Josh Finlay against Union - Pic: Erick Pietersen

Impala’s New Concept Mining’s first team played to their full potential for the second time this season when they beat Union 91-13 in Rustenburg on Saturday.

Impala scored 15 tries, 9 in the first half and 6 in the second. If they were more successful in converting their tries in the second half, they could easily have scored a century.

As can be expected with Impala, Union scored first with a penalty but Dwayne Jordaan scored soon after, and from then on it was one-way traffic. Impala ran each and every ball they got, and there just weren’t enough defenders to stop the flow of tries.

Although the win was a memorable one, the road ahead for Impala’s first team is still a difficult one. They were to play Vaal Reefs away on Saturday but Vaal Reefs preferred to play in the Mining News week, and withdrew.

Impala will play both Alberton and Pirates in Rustenburg during the last weekend of July and first weekend of August. Impala need two convincing victories to keep their play-off hopes alive. The following weekend they play Roodepoort away in another must-win game.
 
No fewer than five players scored a brace of tries each with Josh Finlay contributing 26 points.

Scorers:

Impala: Tries: Dwayne Jordaan (2), Josh Finlay (2), Robbie Visser (2), Rugga Mogotsi (2), Lourens Nagel (2), Loyisa Bopi, Stiaan Prins, Jaco Gouws, Donovan Arendse, Jackie du Toit. Conversions: Finlay (8).

*Impala’s second team also won by the comfortable margin of 41-5. The bonus point victory keeps their play-off hopes alive. For the seconds, tries were scored by Paul Bester, Kenneth Moketsi, WP Mkize, Dewald Thomas, Lambert Jankowitz, Danie Bodenstein and Dewald Delport. David van der Kolff converted three tries and Robbie la Grange one.

*The Third Team also won 46-22 against Union. Try scorers for the thirds were Siko, Xelewa, Seyibokwe, Delport, Madikazie and Chasana. Nene converted three tries and succeeded with two penalties.

*The Under 19s won 22-5 in a tough encounter against Union. The three tries they scored were however not enough to secure a bonus point but they are still well on the way to a place in the play-offs. Captain Johan Engelbrecht scored two tries and winger Danie Skalenkamp one. Adriaan Nel converted two tries and a penalty.

*The disappointment of the day was Impala’s Under 21s who drew 10-all against Union, a side they should have beaten with ease. But all credit to Union. They played their hearts out, and like true Bulldogs they never gave up. For Impala tries were scored by Hanro Erasmus and scrumhalf Thomas Brown.