All set for False Bay/UCT Super League A clash

Jon Harris

After yet another beguiling round of Super League A matches, the competition again delivered its brew of surprises and discussion points.

Staggered to accommodate the closing stages of the Varsity Cup and the academic mid-year break, the table sees some teams well-progressed in their campaign, while others still lag. The three competing university teams have several games in hand, Maties with six to play, UWC five and UCT seven.

The latest table resembles the lane layout of a 400m track with runners entering the final bend. A quick glance doesn’t allow for an accurate assessment of the race leaders until the forerunners exit that bend, and the 80m straight reveals the true situation. At this stage, are the true leaders evident? Are some runners faltering? Is there a dark horse in the peloton?

Last week’s round of SLA matches saw some sound loud alerts of their intention to stand victorious at the end of the Top Six knockout series and add the Presidents Cup to their cabinet at club headquarters, while others blinked in the stare down, dropping league points. It could mean an extra match in the knockout stage instead of an apparent guaranteed semi-final berth.

Hamilton RFC lost to UniMil at the death of their challenge in Milnerton, while Villager FC comfortably accounted for van der Stel-Evergreens at Brookside. The eagerly awaited contest was expected to test the claims of the visitors, high-flying, capable Top Six contenders, but the 52-10 scoreline suggests the intentions of the hosts and the importance of consistency throughout a team’s campaign.

This Saturday sees another round of captivating matches, and for False Bay, it is their test of all tests. The Constantia lads enjoyed a valuable break from action after a bruising victory over DurBell in Durbanville last week. There, they shocked the hosts, big, brutal, and confident, ridiculing their opponents with sneers when they saw the relatively undersized Bay squad executing their warmup routine before the match.

False Bay exited the match arena as proud victors who had stood up to the challenge and executed their game plan to run the ball with confidence and endeavour. It endorsed the steady improvement and self-belief in a squad focused on achieving its goal.

False Bay has a squad of talent bursting at the seams, a mixture of youth and experience, and as the season has progressed and hard-fought victories are banked, the self-belief has flowed through their veins. Built on a strong front row, their forwards have delivered when it counts most, and their exciting backs have used their opportunities, squandering very little when given the chance to cross the line of their opponents.

They have three matches to achieve that, including an away fixture against the hapless Kuils River, firmly in the relegation zone. That may indicate the three points required, but it would be foolish, not to mention insulting, to assume the result as a foregone conclusion, and it falls to them to ensure that opportunities are maximised as and when they are presented.

Varsity Cup Champions, Ikeys, travel down the M3 to face the Bay. It will be their second tough encounter in four days after their midweek clash against Helderberg in the Strand. The students have won five, drawn one and lost one of their seven fixtures to date, and Saturday is a traditional challenge filled with history and rivalry. There is the added enticement of contesting the Mark Jordaan Trophy, sought-after silverware between the clubs, contested in honour of a giant of both clubs who passed away in the 80s and whose influence is still felt at the clubs, a man who epitomised the essence of the clubs.

 The Tigers, with seven remaining fixtures, will likely finish among the top three in the round robin stages and remain favourites to add the President’s Cup to stand alongside the Varsity Cup at headquarters.Whatever the case, Saturday’s entire match programme promises to be high-quality entertainment, the history and rivalry vital ingredients adding spice to the dish being served on the day.First matches at the Philip Herbstein Fields in Constantia kick off at 1.25pm. The main fixture starts at 4pm. Scholars under 18 enter free of charge.