Unam surge to the top

UNAM swept to the top of the Rugby Premier League with an awesome 83-16 victory against Reho Falcon in Rehoboth on Saturday.

Unam, who ran in a total of 13 tries, opened their account with a try by centre Darryl Wellman after only two minutes, and continued to keep the scoreboard ticking with regular touch downs.

By half time they were already leading 38-9, and their dominance continued after the break as they completed a crushing victory.

Wellman, right wing Oderich Mouton and flanker Gilad Plaatjie scored two tries each, and wing Shareave Titus, fly half Johannes Mwenyo, scrum half Sunday Haitembu, flanker Berry Gande, locks Simon Haitembu and Max Katjijeko and substitute back Chad Plato one each, while fullback Lorenzo Louis added nine conversions for a personal tally of 18 points.

Reho Falcon’s only points came via a penalty by centre Willie Fourie.

It was Unam’s third successive victory which takes them to the top of the log on 15 points – three points clear of Western Suburbs, who beat Kudus 48-3 at Suburbs Park.

Suburbs ran in seven tries to collect two bonus points. Tries by flanker Richard Mupewa, fullback Ricardo Swartz and centre Morgan Esterhuizen, as well as two conversions and a penalty by fly half Justin Nel gave them a comfortable 24-3 lead at half time.

Suburbs ran in four more tries after the break, with the industrious Mupewa scoring his second, and flanker Vakomboka Kamboo, right wing Dumarcho Hartung and eighthman Tjingairi Katjivi one each, while Nel added two more conversions.

Kudus’ only points came via a penalty by fly half Leeroy Stevens.

The newcomers to the Premier League, Grootfontein, caused a huge upset after beating the defending champions Trustco United 41-31 at Trustco United Park.

Grootfontein opened their account after only two minutes when centre Louis Grobbelaar crashed through two tackles to go over for a try, with fullback Ronald Deck adding the conversion.

Four minutes later captain and flanker Wicus Jacobs, who had a storming match, broke blind from a line-out to send scrum half Jan Harm Cronje over for a try and with Deck adding the conversion, Grootfontein were suddenly 14-0 ahead after only six minutes.

United opened their account when right wing Darryl Vries went over in the corner and with left wing Nazume Swartz adding a great conversion from the touch line they were 14-7 down.

Deck added a penalty for Grootfontein, but when United centre Henry Kandjou went over for a converted try, United were only 17-14 behind.

That’s the closest they got, though, as Grootfontein steadily pulled away.

Centre Grobbelaar crashed over for his second try, and when captain Jacobs went over just before half time after a fine run by Cronje, Grootfontein held a commanding 31-14 lead.

United scrum half reduced the deficit early in the second half when he darted over for a try from a scrum, but Grootfontein went 36-21 ahead when fly half Siegfried Potgieter went over after a fine run by eighthman Pieter Daniel Kok.

United came back within touching distance after a penalty by Swartz and a converted try by fly half Hanreco van Zyl, but Grootfontein had the final say when Potgieter went over for his second try in the corner.

The result puts Grootfontein level with Wanderers in third place on 11 points, while United are struggling in sixth place on five points.