory Cleophas giving the home side a 26–5 lead at the break.

But the second half told a different story. While Totsini slotted a penalty to extend the lead to 29–12, Blue Jets responded with two penalties, a converted try, and a late penalty try to close the gap to 29–25. Masi’s defence was tested to the limit in a tense final 10 minutes, but they held firm to claim a vital win.

Masiphumelele enjoys a bye this week and will host Police RFC at home on Saturday June 7. Kick-off is from 1.30pm at Noordhoek sports fields.

Patrick Nuthall is a member of Masiphumelele Rugby Club.