The closing match between hosts Kearsney and Pretoria Boys High was a high scoring game with 11 tries. Both teams had won one match and lost the other, so there was an incentive to win their second game at the festival.
After early pressure by Boys High, it was Kearsney who opened the scoring when hooker Reid Stuart dived on to the ball after some jittery handling by Pretoria. This was well converted by fullback Jacques Odendaal for the 7-point lead.
Kearsney were arguably having the better possession and their second try came at the end of the first quarter when flank Taine Polzi dived over.
Pretoria, who had got close but the defence held, had an intercept with Kearsney on attack and flank Kgala Mothomogolo ran 40m to score under the uprights, converted by Justin Cross for their 7 points.
Almost immediately Kearsney struck back when centre Derick Marshall used his strength to burst through and add another 7 points. With Odendaal’s conversion, they had a lead of 19-7 at the break.
Early in the second half wing Christo Scheepers dotted down, again well converted by Odendaal to extend the lead to 26-7. Pretoria struck back as centre Sithembiso Motlaletsa got through for a try in the left corner. Cross kicked a good conversion to increase their score to 14 and reduce the lead to 12 points.
With 16 minutes remaining Boys High again pressurised the Kearsney line and scrumhalf Aiden Olivier scored in the same corner. Cross converted again to bring the scores closer at 19-26.
The tension was mounting and the home crowd cheered loudly when Kearsney were awarded a penalty 30m out. However, Odendaal just didn’t curve the ball enough for the three points.
There was relief for the home supporters though, when a good line movement, with Odendaal making a break, dummying and passing to Taine Muirhead, who rounded the defence to score under the crossbar. Odendaal added the extra points and Kearsney led 33-19 with six minutes remaining.
The game was not over and Boys High came back with a try by Kgala Mothomogolo well converted by Cross, making the score 33-26.
Kearsney again replied when they moved the ball quickly to centre Phoka Mchunu who went through a gap. Odendaal added the extra for a 40-26 lead.
Reinhardt Nel completed the scoring with a try in the last second, again converted by Cross and a final score of 40-33, which included 11 tries in the exciting game, a fitting end to the 11th Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival.
Scorers:
Kearsney College 40 (19) – Tries: Reid Stuart, Taine Polzi, Christo Scheepers, Derick Marshall, Taine Muirhead, Phoka Mchunu; Conversions Jacques Odendaal (5). Pretoria Boys’ High 33 (7) – Tries: Sithembiso Motkletsa, Aiden Olivier, Kgala Mothomogolo (2), Reinhardt Nel; Conversions Justin Cross (4).
The penultimate festival match, between Selborne College and HTS Drostdy, saw the East London side dominating position for the first 20 minutes. The Worcester team struggled to get their hands on the ball and, when they did, they were cut down.
Selborne went into an early 10-0 lead following a penalty by Thomas Bursey, followed by a try scored by centre Sibabalwe Xamlashe, converted by Bursey.
A second penalty by Bursey, followed by a strong run by prop Shakeel Naidoo, again converted by Bursey, left Selborne well in control and looking comfortable with a 20-point lead.
Drostdy gradually began winning more ball and with this became far more competitive. Their first try came five and a half minutes from the break, when flank Heinrich Naude scored following a lineout. Just two minutes later, Naude scored his second try after some good inter-passing. This was converted by Shaun Baxter for the deficit to be cut to eight points and a Selborne 20-12 lead at the break.
Bursey increased Selborne’s lead with his third penalty, but it was Drostdy who were looking the stronger. A yellow card for a high tackle saw Drostdy opting for a lineout rather than three points. The subsequent rolling maul found hooker Stefan Schwartz in possession to score as they crossed the try-line.
Another penalty conversion by Bursey took Selborne to 26-17 ahead. Just going into the fourth quarter Drostdy moved down the left and fullback Cohen Jasper scored a good try in the corner. This was well converted by Baxter to narrow the gap to 24-26.
The game really came alight in the last 10 minutes with both sides striving to score. Two chances by Drostdy went a-begging. Then, in the last seconds after setting up a line-out, driving and moving the ball, wing Keane Gelant was found unmarked on the left. Selborne managed to stop him but from the ruck centre Keane Gelant forced his way over in a mass of bodies, to give Drostdy a 29-26 win in an extremely exciting and excellent game of rugby.
Scorers:
HTS Drostdy 29 (12) – Tries: Heinrich Naude (2),Cohen Jasper, Stefan Schwartz, Keane Gelant. Conversions: Shaun Baxter (2). Selborne College 26 (20) – Tries: Sibabalwe Xamlashe, Shakeel Naidoo. Conversions: Thomas Bursey (2). Penalties: Bursey (4)
In the fifth match of the final day, unbeaten DHS faced Dale College who had lost both their earlier festival games. It was the KZN side which dominated the first 10 minutes with a penalty by Shakur la Douce, and then a converted try after Dale had passed back and had to dot down for DHS to have a 5m scrum.
From an ensuing ruck, prop Mthokozisi Gumede found is way over with La Douce adding the extra points, to take a 10-0 lead.
Dale were struggling to keep ball in hand and, with a brisk breeze behind DHS, they kept Dale in their own half. The Border team did have the occasional visit to the DHS 22m area, but their handling let them down.
In the second quarter it was DHS who scored a further three times. Lock Setjhaba Mathuse, after inter-passing among the forwards scored first; then it was centre McNeil Jenner who finished a move started by Zethembe Mbonambi after a favourable bounce. In the final minutes of the half their SA schools loose forward Celimpilo Gumede ran through a tackle to score, this time converted by La Douce, for a 23-0 lead at the break.
Dale improved their play but again lost ground when passes did not go to hand. With the wind direction across field they did not get much advantage from that. It was DHS with a kick ahead, a favourable bounce and Gumede was first to dot down. La Douce converted and DHS had increased their lead to 34-0.
With just over two minutes remaining, DHS had a good passing movement down the field and fullback La Douce was on hand to dive over for their last try and a 39-0 win.
Although this was a game where DHS dominated, Dale did not take their chances and could not hold their passes.
Scorers:
Durban High School 39 () – Tries: Celimpilo Gumede (2), McNeil Jenner, Shakur La Douce, Cetjhaba Mathuse, Mthokozisi Gumede. Conversions: La Douce (3). Penalty: La Doce. Dale College 0.
It was an entertaining first half in the third match between HTS Middelburg and Queen’s College. The latter had lost both their games, whilst Middelburg had a narrow one-point win against Kearsney in their first match.
Middelburg were the dominant side for the first quarter and went into a 7-0 lead after a good driving try by eighth man Juandre Odendaal, converted by Morne Sonnekus.
The second quarter saw Queen’s becoming more confident with the ball in hand and they managed two tries to lead 12-7 at the break. The first after Siya Tyulu passed out to flank Chumani Gatyeni. Tyulu was again the play maker for the second try, this time passing inside to wing Liyabona Maku who dived over. It was converted by Aviwe Kanuka for their 12 points.
Middelburg regrouped at the break and came out looking the better team. They made less mistakes, dominating loose play. Three tries were scored, two from Queen’s mistakes – the first after a good line movement when Odendaal scored his second break through two tackles.
The second came from a lineout with Queen’s not gathering, and hooker Edwin Till was first to the ball. The third was when Odendaal scored his hat-trick with a bullocking run from a Queen’s handling mistake. Two were converted by Sonnekus to give them a 31-12 lead. The final try by Middelburg was scored by flank Franco Fourie after a long overhead pass.
Queen’s had the last run of play when Odwa Mfeka ran down the middle of the field to score and bring them to a respectable 17-35 loss after an entertaining game.
Scorers:
HTS Middelburg 35 (7) – Tries: Juandre Odendaal (3), Edwin Till, Franco Fourie. Conversions: Morne Sonnekus (5). Queen’s College 17 (12) – Tries: Liyabona Maku, Chumani Gatyeni, Odwa Mfeka. Conversion: Aviwe Kanuka.
On a beautifully warm day, the second match was between Port Elizabeth’s Hoerskool Framesby, who had won both their prior matches, and Hoerskool Noord-Kaap from Kimberley, who had yet to win a game.
Framesby had the heavier forwards and they were more dominant in the broken phases of play. Noord-Kaap was left to largely feed on scraps.
Two tries were scored by Framesby, the first by flyhalf Juandre Liebenberg and the second by centre Sebastian Brandt, after a favourable bounce. The first was converted by Liebenberg put them 12-0 ahead.
Both sides then traded penalties, Liebenberg for Framesby and DS van Niekerk for Noord-Kaap, to leave Framesby 15-3 ahead. After some forward dominance, centre Brandt went over for his second try.
On the half-time whistle, Noord-Kaap managed to put some passes together which gave centre Tiaan Swanepoel some space, and he outpaced the defence to score the try of the game. It left an 8-20 score-line going into the break.
The second half was evenly contested until a few minutes from the end. A possible try by Noord-Kaap centre Elzandro Fredericks after a 70m sprint was nullified after a call by the assistance referee for an illegal tackle.
This gave Framesby a second wind and they attacked, resulting in centre Brandt breaking. He was tackled on the try-line, but supporting flank Christo Grobler was on hand to dot down, resulting in a 30-8 lead and final score to win.
Framesby will return home having won all three of their matches the festival. Noord-Kaap will rue their handling and passing which ultimately cost them their three games.
Scorers:
Framesby 30 (20) – Tries: Sebastian Brandt (2),Juandre Liebenberg, Christo Grobler, Monray Potgieter. Conversion: Liebenberg. Penalty: Liebenberg. Noord-Kaap 8 (8) – Try: Tiaan Swanepoel. Penalty: DS van Niekerk.
The final day of the Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival opened with two sides in the top four of the games thus far. Glenwood, undoubtedly the top team of the festival, and Welkom Gimnasium, making their debut at this 11th annual festival. Despite having lost against HTS Drostdy on Saturday, Welkom was one of the better sides at the festival.
It took Glenwood just four minutes to open the scoring when centre Bani Holtshauzen broke through, rounded the defence, scoring behind the poles. Dylan Pretorius converted for a 7-0 lead.
This caused Welkom to up their game and they kept Glenwood in their own half for the middle of the half. One penalty attempt hit the upright and a second penalty a few minutes later from 42m was converted by flyhalf Ryan Davids. They did reach the red zone, but Glenwood defences held and in the last five minutes of the half, Glenwood’s Pretorius added three points to make the score 10-3.
Glenwood then almost scored and from the 5m scrum the ball was moved quickly and flyhalf Pretorius made a break. With two defenders on his back, he forced his way over between the uprights, to make his conversion an easy kick and a 17-3 half-time lead.
Ten minutes into the second half, after some to and fro play, a 5m scrum after Glenwood had been awarded a penalty resulted in scrumhalf Joe Jonas diving over. Well converted by Pretorius, this extended the Glenwood lead to 24-3.
Glenwood had dominated and appeared to take their foot off the pedal as the game stuttered for the remainder of the half.
With all the Glenwood reserves playing, ahead of the team travelling to the international tournament at the Paarl Boys High 150th celebration, they were content to see off play. But it was a steal by Welkom in their own 5m area, and a kick ahead by Marno April, that resulted in him scoring the final try. This was converted by Davids, to make the final score 24-10 to Glenwood, for the Green Machine to end the festival unbeaten.
Point scorers:
Glenwood 14 (17) – Tries: Bani Holtshauzen, Dylan Pretorius, Joe Jonas. Conversions: Dylan Pretorius (3). Penalty: Pretorius. Welkom Gimnasium 10 (3) – Try: Marno April. Conversion: Ryan Davids. Penalty: Davids.
PHOTO: Tracey van den Aardweg
