Telnet Crusaders came close to causing one of the biggest shocks of the season when they were edged out 27-21 by Jonsson College Rovers in the final of the Castle Murray Cup knockout competition at Riverside Sports yesterday afternoon.

It was a fitting finale to the 2012 club rugby season of that there was no doubt as everyone had expected Rovers to completely dominate proceedings on finals day. It wasn’t to be with Crusaders coming out with passion and a huge desire to win and one can only give them huge credit for an absolutely incredible performance especially when one considers that the club was almost down and out at the start of the season. In the end, the game could have gone either way and had they won the match it would have certainly been a fairy-tale ending to quite a remarkable season for them. As it turned out Crusaders can still hold their heads high.

For Rovers it was a huge wake up call as they now prepare for the National Club Championships in Rustenburg, as they certainly weren’t very impressive on the day even if they do seem to have that uncanny knack of stealing victory from the depths of despair. It has been their good fortune in recent seasons and has become a very important part of their make-up their true belief in their winning culture.

Saders opened the scoring with an Armand Botha penalty and were playing like men possessed and full of passion in the opening stages of the game. Rovers leveled matters when Jors Dannhauser slotted a penalty. It wasn’t long before Botha kicked a second penalty befor Rovers scored the opening try in the dying minutes of the second half to take a 10-6 lead after Dannhauser converted.

When Rovers scored their second try through wing Dannhauser early in the second half one got the feeling it could be the end for Saders but the Durban North club had other ideas putting in their finest performance of the season only being outscored four tries to three by the victors.

Rovers other tries came from centre Jean Botha, and Shannon Rick with Kobus de Kock kicking a conversion.

The tries from Crusaders came from Zandre Grobelaar, Nigel Archer and Hubert de Haas and in the end, had theirl kicker found his form, it could well have been a different story all together.

Jos Robson