21 Aug 2016

Osi Kopano scored three tries when UB Rhinos thrashed Gaborone Hogs 43-17 in a super rugby match at SSKB Stadium on August 20.

The victory moved Rhinos closer to reaching the final since they climbed into second position in the log and must now beat BDF Cheetahs next weekend to seal their place in the championship match.

Defeat was on one hand costly for the Hogs, which dropped into third position, and must beat Canon Jaguars in the last match and hope that Rhinos loses against Cheetahs in order for them to sneak into the final. 

The match got to a frenetic start in front of jubilant supporters at SSKB Stadium with Rhinos scoring a second minute try through Junior Pofelo. 

Alphious Mokotedi made a successful conversion as Rhinos held a 7-0 lead over their arch-rivals. 

However, the Hogs hit back through a try by veteran Jeremy Babbage in the 16th-minute, and fullback Edward Oosthuizen made a conversion to level the score.

Rhinos established a three points lead in the 35th-minute through Tiger Masinki who kicked in a penalty outside the 22 metre line. 

The university team, which was at the receiving end of two defeats against the Hogs this season, extended their lead to 17-7 through a try by Masinki and conversion by Kaelo Mogotsi before half-time. 

After the break, Rhinos combined strength with speed to punish the defending champions.

The Hogs played a careless knock on in their own half on the 45th-minute, and they were duly punished as Rhinos strung together an exciting move which resulted in Mokotedi selling the back line a dummy before scoring his team’s third try. 

Mogotsi made a successful conversion to extend Rhinos lead to 24-7.

The Hogs cut the deficit by scoring a try five minutes later through Laurel Raugarirayi, but Kopano replied with a ten-minute hat-trick to douse any chances of a fight-back.

He scored his first try in the 65th-minute, got a brace six minutes later, and completed a hat-trick with five minutes remaining. 

Mogotsi and Masinki made conversions from two of those tries to take Rhinos’ tally to 43 points. 

Babbage scored the last try for the Hogs to finish the match with a brace.

Rhinos’ coach Mooketsi Ramakele said their strategy was to play with speed, overpower Hogs and recover fast. 

He had run the Hogs close in an earlier match and were confident that they could win this time. 

“It is a blessing that all of our guys have not sustained any serious knocks, so we can confidently look forward to our next game. It will be very difficult next week because Cheetahs are a very fit team,” Ramakele said.

 Ramakele said they are going to use the same game plan against Cheetahs next weekend. 

“Cheetahs scums are much bigger  so we will work on overpowering them and denying them because they are very good with the ball in their hands,” he said. Ends