Grey College added the finishing touches with two converted tries in the final two minutes to complete a polished performance against a courageous Grey High outfit in their annual derby in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The 59-26 score perhaps did not fully reflect the determination shown by the visitors from Gqeberha. However, there was no disputing the home side’s superiority as they gradually wore their opponents down, scoring five tries in the second half.
Grey High again showcased the strengths that have become hallmarks of their game in recent seasons. Their well-drilled maul proved a potent weapon close to the tryline, and hooker Micah Wessels crossed for the first of his two tries to give the visitors an early advantage.
The opening half developed into a fierce arm wrestle, with Grey College holding a slender 14-12 lead after 18 minutes, before two pivotal moments swung the momentum decisively in the hosts’ favour.
After Wessels had powered over for his second try from another dominant maul, Grey High fumbled the restart. The loose ball bounced kindly for alert wing Jaco Oosthuizen, who gathered cleanly and raced away for his second try of the afternoon.
There was still time for one more decisive blow before halftime. With the clock in the red, Grey College scrumhalf Jonathan Drysdale produced arguably the try of the match, darting away from a scrum deep inside his own half before weaving through the defence with superb pace and footwork to score beneath the posts.
Instead of trailing by just two points, Grey High suddenly found themselves 12-26 behind at the break.
To their credit, the visitors responded positively after halftime. They continued to challenge the Grey College defence and were rewarded when wing Noah Mbizi crossed three minutes into the second half to narrow the gap to 19-26.
However, Grey College gradually tightened their grip on the contest. Sustained pressure and clinical finishing saw them score three unanswered tries in quick succession to extend their advantage to 45-19 with 12 minutes remaining, effectively ending the contest.
Grey High continued to battle bravely until the final whistle, but Grey College maintained their intensity and rounded off a deserved victory with two converted tries in the closing moments to underline their dominance.
Scorers:
Grey College 59 (26) – Tries: Jaco Oosthuizen (2), Xander de Beer (2), Jonathan Drysdale, Christoff Crous, Lamla Mgedezi, Henru Erasmus, AJ Hendricks. Conversions: Crous (7). Grey High 26 (12) – Tries: Micah Wessels (2), Noah Mbizi, Zola Yeye. Conversions: Nathan Trytsman (3).
