FULL STORY: Roses United break Boksburg hearts
Roses United put together a spirited second-half performance to beat Kaufela Boksburg 50-36 in a high-scoring Community Cup encounter at PG Park on Saturday, March 15.
United’s victory was built on a dominant showing after the break where they ran riot and outscored the hosts 36-14 after trailing 22-14 at the end of the first half.
Fresh from their crushing win over BB Truck Noordelikes, the Owls got out of the blocks in flying fashion and scored the first try of the match through flyer Etienne Taljaard.
Ashley Buchler converted to give the hosts a 7-0 lead with a minute on the clock.
Buchler strengthened the Owls’ lead with a penalty from near United’s 22m area to lead 10-0 before Calvin Jantjies dotted down a try of his own to put the hosts in a commanding position. The number eight player stormed through to score in the middle of the posts, giving Buchler a perfect spot to make it 17-0.
United were dealt a further blow to their slow start in the match with second-row Reinart Ellmann leaving the pitch after sustaining a suspected concussion half-way through the first half.
Tiaan Ramat made amends, however, scoring United’s first try in the corner for Ryan Julies to convert.
Boksburg’s rampant running continued and United had barely finished celebrating when Ashwill Adams went over the whitewash to stretch the hosts’ lead to 22-7 as Ellmann returned to the fray.
Adams finished a well-worked move by the Owls, who used the width of the pitch by spreading play from one end to the other before the fullback dived over in the corner.
But it would be United who would go into the half-time break as arguably the happier side with Ellmann making his return known with a try, which Julies converted right at the death, to significantly cut Boksburg’s lead to eight.
The half-time team-talk and Ellmann’s late score in the first stanza seemed to have given United new vigour as they edged closer after the resumption with Brendon April finishing a counter-attacking move from deep in United’s half for the away side to move within three points at 22-19.
However, Boksburg again used the width of the pitch to great effect after multiple phases in the visitors’ 22m line for Dean Swart to finish. Ashley added the extra two to give the home side some breathing space at 29-19.
The try fest continued as United again replied through replacement utility back Denver Fortuin before Julies’ added two points from the conversion.
Boksburg struggled to deal with United’s counter-attacks and Ramat scored his second from a move deep in United’s half to make it two tries in two minutes for the visitors, who lead for the first time on the hour mark.
Julies added the extra two points to make it 33-29 in an emphatic start to the second half.
United carried through their momentum following the resulting kick-off as they camped in the hometeam’s half before Julies’ deft drop-goal stretched their lead to seven.
It was end-to-end action as the hometeam looked to level the scores at 36-29 down. They strung together a very promising attack with phase-after but a handling error allowed United replacement, Adrian Jacobs, to sprint the whole length of the pitch before being stopped short from the line.
The visitors were awarded a penalty try after an infringement from the resulting line-out, which Julies converted to put the visitors in the box seat at 43-29.
With the flood gates open, United made it 50 from a Julies-converted April try before Boksburg’s replacement scrumhalf Wynand Venter grabbed the consolation score for Buchler to convert.
