Secunda Grip and Rip Rugby beat their rivals from Witbank comprehensively on Saturday
Home team Sasol Secunda Grip and Rip Rugby played a good game to beat their rivals from Witbank 50-13
Witbank started with pressure on the home team and scored an early try. For the first 30-odd minutes Secunda trailed by 8-0. It might have been a slow start in some of the spectator’s opinion but one thing is certain. Secunda will not just relax.
Secunda started to settle down and play their usual steady game. They wrestled the control of the scrums and Lineouts back from Witbank to slowly increase their dominance in the game.
It was clear that Witbank had a different gameplan and one or two key Secunda players were targeted. Although it could have been very disruptive for the home team it did not really work and only served to unite the home boys more.
The lineouts were good, and the throw-ins were on target. This created a good platform for the backline to attack from.
Secunda started to dominate in all aspects of the game. The forwards used it to great advantage when they mauled their way forward putting Witbank on the back foot.
One such maul had the Witbank team panicking as Secunda gained a lot of ground in their opposites quarter area.
Secunda’s backline really turned on the pressure and Witbank struggled to keep the gaps from forming. The Secunda attack penetrated the Witbank regularly with Witbank having to muster all their players to stop Secunda.
Unfortunately, continual pressure sometimes makes the tempers flare up and such was the case with the visiting team. The referee quickly took matters in hand and unfortunately, one of Secunda’s players had to visit the “Cool Off Box” for 10 minutes. But such is the nature of these games. Tempers will always flare up. It is how you handle it that counts. Secunda did it perfectly in the end.
By halftime, Secunda was already leading by 19 points to 8. This gap would be increased in the second half with good solid play from Sasol Secunda Grip and Rip.
Although Witbank managed to score another try, they never really got a grip on controlling the game after the first initial 30 minutes.
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Sasol Secunda Grip and Rip Rugby will now play Whiteriver on Saturday the 29th on their home turf in the semifinal. This game might be seen as a repeat of the 2022 final. Witbank will play Baberton in the other semifinal.
Baberton beat Whiteriver 19-12 to be crowned the Lowveld champions.
Well played Secunda!
