Breakers bow out of Super 12

Breakers put on a gallant fight before bowing out of the Eastern Cape Super 12 competition via a 44-30 thumping by Progress from Uitenhage last weekend. The team has lost all five matches in the competition, scoring 69 points and conceding 171 for a points differential of -102.

It was an explosive match at the Thobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre with a total of 11 tries scored, six by Progress and three by the home team. Progress was quick out of the blocks, scoring in the first minute through four-try hero Denver Jones. Luciandre Theodore made no mistake with the conversion and Progress took a 7-0 lead. Breakers obviously came to play and they showed it by not standing back for their more illustrious opponents. The exchanges were brutal and so was the breakdown area, where both teams took no prisoners in clearing the rucks to secure good ball for their backs to launch attacks.

Nkunku Mbusi showed tremendous power and confidence in slotting home a 50 metre penalty to register Breakers’ first points. That seemed to lift the home side and, cheered on by the home supporters, eighthman Siwele Henam bulldozed his way past several defenders before diving over for Breakers’ first try. Mbusi converted as the home team took the lead for the first time at 10-7.

After a passage of play Mbusi inflicted more damage with the boot as he stroked another penalty neatly through the uprights and Breakers increased their lead to 13-7. Realising that Breakers were running away with the score, Progress opted for poles after receiving a penalty for a ruck infringement. Theodore made no mistake, to bring the deficit to three points. However that was short-lived as Mbusi slotted another penalty for Breakers to go 16-10 up.

Progress showed their champion pedigree by having the final say in the first half by goaling one penalty and two tries by Lixhante Tame and their lethal winger, Denver Jones, to take a healthy 25-16 lead into half time.

The second half started in the same fashion as the first. Progress were first to score with Jones completing his hattrick of tries as the visitors took a commanding 32-16 lead. Breakers wouldn’t lie down though and hit back with a try of their own by Hlela Mbasana to take the scores to 32-23. However, it was the Denver Jones show as the speedster scored his fourth try and Progress increased the score to 37-23. To their credit, Breakers never gave up the fight as centre Malusi Gomba crashed over for Mbusi to convert and bring the scores to within seven points at 37-30.

There followed a nervous period for the visitors as Breakers applied pressure. In their eagerness to stay in the fight, a Breakers player received a yellow card which opened the door for Progress. They took advantage of the one-man advantage as scrumhalf Lewin Meyer crossed over for the sixth Progress try. Curneil Hendricks made no mistake with the conversion to close the match at 44-30.

Progress coach Eric Toring was cautiously excited about the win and said, “We are happy with the away win, considering we have rested a lot of our first team players to test the depth and strength of our squad. We came here knowing that we had already qualified for the semi-finals and it was a chance to test some of our players. We have been very close in winning this competition, but have fallen at the last hurdle on three previous occasions. We are taking it one game at a time and are confident of going all the way this time around.”

In other results, EL Police made sure of second position in Group B with a resounding 50-15 win over Despatch. Berlin Tigers lost 22-42 to Kruisfontein. Star of Hope defeated PE Police 32-27 in a closely contested match at Kemsley Park.

Semi- finals this weekend see Star of Hope at home to EL Police at 2pm at Jabavu Stadium. That will be followed at 5pm by the Progress vs PE Police match at Central Fields, Uitenhage.

In local rugby, Old Collegians were played off the park by a dangerous Hibernians side, smashing them 31-14 in their own backyard. Hibernians have now won all three matches against Collegians in the last three years.

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