Selborne showed their class to crush Queen’s College 76-13 in East London on Saturday. DYLAN JACK reports.
Boosted by fine performances from their SA Schools players, hat-trick hero hooker Jacques Goosen in particular, Selborne were simply too good for a Queen’s side that fell off tackles in the second half.
Selborne came into this match having lost just three games in 2018, while their opponents had only tasted victory four times.
The difference in quality showed from the off, as Selborne flank Dean Stokes went over from the back of a maul in the opening two minutes.
SA Schools lock Jared Taylor and Goosen drove over for Selborne’s second and third try respectively, with centre Likhaya Tengimfene spotting a gap to sprint through for their fourth to make it 26-0 at half-time.
The hosts made a dream start to the second half, as Selbourne captain Siba Xamlashe showed his speed to sprint clear from inside his half for a brilliant counter-attacking try, before the visitors got onto the board thanks to a penalty from Aviwe Kanuka.
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The visitors went for a different approach in the second period, slowing the ball down and sucking in Selborne’s defenders, which paid off when Kanuka finished off a fine interchange between forwards and backs.
However, Goosen powered over from another quick-tap for his second, but Queen’s responded in kind through big tighthead Ali Gqaza.
Goosen then went over for his third after a sustained period of pressure from the hosts, before wing Mntungwa Mapantsela was on hand to finish off a move started in Selborne’s 22, bringing up the half-century.
The home side was not done, though, and a superb run and offload from flank Troy Mynhardt found replacement back James Flanagan, who strolled in to score, while wings Jarrod Ramsey and Xamlashe both grabbed their second tries in the final 10 minutes.
Selborne – Try: Dean Stokes, Jared Taylor, Jacques Goosen (3), Likhaya Tengimfene, Siba Xamlashe (2), Mntungwa Mapantsela, James Flanagan, Jarrod Ramsey (2). Conversion: Thomas Bursey (7), Jordan Janse van Rensburg.
Queen’s College – Try: Aviwe Kanuka, Ali Gqaza. Penalty: Kanuka.
