Eagle Stars leave the happy hearts broken
Sedgefield Eagle Stars continued their dominance over the SWD President’s League Coastal last weekend when they sent Happy Hearts packing, bettering the tied result they achieved in the first round.
Eagle Stars have been the dominant club in the league thus far this season, with neither of the two teams having lost yet in this campaign as the second team has won all 11 games with bonus points, while the first team has won 10 and drawn one.
Both teams’ brilliant performances this season have seen them stand top of the combined SWD President’s League, encompassing all three regions (Coastal, Karoo, Langeberg).
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Heading into the fixtures with Happy Hearts (whose teams were third on both logs), Eagle Stars’ second team was 24 points ahead of second-placed Garden Route, while the first team was nine points ahead of Garden Route on their log. The first team had arguably the tougher fixture as the first time they clashed with Happy Hearts at the beginning of the season, the game ended in a 27-27 draw.
Second team match
Eagle Stars’ first team would have to wait a while before they could try and one-up their previous result, however, as the second teams kicked off first at Grassy Park in Smutsville, with absolutely perfect weather playing along with overhead as there was not a cloud in sight. Eagle Stars had opted to give a few second-team players who haven’t spent much time on the pitch this season a run, so the side started off slightly shaky as Happy Hearts drew first blood and went up 3-0 in the first 10 minutes.
The home side quickly turned this around, however, as they dominated the remainder of the first half and ran in three tries to take a 17-3 halftime lead. The second half was a much better reflection of Eagle Stars’ second team’s quality, as they began to put together more efficient plays and moves.
They again ran in three tries while Happy Hearts could only muster up three more points to earn their 11th bonus-point victory of the season, winning 34-6.
First team match
The first team game would prove to be a nail-biting encounter for the home fans, as Eagle Stars seemed to struggle to find their feet against a determined Happy Hearts outfit. The same as in the first-round encounter, Happy Hearts drew first blood with a try, managing to dominate the first half with a strong defence that strangled Eagle Stars’ attack, heading into halftime with a 12-0 lead.
But the home side was able to turn things around in the second half with a much-improved attacking setup, and a much more resolute defence as they prevented Happy Hearts from scoring any more points. Eagle Stars were able to run in three tries in the second half while keeping Happy Hearts at bay, managing to give the home fans something to cheer for by grinding out a 19-12 victory.
In other action over the weekend, Greater Knysna fielded one side away to Thistles, where they went down 31-20.
Gerswin Dirk tees the ball up for a penalty attempt for the Eagle Stars’ first team.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News