Kudu get the better of United

The FNB Kudu rugby club clinched a double victory in their reserve and premier league rugby games against a visiting Trustco United at Jan Wilken Stadium in Walvis Bay on Saturday.
Spurred on by a vociferous crowd, the Kudu premier league team showed once again that they are the team to beat this season with a 43-20 victory, while the second team pocketed a 33-17 win.
The main game got off to a slow start due to the very hot weather conditions that persisted on the day. United found themselves on the wrong side of the rules when referee Romario de Koker showed a red card to their hooker Gerhard Thirion five minutes into the game.
Kudu full back Chad Plato opened the scoreboard with a try, which he also successfully converted. This was followed with a try by right wing Aston Mukwiilongo right under the goal posts. Plato also added this conversion.
The opponents then retaliated and scored their first try. The try scorers for United were full back Janus van den Berg, scrum half Pieter JV Vuuren and and tight head prop Eloff du Plessis. Fly half Renier Benade managed to convert one of the three tries, and scored a penalty.
Kudu were on form, with Plato adding another try and left wing Zane Williams, scrum half Percy Nash and team captain and blindside flanker Cameron Langenhoven following in his footsteps.
During the final minutes of the game, Mukwiilongo scored his second try and took the score to 43-15 in favour of Kudu.
Langenhoven said it was good to win. “We’ve managed to score seven tries, and get the six points. I, however, feel we can do better. There are definitely a few things we can take from this game and improve on. I’d like us to focus on our defence at the try line."

Reserve League action
United II had the upper hand during the first half of the game against Kudu II, but the latter found their rhythm and managed to score five tries with full back Giovanni Izaaks, outside centre Nathan Isaacs, scrum-half Ulriato Lawrence, blindside flanker Sheiton Besser and replacement Virgil Bampton dotting it down for the winning team.
Lawrence converted three of the tries while replacement Benito Bezuidenhoudt added another conversion.
Right wing Doctor Andreas and eighth man and captain Dean Blom scored tries for United. Inside centre Jahno du Plessis converted both tries and also added a penalty.

Ladies rugby
Luck was not on the side of the Kudu Bokkies with their game being prematurely called off after United suffered numerous injuries.
The visitors had five players down and were unable to continue playing 10 minutes into the game. This forced the referee to call off the match, with the score on 7-0 in favour of the injured team.
Ivone Irene Kooper was awarded a penalty try.
"Two of my players were injured during a match in Cape Town. The injuries picked up by the players in the match against Kudu included blows to the head and ribs. I simply did not have the players to continue the game. I am not even sure my team will be able to play again,” United coach Edwin Basson said.
Bokkies coach Abraham Farmer did not want to comment, with some of his players saying they will not leave the matter as is.
Meanwhile, in the first division, Kudu III recorded a 14-7 victory over the defending champions Sparta.
Lucio Isaacs scored two tries for Kudu, which Brandon Syster converted. KP van Zyl scored and also converted a try for Sparta.