Maqonda Ndlovu
Rehoboth Rugby Club produced a gutsy performance to see off Unam 25-31 at the Unam Rugby Fields in the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) 2023 Premier League match on Saturday.
The match was also played in honour of Cameron Xavier ‘Hotdog’ McNab who played for both Unam and Rehoboth before passing away on 9 April 2022.
In a match that both sides needed to win in order to keep their dreams of playing in this year’s playoffs alive, Rehoboth made a statement of intent as early as the sixth minute when Diego Loubser dotted down for the first try of the match.
Flyhalf Henrique Olivier, who had missed a penalty in the second minute, converted to put Rehoboth ahead.
Unam responded with a penalty (converted by fullback Lorenzo Luis) and a try by Jeffery Jaden, which was converted, to take a 10-7 lead by the 25th minute.
Rehoboth were reduced to 14 men after Nando Dentlinger was sin binned for a foul immediately after Unam’s try, but it was the away team who scored and converted a try through Miquel Busch to take a 14-10 lead into the break.
The second half started the same way it ended, with Rehoboth failing to convert a penalty before Busch attempted a drop goal from his own 22-metre line.
They did manage to score a try through Jerome Schumann, which Olivier converted as they stretched their lead to 21-10 early in the second half.
Unam then mounted a comeback as Andrew Kearns scored a try, which Luis converted to make it 17-21, before Barry Gande made it a one-point game following a lovely exchange between the students midfield.
Luis missed the conversion, leaving the score at 21-22.
The home side edged forward via a Luis penalty (25-22) before a moment of madness by Luis gave Rehoboth an advantage.
Rehoboth kicked for possession from deep in their own half, finding Luis with acres of space and time.
However, the Unam fullback failed to catch the ball, giving Rehoboth an opportunity to close him down.
Instead of kicking the ball out to safety, Luis opted to catch the ball, only to find himself surrounded by a couple of Rehoboth players, whose pressing helped turn over possession for a try by Busch.
Olivier converted to give Unam a 25-28 lead before more pressure from the visitors forced another penalty, which sealed a 25-31 victory for Rehoboth.
Speaking to New Era Sport after the match, Rehoboth captain Kevin Cloete said it was a tough game, but his team stuck to their game plan.
“Unam has been playing well the past few days. They gave us tough competition. As for the semifinals, it is still a long shot, as we need favours from other teams as well. We are getting there, and this win was very important for us to keep our hopes alive,” Cloete said.
On his part, Unam captain Graham April said the game was tough for them and they played into the hands of Rehoboth.
“The game was a bit loose, and we know that Rehoboth loves to play a loose game. That gave them an advantage, and we also made silly mistakes on our side. This was a crucial game for both teams; we still have two games ahead of us; we are not demotivated; the spirits are high,” April said.
A ‘Hotdog’ trophy was awarded to Rehoboth at the end of the match.
Weekend Rugby results:
Reho Falcons 22–44 Western Suburbs
Kudus 52–31 Grootfontein