Two penalties in the last five minutes by replacement flyhalf Marcel du Toit gave Pukke a nailbiting 17-12 victory over College Rovers in the 2008 SAA National Club Champs final played at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Saturday.The Potchefstroom students, playing in their fifth final in seven years, trailed 9-8 at halftime and for much of the second half it seemed as if the KZN champions would hold out in a match played in stifling heat.
But Pukke! gradually fought their way back into the match, thank in no small part to centre and man of the match, Paul Bosch, and forward of the tournament, flanker Wilhelm Koch.
"I'm just so delighted for the boys," said Pukke coach Matthew Proudfoot. "It's been a long, hard year. We didn't play well but I think, as in the semifinal, our desire got us through."
Proudfoot said he gave his side a "tongue-lashing" at halftime, after which Pukke came back into the game. "We played better in the second half," he said. "We applied pressure on Rovers and they started leaking penalties, and that took the game for us."
The coach said Pukke were now aiming to become as successful on the club scene as Maties, whom they beat in the semifinal this year. "We know where we want to be and we have to go back and work towards that now," he said. "Everyone targets you the next year so we'll have a bull's-eye on our back in 2009. We really want to ta! ke a step forward next year because we haven't been the big do! g on a c onsistent basis. You take a step up one year and the guys take a bite out of you. But we don't want to slip back this time."
Proudfoot said he was impressed with the standard of rugby at the tournament, and singled out open clubs Rovers, Brakpan and SK Walmers. "They have really taken a step forward," he said. "They're putting their hands up and that can only be good for South African rugby."
Disappointed College Rovers' hooker and captain Alistair Schwikkard agreed. "This year the standard was definitely higher than in previous years, while it also gave us the opportunity to measure ourselves against the likes of Tukkies and Brakpan and now Pukke," he said.
Schwikkard, 24, in his first year in charge of Rovers, praised his players for their efforts but was left to rue a number of missed chances that could have given his side victory. "We thought we were in it, especially when we led at halftime, but at the end of the second half I felt we we! re our own worst enemies," he said. "We didn't hold onto possession when we had the opportunities to score. In the end the better side won but we're very disappointed."
Schwikkard echoed Proudfoot's view that non-university clubs were becoming a force in South African rugby once more. "The club rugby around the country has been centred around the varsities because that's where most of the hype is," he said.
"But we just showed that a club without a huge player base can perform alongside them, and I just hope that what we've done will encourage clubs like us who are in the same position. All hope isn't lost and hopefully we'll come back next year and give it another bash."
In the final, the appearance of Du Toit with ten minutes remaining signalled a change in Puk fortunes: no sooner had he run on than he gave his side a 14-12 lead and then almost immediately afterwards extended the gap to five points with a second penalty goal.
In! a tense final characterised by tight defence from teams, Pukk! e scored the only try of the match, through fullback Warren Pietersen in the first half, while Rovers had flyhalf Andrew Borgen to thank for their points by way of four well-struck penalties.
Du Toit's second kick in the dying moments sparked a frantic last-ditch effort from Rovers, who were seeking to reverse their 2006 final loss to the same opponents, but the Puk defence held firm to give the students their third title in five years.
• In a clean sweep of the awards on offer, Pukke left wing Lolo Waka walked away with the backline player of the year trophy to go with those won by Bosch (man of the match) and Koch (forward of the tournament).
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY UNION
