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Cape Town - The FNB Ikeys, beat FNB Shimlas 23-20 on the Groote Schuur fields at UCT on a windy Monday evening.
The victory, even without a bonus point, keeps UCT in second place with a round to go. Second place would of course mean a home semifinal, but that is not yet assured.
But what a tense finish to a match that seemed to be running an inevitable course. UCT were leading 18-7 and playing with the strong wind which always blows on the Groote Schuur fields.
It seemed all over.
But then the Shimlas attacked and Niël Jacobs goaled a penalty. Then the wheels, it seemed, were coming off UCT.
Soon after the kick-off replacement lock, Dane Galley, was sent to the sin bin for an air tackle. Suddenly the Shimlas got on top. They climbed in with a will, destroyed the lock-less Ikey pack and attacked over and over. It was their turn to dominate possession.
The Shimlas had an overlap on the left but poor hands destroyed it and then they got the ball left again and Roelof Steyn sped over for a try - 18-15. It was a different game.
Back came the Shimlas and from 20 metres out and slap in front of the posts Jacobs missed a penalty attempt. It was not the wind's fault; his aim was awry. Instead it was the Ikeys who scored. Against the run of play they won a turnover on the far right and sped the ball to the far left where Therlow Pietersen raced over for a try. That made it 23-15 with 12 minutes to play.
The Shimlas came back and scored a try just before the final whistle to make the final score 23-20 to UCT.
In the first half UCT played into the wind and it was surprising that they were 7-6 behind at the break for they had played all the rugby.
Shimlas did lots of muscular things but, apart from the sparkling moment when Jaco Colyn darted through for a try, they spent the half defending and conceding penalties. When they had conceded their eight penalty at a tackle, hooker Gert Erasmus was sent to the sin bin.
Going left on quick ball, Colyn dashed through for a try at the posts. He made it look so easy. Jacobs converted.
The rest was UCT who contrived to beat themselves, often with injudicious passes when a try looked likely. Twice strong, fast centre Pieter Engelbrecht broke. Once admirable flank Nick Fenton-Wells raced up the middle of the field. Marcello Sampson was over in the left corner but lost the ball. Therlow Pietersen cut through on the counter. Sampson countered. Fenton-Wells had another run. JJ Gagiano countered. It was all UCT with quick hands an lots of support but few points.
They missed two penalty kicks at goal but Matt Rosslee goaled when Arné Grobbelaar was penalised for a dangerous tackle and then when the Shimlas - again - infringed at the tackle.
The Shimlas started the second half running and what a change it produced. They got possession over and over and kept it, testing UCT resolve but Ikeys got two quick tries before their possession dried up.
First UCT won a turnover and little Ikey replacement scrumhalf JP Robert kicked high over the forwards from only a half a metre in from touch. The ball sailed and bounced high just in from touch. No Shimlas was interested in getting the ball but burly Ikey hooker Dayne Jans grabbed it and thundered down to score. 11-7 to UCT.
Soon afterwards they were going left and Rosslee cut through to score at the posts in a similar manner to Colyn's first-half try. That made the score 19-7 and the Shimlas' fightback started.
It was a replica of the first half, except that the colours had changed. The Shimlas now kept possession and ran with it while the Ikeys were the ones penalised at the tackle. In all Ikeys were penalised 12 times, seven times at the tackle; the Shimlas 11 times, nine times at the tackle.
In the second half, Colyn moved from flyhalf to his more usual position of scrumhalf.
With two minutes to play the Shimlas attacked again and this time Grobbelaar surged over for a try near the posts. The easy conversion was missed.
The scorers:
For UCT:
Tries: Jans, Rosslee, Pietersen
Con: Rosslee
Pens: Rosslee 2
For Shimlas:
Tries: Colyn, Steyn, Grobbelaar
Con: Jacobs
Pen: Jacobs
The teams:
FNB UCT: 15 Therlow Pietersen, 14 Dane Johnson, 13 Tiger Bax, 12 Pieter Engelbrecht, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Matt Rosslee, 9 Stuart Commins, 8 JJ Gagiano (captain), 7 Enoch Panya, 6 Nick Fenton-Wells, 5 Donovan Armand, 4 Michael Passaportis, 3 Shane Meier, 2 Dayne Jans, 1 Dylan Rogers.
Replacements: 16 Mark Goosen, 17 Ashley Wells, 18 Dane Galley, 19 Kuselo Moyake, 20 JP Robert, 21 Peter Haw, 22 Sean van Tonder.
FNB Shimlas: 15 Llewellyn Adonis, 14 Shagan Windvogel, 13 Cameron Jacobs, 12 Niël Jacobs, 11 Roelof Steyn, 10 Jaco Colyn (captain), 9 Marlin Ruiters, 8 Arné Grobbelaar, 7 Willie Britz, 6 André Tredoux, 5 Frans la Grange, 4 Phillip Steyn, 3 Drew van Coller, 2 Gert Erasmus, 1 Roelof Koorsen.
Replacements: 16 Hans Grobler, 17 Sewes Oosthuizen, 18 Pieter Labuschagne, 19 Paul Roux, 20 Johan van Niekerk, 21 Earl Snyman, 22 Lionel Cronjé.
