FNB Unam finished at the top of the log, but Trustco United’s chances of reaching the knockout stages suffered a big blow after matches in the Windhoek Lager Premier League over the weekend.
Unam over powered FNB Reho Falcon 74-35 to finish their league campaign on 77 points – two more than FNB Wanderers, who beat FNB Grootfontein 48-31.
FNB Kudus remain third on 57 points after beating FNB Western Suburbs 15-0, but United’s hopes suffered a setback when they lost 32-26 to FNB Rehoboth.
That result saw Grootfontein remaining fourth on 45 points, while United are now fifth, six points behind. United still have one more match to play – against Reho Falcon next weekend, but they will now have to get maximum bonus points and make up a 48-point deficit to have any chance of reaching the semifinals.
At the PstBet Unam field, Unam attacked Falcons from the start, with their ever-present eighthman Gilad Plaatjies going over for two early tries and when hooker Gerhard Thirion went on a storming run from a lineout to touch down they went 21-0 ahead after only ten minutes.
Their pacey leftwing Quirione Majiedt got in on the act, scoring two tries in quick succession – the first from a flowing backline move and the second after a blindside attack, and when scrumhalf AJ Kearns went over after a great rolling maul they were leading 40-0 after only 24 minutes.
Majiedt completed his hattrick when he finished off an attack by Plaatjies, and when Kearns broke blind from a scrum to touch down they were leading 52-0 after 36 minutes.
It seemed like a century score was in the offing but Falcons suddenly came alive, opening their account with a penalty try, while rightwing Daniel Bezuidenhout went over from broken play to make the halftime score 52-14.
Unam picked up where they left off after the break with Plaatjies completing his hattrick and Thirion bursting over from a maul for his second, and when rightwing Shareave Titus went over after a blindside attack from a scrum they were cruising at 67-14.
Falcons, however, came fighting back with fullback Ashton van Wyk touching down and although Kearns went over for his second try, Falcons continued to attack and were rewarded with two late tries by centre Nando Dentlinger and flanker Keynnen Basson.
Unam fullback Aljarreau Zaahl added six conversions and substitute back Bronwon Willemse one, while Falcons leftwing Enrique Willemse added four conversions.
Wanderers completed their league campaign with a come-from-behind 48-31 win away to Grootfontein.
The home side took a 10-0 lead after two early tries, but Wanderers gradually gained control, scoring three tries to take a 21-10 lead at the halftime break, while they scored three more in the second half to complete a comprehensive win.
Fullback Tareekuye Tjipute led the way with three tries, while Nandi Karuuombe and Johan Deysel scored one each. Their powerful pack also won two penalty tries, while Denzo Bruwer added three conversions and a penalty.
For Grootfontein, Wicus Jacobs scored two tries, and Alfred Vercuil, Ian Malan and Amutenya Amutenya one each, while Uroel Marais added three conversions.
Rehoboth, meanwhile, put in a passionate display to beat United 32-26 on their home ground after leading 17-7 at halftime.
Rehoboth scored five tries through Corburn Claassen, Digo Ashipala, Hillian Beukes, Denver Beukes and Miquel Busch, who added two conversions and a penalty for a personal tally of 12 points.
United scored four tries through Rudi Pieters, Kamaa Kajau, Elzandro van Wyk and Hanreco van Zyl, who added two conversions, and Ricardo Swartz one.
At Walvis Bay, Kudus beat Suburbs15-0 with rightwing Irongwa Atshivudhi scoring three tries.
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