Centurion - Rondebosch put in a massive second half effort to claim a 15-20 victory against the Bishops in windy conditions on Saturday at the Piley Rees in the Premier Interschools featured match.
The home side headed into the 198th encounter between these two schools as the firm favourite, but with three consecutive losses ahead of the clash a competitive encounter was expected.
The home side came out firing on all cylinders, a sensational period of attack-upon-attack in the opening 10 minutes saw them cross the try line for two quick tries courtesy of speedster Jack Ryan.
Ryan's opening try was converted, handing Bishops a 7-0 lead in the fourth minute, and almost immediately thereafter Ryan added his second try, this time, however, flyhalf Shaywan Blankenberg missed the conversion (12-0).
Bishops were firmly in the driving seat at 15-0 up as the players headed down the tunnel for the halftime break.
Things just did not seem to go the way of Rondebosch in the opening parts of the second half when Bishops' outside centre Gilermo Mentoe chased down Rondebosch left winger and Western Province sprinter Juma Amissi for nearly 60 metres. Mentoe tackled Amissi at the shoelaces bringing the Rondebosch flyer down just inches from the Bishops try line.
This passage of play did however setup the first try for Rondebosch, Jacques Jooste crashing over the try line with three Bishops defenders trying to stop him. Jooste would miss his own try's conversion attempt, 15-5.
Jooste's try set in motion a valiant fight back from Rondebosch and a definite shift in momentum could be seen in the visiting side, despite looking rather lackluster in the opening half. Hooker Jonathan Birhange would get the second try and with Jooste's conversion going over making it a three-point game, 15-12.
A few minutes after Birhange's try, Jooste slotted a penalty attempt, levelling matters, 15-all, with 12 minutes remaining.
Adding to the home side's woes, the big shift in momentum in the Cape derby came in the 66th and 67th minutes when the two earlier heroes - Max Cary (66th minute) and Mentoe (67th minute) - were sent to the sin bin by referee Aimee Barrett-Theron reducing the Bishops side to 13-men for the remainder of the match.
Ricketts was finally rewarded for all his efforts, when he scored the try that handed Rondebosch the lead for the first time and with two minutes remaining, the winning try in the end. Jooste missed the conversion (20-15).
IOL Sport