Pearson hold on for win over Tigers in tense finish
In doing so, the home team managed to hold onto the Principal's Hat, which is the trophy these two teams contest for annually, after former Pearson principal Andre van Staden donated his hat as a trophy following one of their matches.
From a game which Pearson dominated in the first half to run up a quick 21-0 lead (26-10 at the break), it developed into an intense scrap for supremacy as the Tigers showed massive fighting qualities to claw their way back into the hunt.
Within four minutes of the second half, the visitors closed the gap to 26-24 with tries by wing Chibuzo David and flank Etto Mapapu, with fullback Ashley Liesing adding the conversions.
But then in a period of play which was typical of the match, Pearson crossed for two tries themselves as Nicholas Gillespie got his second from a line-out drive and No 8 Robert Harris dived over after a brilliant break in midfield by centre Hanro Botes saw him brought down just before the line.
It was at this time, in the 45th minute, that Daniel Pienaar received a red card for a dangerous tackle, but even playing with 14 men could not quell the fighting spirit of the Kariega outfit.
They took advantage of some defensive lapses to cross for two more tries by hooker Denovan Booysen and flyhalf Rozario Grootboom, the second after a great run down the right by David.
Liesing added the conversion of Grootboom's try from the touchline and suddenly Pearson found themselves all square at 36-36 with 13 minutes remaining.
The home side, though, were alert to any opportunities and they made the final match-winning score when wing Matthew Els was put into space down the right flank for their seventh try of the match with 10 minutes left.
Pearson almost blew it with five minutes to go when a quick tap from a penalty near the Daniel Pienaar line went astray and the visitors attacked the length of the field before being stopped by the scrambling defence.
The Tigers poured on the pressure in the closing minutes, but the Pearson defence held firm to keep their lead in a titanic contest.
• In East London, Graeme College continued their good season with a clear-cut 45-10 victory over Stirling High.
For the winners, No 8 Ayola Mali and fullback Lucritia Magau led the way with two tries each, while centre Erin Nelson again had an impressive game in attack and defence.
Stirling crossed for tries by Joshua Pickering and Lilitha Mayiji.
• On the hockey field, the Pearson first and U16A girls took on Kingswood in Makhanda on Saturday and returned with two victories.
The U16 team started slowly against an energetic home team, but they soon found their rhythm and began to create opportunities, resulting in them netting 11 goals by the final whistle.
In the first team game, Pearson battled to capitalise on all their chances against a determined Kingswood side.
After a hard-fought contest, Pearson took the victory 2-1. — additional reporting by SuperSportschools.com
The Herald
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald
2 hours ago
- The Herald
Broken but unbowed: Webber's 15-win season defies the odds
For the last two months of the 2024/2025 season, injured Eldin Webber could only watch from the sidelines, but that didn't stop him from becoming the Champion Local Jockey in the Eastern Cape for the first time. It was an extraordinary season for Webber. He started brilliantly, then the winners dried up and then disaster. A broken leg ended his season with two months to go. Webber watched on and waited for the other jockeys to go past his 15 winners — they couldn't. 'I arrived back home [in Gqeberha] from Ireland, where things didn't quite work out for me. I wanted to prove to myself and the people that I can do this,' Webber said 'My goal was to win the championship. I put my head down and worked hard. 'Piece by piece, things fell in place for me and I did it. I achieved my goal.' Webber is quick to acknowledge the role many people played in his journey, thanking all the owners and all the Fairview trainers who helped him to achieve his goal. 'It all started with the Emmanuel Kaknis stable. The Kelly Mitchley yard gave me opportunities before trainer Zietsman Oosthuizen took me under his wings. 'Desmond Zackey then became my agent and we started building the winners up like that. 'One person who helps me tremendously is [former jockey] Justine King. She does all my paperwork, and if there are any problems, I turn to her for advice,' Webber said. Those 15 winners could have been a lot more with a little bit of luck. Webber had 22 second places and 25 thirds. 'You win some, you lose some. That is the name of the game. Sometimes you make mistakes. If you don't make the right move at the right time, you lose.' Webber is known as a jockey who doesn't stand back for anyone and that does get him into trouble at times. 'One has to stand up for what is right. I am not going to take the fall for something I didn't do. Everything must be done the correct way.' Webber, who won the Eastern Cape Champion Apprentice title twice, is delighted that there is a championship for the local jockeys to aim for. 'We feel we are worth something. Being the local champion means a lot, it is something that I can put on my CV when I want to go riding overseas.' The visiting jockeys dominate the Fairview meetings, and the local jockeys have been pleading for many years now for more opportunities from the owners and trainers. 'If owners can see the hard work we put in, they will appreciate more what we do and probably give us more chances. 'We work with very temperamental horses sometimes. 'We prepare the horses for the out-of-town jockeys to make the game look so easy, but the situation is what it is.' With the new Eastern Cape season starting with a Fairview Turf meeting on Monday, Webber will have to wait before he can start defending his title. 'I am making good progress with my injury. I can return to gym work now and will see the doctor on Thursday. Hopefully, I will get the green light then to return to work. 'I guess I will have to kick-start my season. Next season, I want to do even better. I want to at least double my number of winners.' So, his competitors had better look out — the champion can't wait to get back in the saddle and into the winners' enclosure.
The Herald
6 hours ago
- The Herald
Bafana Bafana's huge World Cup clash against Nigeria hosted in Free State
Phase three will kick off on August 16 at R150 for the grandstand area, to be sold at Spar, Postnet and most petrol stations. Both the Lesotho and Nigeria matches will kick off at 6pm. Lesotho will make announcement on how tickets for that match will be sold. Fifa are yet to announce whether South Africa will be sanctioned, potentially with points docked, for fielding ineligible Teboho Mokoena (who should have been suspended) in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane in March. The top teams from nine African groups qualify for the first 48-team World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the US, with four best runners-up going into playoffs for one more place. Bafana drew their away fixture against Nigeria - compounding a disastrous start to the campaign by the Super Eagles - 1-1 in Uyo in June 2024.
The Herald
6 hours ago
- The Herald
MBDA exiting the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium on a path of success
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a dynamic trading operation that requires a predictable environment to thrive. To ensure a multipurpose facility like it works well, it requires investing time in building relationships, technology, maintenance, and getting the right people on board to build an attractive calendar of events and inventory. A lot of what we see today at the stadium is a return on two years of hard work and investment, developing a whole suite of bankable projects and a viable commercial plan. In the 2024/25 financial year that ended June 30, the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality had set a revenue target of R14m for the stadium's operations, and not only did the MBDA surpass this, but significantly so to the tune of more than R20m. For accountability, the financial performance of the MBDA is recorded in monthly management reports submitted to the municipality as a compliance requirement. Since October 2024, the stadium has been the focus of national and international attention, whether for the Home of Legends Cup, Nedbank Semifinal, DHL Stormers against RC Toulon, Bafana Bafana playing Ghana, U20 Rugby Championship, or more recently the Springboks Test match against Italy. The fact is, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is buzzing again. It is this buzz that seems to have suddenly caught attention, and as the popular proverb goes, 'failure is an orphan, but success has many fathers'. The Bay stadium is demonstrating signs of success, and it is no surprise then that some are eager to associate with it. What is not apparent to them is that the fruits we see today are the results of two years of planning, canvassing and lobbying by the MBDA management, while maintaining this city's iconic facility with diligence and care. As we prepare to transition out of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, we hold our heads high and it is important that we give account to the ratepayers of the most recent and notable initiatives of the last 12 months. The Test match did not land on our lap; it came through intense background work we did with EP Rugby and supporting the union with restoring and reimagining its relationship with SA's rugby community. Subsequently, this agreement led to a delegation to SA Rugby presenting our case for regular international rugby Test fixtures to return to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Ultimately, this objective was achieved through a shared commercially driven model that was both mutually beneficial not only for Saru and the MBDA, but the entirety of the Eastern Cape province. The MBDA raised direct revenue of R4.4m from the Test match including nearly R400,000 from food and beverage sales as part of the agreed commercial model with Saru. To put this in context, this equates to 22% of the R20m target that the municipality has challenged the MBDA to achieve in this current financial year. The MBDA has already achieved 22% in one month. In addition, the MBDA saved the municipality a whopping R10m Test match hosting fee through smart commercial deal-making led by the executive management. The Test match's economic impact in the city was north of R60m, with every registered hospitality establishment either full or near capacity. The ripple effect was felt in all corners of the Bay, from Gelvandale, Motherwell, to KwaNobuhle, as a record number of mainly youth were gainfully employed during that week. The retail industry also reported a big surge in sales. The positive media coverage tracked is in the millions, stretching to international markets. The image presented is of a Bay venue with the most gees and vibe not seen in a long time. Social media was abuzz, commending the Bay for a memorable experience, thanks to a partnership forged through efforts of the MBDA, EP Rugby and Saru. The successful hosting of the Springbok Test match was an intended catalyst to advance the case for more national and international fixtures to return to the Bay. Currently, we are at an advanced stage in preparations for hosting an Investec Champions Cup match, once again highlighting the proactive approach of the MBDA in attracting major events that have significant economic spin-offs for the city. We exit the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium mindful that the facility has been well-maintained, has improved operations, systems and controls, but most importantly, the people who we have entrusted with this work are the best at what they do, they are resilient and innovative. As evidenced by the upcoming Jazz on the Lake concert, we had started creating our own portfolio of events as a proactive step to close any gaps in the calendar. It is our hope that absorbing the staff of the stadium into the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality does not diminish their entrepreneurial character and creativity. We also hope that those who take charge can only build on the success they are about to inherit as this stadium represents the only hope for economic growth fuelled by mass sporting events in the province. This is why when we took over the stadium in 2017, rebranded it — giving it back to its citizens as #OURSTADIUM. Anele Qaba, MBDA chief executive The Herald
