Impressive Kudu beat United at home

WINDHOEK, 10 JUN  – Walvis Bay-based Kudu Rugby Club beat United 40-31 at their home ground in Olympia on Saturday to move a position ahead of the hosts in the Namibia Rugby Premier League log standing.
Kudu, who looked hungrier and determined on the day are now fourth on the log standing with 25 points from nine games, while United dropped to fifth position on 24 points from the same number of games.
On Saturday at the Trustco United Sports Field, it was the visitors who opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute through a penalty kick by Percy Nash. The home team replied with their own try through Riaan van Zyl in the sixth minute which he also converted to take the lead.
Kudu scored one more penalty in the 14th minute through Nash to reduce the score line to one point.
In the 27th minute, Henry Kandjou ran in United’s second try of the match which Van Zyl converted to extend their lead to 14 points. Kudu ran in their first try in the 33rd minute after brilliant play which saw Nash scoring for the visitors and Carlton Stevens converting from the spot.
The score was 14-13 with the home team United leading with just seven minutes left in the first half.
The visitor took the lead in the 38th minute when Gilad Plaatjies scored their second try of the day and Nash made no mistake from the spot, but Kudu’s lead was cut short in the 40th minute as Earl Rose ran in United’s third try which Van Zyl converted.
The half time score was 21-20 in United’s favour.
In the second half, the Kudu’s continued to press hard and got themselves a penalty in the 45th minute which Nash scored to take the lead once again. But three minutes later, United scored their fourth try of the match through Lionel Nantes and Van Zyl converted to take the lead once more.
In the 51st minute Nash missed an opportunity to close down the score after missing a penalty, but Plaatjies had plans of his own when he ran in Kudu’s third try on the day which Plato converted to take the lead once more.
With minutes running down, Kudu’s JR Jacobs scored another try in the 73rd minute to extend their lead to 37-28.
United’s Mbimbo Mbai scored a penalty in the 78th to give his side hope of a comeback, but a drop kick by Kudu’s Ivo Croza in the 79th killed their dream of that comeback as the match ended 40-31.

NAMPA