Rough weekend for local rugby

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GARDEN ROUTE NEWS AND GALLERY - The rugby clubs in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay had a disappointing weekend, with all three participating clubs losing all eight matches they played.

The only local club not in action was Bitou Rugby Club, who is set to return to action in the SWD First Division West later this month.

The other three - Jaguars, Sedgefield Eagle Stars, and Knysna United - had matches on Saturday 30 April.

PHOTO GALLERY: Bitou rugby club loses out

Eagle Stars were fresh off of their first-ever win in the SWD Super League A where they narrowly overcame Blanco on 23 April and were hoping to carry some of that momentum into their matches against George who was four spots above the Sedgefield outfit on the log.

The two clubs waged their battles in George.

First up were the third teams, and this would be the closest game of the day with George winning 19-8. Matters only worsened for the away side, with George winning the second team game 43-12 and the first team game even further, with 53-19.

Their loss, combined with a win for Blanco, saw Eagle Stars drop back to the bottom of the log.

It proved to be a similar state of affairs for the only other SWD Super League A club in the CX region, Jaguars, when they faced table toppers Evergreens at the Bitou rugby field in Plettenberg Bay.

Once more, the third team match reflected the closest score margin with Evergreens winning 26-7. The second team wasn't much worse, but could however not register a point throughout the game. Evergreens won this encounter 21-0.

Jaguars' Ettienne Luiters comes up against a defender from Evergreens.

With the sun starting to set on the field, the first teams faced off. While Jaguars showed glimpses of promise with a few line breaks and kicks in behind the defence, Evergreens dominated this game too, overpowering Jaguars during scrum time and consistently outrunning the home side's backline.

Two last-gasp tries spared Jaguars' blushes as they made their way back from 43-0 down to 43-14 by the time the final whistle blew.

Meanwhile, at Knysna's Loerie Park, Knysna United was facing a stiff challenge from Mossel Bay club Happy Hearts in the SWD Super League B. Both matches were tense and tight affairs, with both decided by no more than a three-point margin.

In the second team match, Happy Hearts held off Knysna United to earn an 18-15 win. The first team game was even closer with Happy Hearts only just emerging victorious, winning 20-19.Adrian Willemse slings a pass away for the Jaguars. Photos: Blake Linder