Watch: East Rand United run over Boksburg
The scoreline suggests that the visitors were twice as good as the hosts - and they were.
An impressive East Rand United convincingly took the spoils in the first instalment of the Boksburg Derby when they beat TW Boksburg 48-24 in their Valke Peregrine League encounter at the Prince George Park Stadium on April 14.
United played like they were the home team as they came out of the blocks firing. Their passionate fans outnumbered the home team fans and their constant singing added to the derby atmosphere. Their team fed off it.
In typical derby fashion, the affair was fiercely but carefully contested in the early stages of the contest by both sets of teams.
It took 15 minutes for the first points to be scored which came through a Cameron Rooi penalty to give United a 3-0 lead.
The lead seemed to have fuelled the visitors and they kept the Owls under sustained pressure following the penalty. Five minutes later Clayton Gindan forced his way over the try line with a fully stretched arm before Rooi converted.
The Owls could’ve been much closer to United in the middle of United’s urgent start but wrong decisions saw them 10-0 down.
Adriaan van der Nest finally opened the scoring for Boksburg with a penalty to reduce the deficit to within a converted try but the waves of United attacks continued and they grabbed another converted touchdown.
United continued to dominate the ball possession stat and dazzling attacks were soon on display again.
A move in the middle of the park cut open Boksburg’s defence and sent lock-forward Kholekile Bakumeni to run into open space just a few metres from the Owls’ try line.
A quickly recycled ball went through the hands before scrumhalf Tiaan Ramat dived over in the corner. Rooi added the extras, to make it 24-3.
With the game suddenly open, United players were punished for their lapses in concentration and a good individual effort from Owls stalwart Dirkie Burger saw him touch down under the posts before a conversion sent the two teams into the break with the visitors enjoying a 24-10.
The home side needed a response and quickly. Whatever the message was from coach Francois Erasmus during the break, it seemed to have worked.
A rejuvenated Owls side struck first through a Francois Malherbe converted try and Erasmus’ men were again within a converted try to level matters.
However, as the home side’s hopes were on the rise, they were soon dealt a blow when they were punished by a turnover deep inside their half.
United quickly spread the ball like they had been doing the whole afternoon before releasing danger man Leon ‘Sweef’ Potgieter who sprinted to the corner. The conversion was missed.
The hosts wouldn’t give up and turned the match into a contest when they again cut the deficit through a penalty try following continuous knocks on the United door to make the score 29-24.
It was all happening at this stage in the derby… Even the referee went down as a result of a suspected cramp and had to be replaced.
Rooi showed that he’s not just a kicker and began United’s ‘run away mission’ on the scoreboard. The inside centre scored a brilliant try under the posts as he slipped his way past approximately four tacklers before converting his own score, 36-24.
With the Owls demoralised, replacement back JP Fleming buried the nail in Boksburg’s coffin with a brace of tries as United ended as comfortable winners.
There were a number of outstanding players, including United halfback Tiaan Ramat, but it was his outside-centre teammate Waylon Thompson, who not only outshone his equally talented opposite David Woolls, but produced a truly memorable derby performance.
What the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) said:
TW Boksburg
Lantana Howell (Travis Howell’s wife): “I always enjoy the derby. Calvin Jantjies (United’s eighth man) is Travis’s best friend so it’s always a big competition between them. The one thing I don’t like is when Boksburg loses, obviously.”
Tiffney Barker (Henrico Thorpe’s girlfriend): I really enjoyed the vibe and atmosphere but I would like to see more supporters, especially for Boksburg. The place (Prince George Park) used to be so packed that you wouldn’t even find parking. I want it to be like it used to be.”
East Rand United
Leandri van Tonder (Jacques van Tonder’s wife): It was an excellent game. My husband came off the field in the second-half but he played his heart out. It was a well-deserved win. There is overall passion in the game and a great atmosphere – especially with our crowd from Reiger Park who are really supportive and full of energy.”
Justine van Zyl (Clayton Gindan’s girlfriend): “The atmosphere is great because the team members give their all in the game and I can see how much my boyfriend loves the game.”
- Scorers:
TW Boksburg: Tries – Dirkie Burger, Francois Malherbe (penalty try). Conversions – David Woolls, Forest Roos
Penalty – Adriaan van der Nest.
ERU: Tries – Tiaan Ramat (2), JP Fleming (2), Cameron Rooi, Leon Potgieter, Clayton Gindan. Conversions – Cameron Rooi (5). Penalty – Cameron Rooi
- Teams
TW Boksburg
1 Henrico Thorpe, 2 Juan Brummer, 3 Adriaan Badenhorst, 4 Gary Woolls, 5 Willem Botes, 6 Francois Malherbe, 7 Mandre Bouwer, 8 Deon Smit; 9 Johan Labuschagne (c), 10 Kyle Hilton, 11 Dirkie Burger, 12 Damian Diedericks, 13 David Woolls, 14 Attie van der Nest, 15 Adriaan van der Nest
Replacements: 16 Travis Howell, 17 Christiaan Ras, 18 John Spence, 19 Danie Schultz, 20 Forest Roos, 21 Reggie Roux, 22 Mitchell Lingenfelder
ERU: 1 Andre Myburgh, 2 Shaun de Wet, 3 Dirk van Wyk, 4 Kholekile Bakumeni, 5 Jacques van Tonder, 6 Jonathan Botha, 7 Fanie van Staden, 8 Calvin Jantjies (c); 9 Tiaan Ramat, 10 Clayton Gindan, 11 Leon Potgieter, 12 Cameron Rooi, 13 Waylon Thompson, 14 Jackie Jonkers, 15 Juan Botha
Replacements: 16 Jaco Herselman, 17 Hannriel Coetzee, 18 Ricardo Menezes, 19 Peter Mnguni, 20 Bruce McKenzie, 21 Jan Harm Venter, 22 JP Fleming. – @SabeloBoksburg
