By CHANEEZ SIAS
It was a cold day on Saturday 8 September when one of the eight SEDRU sub union club leagues reached its finale. Kowie United travelled from port Alfred to face their rivals, the Old Collegians (OC) from Grahamstown on the Rhodes University Great Field.
The opening 10 minutes placed OC in the lead after being awarded a penalty kick which was successfully converted by their left wing. OC secured possession and territory, and thanks to their eighth man, OC increased their lead by an additional five points through their first try. The conversion was missed, however OC enjoyed their 8-0 lead.
Kowie United’s fullback was the star for his team on the day, putting in an exciting performance. However it was the eighth man for Kowie United who scored the first try for Kowie United that raised the spirit of the team to get back into the game. Despite this score, OC remained in the lead for the remainder of the half, thanks to two more penalties by their flyhalf, allowing OC to take a 14-8 lead into the break.
The second half of the match grew more intense with each minute. Both teams were eager to win and in the process made it difficult for each other to secure any tries. Kowie United were prepared for OC’s backline and defended well to not concede any tries in the second half.
The visiting team had their fair share of opportunities to cross the try line, but neither team capitalized on their opportunities. Kowie’s fullback succeeded with a drop goal and one more penalty goal, before OC secured the win by successfully converting a penalty goal. The full time score read 17-14 points in favor of OC, meaning that they were crowned division champions.