If, last Saturday, you’d happened on 30 burly men kneeling in a tight circle, arms around each other’s shoulders and silhouetted against a winter sunset, you would never have guessed that they’d just spent an hour and a half in brutal combat. With common roots that go deep, Alexandria’s Trying Stars and the Grahamstown Brumbies value their brotherhood – but they sure take their sibling rivalry very seriously.
The word “physical” was used a lot in the comments after last Saturday’s Score Energy Drink EPRU Grand Challenge Top 12 derby. Mauls are about as physical as you can get, and there were mauls aplenty in this match as the traditional rivals fought to prove their worth in the Score Energy Drink EPRU Grand Challenge Top 12.
Stars and Brumbies went into the match in 7th and 8th places in the GC top 12, respectively. Both were playing their last 2025 GC game. The league, which ends in September, offers teams an opportunity to qualify for the Eastern Cape Super 14.
“There’s lots to play for,” Brumbies President Deon Hilpert had said ahead of the game.
With the Brumbies’ traditional home ground, the Oval, still out of commission, Rhodes University’s Prospect Field wasn’t strictly speaking a home game. But enough supporters from both clubs made the trip by foot or by car to create a festive atmosphere.
The Ndlambe travellers were anxious and subdued during the first half, with Trying Stars down 25-3 at one point.
““We had expected a hard and physical game,” said coach Alan Cannon afterwards. “Brumbies started very well with two intercept tries and two early penalties that gave them a healthy lead.
“But with our backs to the wall, the boys really showed character and calmness under pressure: they came back in the second half to end the match with a 33-all draw.
“I am very proud of the boys,” Cannon said. “We work hard and it really shows. We stay in the fight. It was hard work that allowed us to erase such a big deficit.”
Trying Stars captain Ambrose Cannon said after the match, “A match between Brumbies and Trying Stars is always hard. But there’s always a brotherhood between Brumbies and Trying Stars.
”And I just want to say thank you to the guys – Brumbies also – for the game: for the physicality, for everything they do on the field for my boys.
“In our prep during the week we had a plan for how we were going to play this game and we executed that plan. It was a draw, but I’m very proud of how my boys played.
“That’s all I have to say, is thank you to the boys.”
Brumbies Captain Lathi Jodwana said, “It was quite a big game for us. Obviously it was not the result we wanted, but we’re building: we lost our first [Grand Challenge] game; this second one we’ve drawn – hopefully we win the next one.
“Trying Stars are a quality outfit – they’re always competetitive – so all the best to them for their Top 12 campaign.”
Trying Stars point scorers:
Tries – Kelvano King, Lifa Matshisi, Vuyisa Twani and Lucian Millborrow
Conversions – Lucian Milborrow x1
Penalties – Lucian Milkborrow x2; Lance King x1
Conversion drop goal – Kelvano King
Grahamstown Brumbies point scorers:
Tries – Junaden Kadie x2, Merlin du Plessis, Ethan Daniels.
Penalties – Merlin du Plessis x2
Conversions – Merin du Plessis x2
Drop goal – Zenovan Denson
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, July 24, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
