Hamilton show NTK no mercy
Hamilton Rugby Club delivered a commanding performance led by Wynand Maclachlan as they thrashed NTK 73-7 at their Stephen Oval home in Green Point during the weekend.
Maclachlan, in particular, stood out with an outstanding individual display, contributing 24 points to Hamilton's dominant victory.
His performance also propelled him to the top of the Western Province Rugby Football Union Super League A (SLA) scoring charts, with a total of 89 points so far this season.
Wet conditions at Stephen Oval did little to affect the flow of the game but the conditions seemed to favour Hamilton more than their visitors. The game's first try arrived within the opening three minutes, setting the tone for an action-packed encounter and a promise of a high scoring game.
High scoring it was. In the first half alone, a total of six tries were scored by the home side, with 11 tries being registered throughout the entirety of the match.
The intensity of the game led to a flurry of yellow cards, and the referee had to put in an extra effort to maintain control on the field.
NTK suffered two yellow cards within the first 15 minutes, highlighting their discipline issues that led to their big defeat.
Hamilton also had a player in the bin early on in the game. The second half witnessed further disciplinary issues for NTK, as they received two more yellow cards. Hamilton, on the other hand, were shown a red card, leaving them with a numerical disadvantage, which did little to trouble the scoresheet.
NTK managed to score their only points of the match in the opening minute of the second half, briefly offering a glimmer of hope. However, from that moment onwards, Hamilton continued their grip on the game. Their attacking prowess was on full display as they dominated proceedings, shutting down NTK's attempts at a comeback.
With this resounding victory, Hamilton secured their third win in seven matches. NTK found themselves still searching for consistency, having managed only a solitary win in their seven outings so far.
Elsewhere, Union-Milnerton (Uni-Mil) showcased a dominant first-half performance as they secured their sixth win in seven outings at home against Kuils River in action at Theo Marais Park.
The final scoreline read 43-19 in favour of Uni-Mil after a 29-0 lead at halftime. The win was Uni-Mil’s sixth in seven outings. Like NTK, Kuils River has a single win under their name in seven games.
In other weekend fixtures, Helderberg emerged victorious over St George’s with a 43-17 scoreline. Villager secured a comprehensive win over Tygerberg, 32-13. UWC defeated Hamlets 45-31 in a high-scoring encounter.
Hamilton are on a bye this coming weekend and will be back in action next week when they visit St George’s.
