Prince Edward . . . . . . . . .(11) 19 Lomagundi . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 17
Lomagundi flyhalf Sean Linfield missed a last minute conversion that could have levelled the game to allow hosts Prince Edward (PE) to grind out a 19-17 win in front of a packed Jubilee Field on the second day of the Cottco Rugby Festival on Tuesday.
After being outplayed in the first half Lomagundi came from the breather the hungrier of the two teams with some enterprising forward play by their bigger forwards.
PE, who seemed to have wrapped up the match after going to the break with a comfortable 11-0 lead lost momentum in the second half and the visitors took full advantage.
Lomagundi hit back with three tries in the second half courtesy of Linfield, Dawson Mtawarira, cousin to Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira and prop Murray Bryce-Rogers who touched down the last minute try which left the scores at 19-17.
Then came the time for Linfield to earn his side a deserved draw with the boot by converting from just outside the hosts’ 20 yard box, but his kick just went wide of the posts to send the partisan crowd into wild celebrations.
Tigers owed their victory to their lively flyhalf Luke Masasire whose try after 14 minutes and three penalties led his team to a deserved victory despite a late onslaught by Lomagundi.
Winger Morgan Vangue also ran in a crucial try from a quickly taken penalty with five minutes left on the clock which meant that Lomagundi had to touch down a converted try to at least come out of the match with a draw.
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In other matches, Peterhouse outmuscled Allan Wilson 45-3, while St John’s College survived an early scare from Plumtree to eventually post a convincing 31-5 victory.
Plumtree drew first blood with an early try in the match and held their own for the entire first half as the two teams went to the break deadlocked 5-5.
However, St Johns’ experience prevailed in the second half with five unanswered tries as Plumtree ran out of steam in the second half.
Gateway lost 12-3 to Prince Edwards’ second team, which was roped in at the eleventh hour after Botswana Under-20 pulled out of the tournament to become the second touring side expected at the tournament after Zambia.
