Unam, Wanderers pull away 

FNB Unam and FNB Wanderers pulled away from the chasing pack after both recorded victories in the Windhoek Lager Rugby Premier League on Saturday. 

Unam notched up their seventh consecutive win in style after beating FNB Western Suburbs 57-11 on their home field, while Wanderers overcame a spirited FNB Rehoboth Rugby Club to win 45-31 at Rehoboth. 

In other matches, FNB Reho Falcon’s great revival continued with a 19-17 victory away to FNB Grootfontein, while Trustco United thumped Simonis Storm Dolphin 57-5 at Swakopmund. 

Log leaders Unam soon got into their stride against Suburbs when eighthman Handre Bezuidenhout went over from a maul from a lineout, and although Aljarreau Zaahl missed the conversion, more chances came their way as their forwards asserted their dominance. 

Rudi Pretorius opened Suburbs’ account with a penalty, but two more tries by Bezuidenhout and right wing Quirione Majiedt put Unam 17-6 ahead, before Majiedt rounded off a smooth backline move to put them 24-6 ahead. 

Unam continued to punish Suburbs as hooker Gerhard Thirion went over from broken play just before halftime to give them a comfortable 29-6 lead at the break. 

Suburbs promised a brief revival when Johnny Namene went over from a backline attack, but Unam struck back with a great counter-attacking try from their own tryline that was rounded off by Majiedt.

By now Unam were well in control with their forwards pushing Suburbs back metres at a time in the scrums, and their pressure told as they scored three more tries in the final ten minutes. 

Substitute hooker Bigman Kaura went over from a forward maul, centre Kieron Diergaardt cut through the backline to touch down and Majiedt completed a great performance with his fourth try when he finished off an attack by Bezuidenhout to seal a commanding victory. 

The win put Unam at the top of the log on 37 points, but Wanderers stayed in touch, four points behind on 33, after a hard-fought 45-31 victory against Rehoboth. 

Wanderers, who led 33-10 at halftime scored a total of seven tries to collect maximum bonus points and remain on Unam’s tail. 

Their try scorers were fullback Tareekuye Tjipute; the wings Nandivatu Karuuombe and Jurgen Meyer; the centres Danco Burger and Tonderai Ndudzo; eighthman Peter Diergaardt and lock Driaan Vorster, while scrumhalf Jacques Theron added five conversions. 

For Rehoboth, flanker Deevan Mathys scored two tries and fullback Brandon Dentlinger and hooker Jeandre Cloete one each, while centre Henrique Olivier added four conversions and a penalty. 

It was Rehoboth’s fifth defeat in seven matches which leaves them third last on the log on 14 points.

Reho Falcon’s great revival, meanwhile, continued with a thrilling 19-17 victory away to Grootfontein. 

Grootfontein led the try count, three to two, but their kicking let them down as they could only convert one, while they also conceded too many penalties and Falcons capitalised to snatch a dramatic victory. 

For Falcons, scrumhalf Dillon Kahmann and flanker Dilhon Daries scored tries, while fullback Aston van Wyk added two penalties and flyhalf Franklinn Busch one. 

For Grootfontein, captain Wicus Jacobs, playing eighthman for a change in stead of hooker, scored two tries, and prop Bernd Beddies one, while fullback Alfred Vercuil converted one. 

The win saw Falcons closing in on Grootfontein on the log, with Falcons now fifth on 20 points, while Grootfontein are fourth on 23 points. 

At the Tamariskia field in Swakopund, Trustco United got back on the winning trail with a commanding 57-5 victory against Dolphin. 

United scored nine tries in total through left wing Kauee Kuhanga (two), centre JD Nel, flyhalf Hanreco van Zyl, scrumhalf Jahno du Plessis, eighthman PJ Ilonga, flanker Zander Bronkhorst, lock Warren Marais and substitute prop Jano Otto, while Van Zyl added three conversions and fullback Ricardo Swartz another three. Dolphin scored one try through hooker JM Richter. 

The win put United on 15 points in sixth position, while Dolphin are still rock bottom on zero points.