Author: ralsty

It’s that time of the year again where twelve of the country’s prestigious independent schools meet for a week of rugby hosted by St Andrew’s School down in Bloemfontein from the 24th – 28th June 2023.

Catch all the action on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

According to St Andrew’s School headmaster Roland Rudd, ”The festival provides an opportunity for spirited competition, camaraderie, and the celebration of the great game of rugby between like-minded schools.”

Many of the schools will be without some of their more prominent players who have featured this year as many of the players will be representing their respective provinces in the upcoming Craven Week held down in George this year from the 3rd July 2023.

This gives coaches the perfect opportunity to take stock of what depth they currently have within their structures as they look to build squads for the 2024 season.

A number of schools taking place in the festival have had very mixed results this year and will be keen to end the season on a high note. The energy and new faces in changerooms might just be what is needed for several of the schools taking part.

Teams to keep an eye out for during the week include Kearseny College, St Alban’s College and then hosts St Andrew’s School who have all shown moments of brilliance throughout their 2023 campaigns.

Hilton College have shown over the last three years that they have a solid pipeline of players that are coming through the ranks and are side to watch out for. The school has been dominant during the 2023 season, at one stage winning 12 consecutive matches.

The week starts off on the 24 June 2023 with Clifton College and Union High, taking center stage as they kick off the festival in the first match.

St Alban’s facing off against Hilton College is set to be one of the fixtures of the festival along with hosts St Andrews taking on a strong Kearsney College on the last day.

Expect some high-quality and thrilling matches. The use of different tactics from the coaches as they test players in different positions looking for next year’s winning formulae, as players display remarkable sets of skills.

Squads:

CBC Boksburg: Phenyo Adons, Jose Bessit, Kutlwano Daza, Tiago De Freitas, Matthew Galliot, Kyle Galliot, Siya Gama, Joshua Lanis, Jacques Lewis, Cayden Milne, Bohlale Marutla, Ofenste Prince, Modubu, Mcebisi Ndimande, Cullen Pieterse, Dian Pretorius, Austin Qamba, Tyriq Reddy, Max Sennwitz, Byron Thorn, Chad Tullet, Malusi Twala, Hendrik van der Merwe, Brin Wede.

Clifton College: Simphiwe Ngcobo, Khanya Mgabi, Njabulo Dlomo, Ben McElligott, Ben van der Merwe, Matthew Ropertz, Nathan Shotland, Bryce Beeslaar, Michael Langston, Adam Selikow, Nkanyiso Ntshangase, Joseph Rey, Joshua Kennedy, Ebenezer Mangue, Mackenzie Haygarth, Samuel Sibande, Bandile Nhlabathi, Jordan-Dean Carstens, Matt Hammond, Lwazi Madikizela, Owen Field, Farquharson Matthew, Wandile Ngubane.

Cornwall Hill: Max Land, Evangelo Papadopoulos, Omar Sabah, Azan Sabah, Ruben Horn, Dade Kunneke, Ryan Thompson, Jon-Luc Snyman, Christiaan van der Merwe, Gideon van der Merwe, CJ Kapilikisha, Eusebio Scribante, Jon-Martin de Jesus, Jared Conradie, Tshepo Molete, Craig Bethel, Ryan Solomon, Gerald Mangara, Karl Cronje, Julian Hattingh, Thembo Jele, Onakabetse Leketi, Amo Mosupye.

Hilton College: Ewan Miski, Daniel Lyon, Ollie Proudfoot, Dylan Neill, Rowan Cox, Josh Lord, Keiran Hunter, Stewart Falconer, Luke Warren, Meyer Malherbe, Jacque Olivier, Daniel Sweeney, Khanya Jekwa, Tristan Uys, Emmanual Dankwah, Ethan Van Heerden, Mitchel Wilson, Rukudzo Madinga, Xola Makongolo, James Fender, Requilme Adonis, Ivan Jjjuuko, Oli Gaboreau.

Kearsney College: Aya Jikwana, Luwanda Xengxe, Nardus Grundling, Joseph Roylance, Simo Mqokoyi, Callum Steer, Seth Brown Qhamani Mlalandle, Murray Weyer, Jared van Staaden, Strydom Rogan, Jude Greig, Lindokuhle Mpungose, Joe Verbaan, Daniel Eagar, Milo Matikinca, Ewald Booyens, Andisi Ndlovu, Simanye Mlakalaka, Billy Keka, Cole Young, Bukho Hlwatika, Luca Borrageiro.

St Alban’s College: Albert Mochan, Craig Milne, Andreas Philippou, Keegan Dick, Jandré Botha, Logan Jones, Ben Stevenson, Daniel Bouwer, Joshua Verster, Wesley Ridgeway, Joshua Kirkcaldy, Julian Olivier, Aiden Kloppers, Ofentse Sema, Akhona Sontundu, Jarad Geier, Loyiso Mangcu, Thabo Mkhize, Boago Mothlabedi, Sihle Msiza, Tim Hewitt, Lukhanyo Bosch, Christopher Urban.

St Andrew’s School: Matthew Simon, Thato Kalake, Brett BarnesIoanni, Giannakopoulos Kamogelo, Leshupi Lucien Hugo, Lesedi Sipoyo, Marco De Sousa, Matthew Fletcher, Mandela Sipoyo, Jiovano Alexander, Eduan van den Heever, David Grivas, Connor Nel, CM Geel, Schalk Liebenberg, Leon Athanasiou, Elia Mokouane, Koena Ntsamai, Imani Kioko, Retshedisitswe Mokoena, Naude Botha, Junior Lebone, Dakalo Leketa, Mlungisi Lepesa.

St Charles College: Lutho Mrwata, Matthew Urquhar, Christian Allerdice, Reece Curtain, Brent Marsberg, Lazola Makaula, Marlon Mbewe, Stefan Veldsman, Kgaogelo Mashilone, Ukhanyo Ntsangani, Matthew Ludick, Connor Segar, Okuhle Peti, Keagan Lombard, Rashid Isaacs, Dean Chiwese, Yaseen Samuels, Raphael Adabajee, Luyanda Mjadu, Sam Odell, Athenkosi Qumo, Ian Cochrane.

St David’s Marist: Nkomo Siyabonga, Mushonga D’Andre, Hutchinson Matthew, Hayton William, Mc Williams Connor, Alleman William, Patel Tahin, Steven-Jennings, Julian Daniels, Michael Fellingham, Daniel Brady, Jack Bulger, Brett Ferreira, Diego Ndimande, Mudiwa Rossini, Teegan De Zwart, Nick Majuru, Kuzivakwashe Fonternal, Theo Lamb, Tristan Henderson, Michael Barnett Connor, Hwindingwi Nathan, Skei Elliot.

St Stithians College: Brandon Lightfoot, Oli Grovea, Keabetswe Mapukana, Luke Thorrold, Francois Botes, Ross Turner, Ryan Zvinavashe, Aidan Applesamy, Chris Anderson, Aphelele Ngcuka, Gabriel Hore, Rourke O’Sullivan, Hlelo Ngwenya, Sicelo Sakawuli, Jean Anthony, Eblen Chris Williams, Braedon Hollingworth, Ethan Coetzee, Thato Madziwanyika, Oliver Wilson, Bongani Mudzana, Tinashe Gweshe.

Union High: Jayden Odendaal, Finn Cilliers, Ryan Jenneke, Josh Horne, Brent Hesselink, Na’eem Mohamed, Josh Basson, Chuma Sobantu, Camran Swartz, Peter Michaels, Josh Swartland, Jude Langmead, Jared Meyer, Wade Edwards, Hlaki Skepe, Eli Robile, Ray Germishuys, Kamva Bottomani, Ababalwe Matutu, Jordan Wilmot, Caleb Jansen, Dylan Kivedo, Uyanda Tele, Ethan Linch.

Fixtures:

Saturday, 24 June 2023

08:00 – Clifton vs Union
09:15 – St Charles College vs Cornwall Hill College
10:30 – Kearsney College vs St Alban’s College
11:45 – CBC Boksburg vs Free State Development
13:00 – St Andrew’s Schools vs St David’s Marist
14:15 – Hilton College vs St Stithians College

Monday 26 June 2023

08:00 – Hilton College vs St Alban’s College
09:10 – St Andrew’s School vs CBC Boksburg
10:20 – St Charles College vs Union
13:30 – Free State Development vs St David’s Marist
14:40 – Clifton vs St Stithians College
15:50 – Cornwall Hill College vs Kearsney College

Wednesday 28 June 2023

HICKLING A

08:00 – St Charles College vs St Stithians College
09:10 – St Andrew’s School vs Kearsney College

HICKLING B 

08:00 – Hilton College vs St David’s Marist
09:10 – Union vs Free State Development

VICTORIA PARK 

08:00 – Clifton vs CBC Boksburg
09:10 – St Alban’s College vs Cornwall Hill College

Michaelhouse recorded their hundredth win over rivals Hilton College, in a dramatic fashion, winning in the final five minutes of the match 18-15, following an excellent passage of offensive play from the away side.

In the 206th time that these two prestigious schools have faced each other and what has been a long time coming and much spoken about a century of wins.

Michaelhouse entertained a packed Gilfillan Field to bring up the momentous occasion for the school.

The last time the school tasted victory was back in 2016 on the same field winning 21-17 and it has taken seven years to break what some would have started to think was an unbreakable curse.

This classic clash over the years has produced some nail-biting games and this will go down as one of the best as both teams showed no signs of giving up in some high-pressure situations. A match that was played with a high tempo and a number of exciting moments, going right down to the wire.

Rewatch the match on SuperSchools (www.supersportschools.com).

Hilton’s opening points of the match came in the form of a strong drive from eighth man Akhona Kunene, who muscled his way through the Michaelhouse forward pack to find the touchline, leaving the away side scratching their heads.

Luke Davidson kicked with precession, making sure he slotted over his two penalties in the firsthalf to get his side into a fighting position going into the second half.

By the halfway point, the match was sitting evenly with the scoreline reading 6-5 to Michaelhouse. Both teams showing resilience and determination.

Michaelhouse winger Leo Muziva, was brilliant in attack, he managed to charge down a kick from Hilton’s backline looking to clear the ball up field, gathering it on the bounce and giving way to an open left corner, capitalizing on the smallest of chances.

Hilton bounced back with flanker Matthew Stewart scoring after applying some pressure on Michaelhouse, in a period of play which saw a wave of attacks as the hunt for the touchline

Muziva’s second match-winning try in the dying minutes of the match ensured that the away team walked away victorious, after creating space from an overlap to find the same corner as his first try.

In the last few minutes of the match Hilton College needing to either force a penalty or score a try, the home-side threw the entire kitchen sink at the away team, trying to find a crack in the Michaelhouse defense.

A couple of missed kicks from the home team ultimately made the difference in points, if one or two of the opportunities had gone through the poles, a very different outcome might have followed.

When the final whistle blew at the end of the game, the scenes were electric with a large number of Michaelhouse fans swarming the field, like bees drawn to a pot of honey, to celebrate with the heroes of the day.

This Michaelhouse side will be remembered for showing tenacious fightback and not giving up against a powerhouse Hilton College side, who have had one of their most successful seasons. The lead-up to the match gave the red and white the momentum.

What does 2024 hold for these two schools? Michaelhouse will aim to hold off Hilton College as they look for their very own hundredth win, with the school sitting currently on 96 wins.

How long can Hilton be kept away from enjoying their own celebrations?

Scorers: 

Michaelhouse 18 (6) – Tries: Leo Muziva (2). Conversion: Luke Davidson Penalties: Davidson (2). Hilton College 15 (5) – Try: Akhona Kunene. Conversion: Christopher Horak Penalty: Horak.

The teams:

Hilton College: 15 Ivan Jjuuko, 14 Rukudzo Madinga, 13 RD Engelbrecht, 12 Ivan Lockem, 11 Tayedza Jaravaza, 10 Christopher Horak (captain), 9 Luke Watt, 8 Akhona Kunene, 7 Matthew Stewart (vice-captain), 6 Ross Brown, 5 Luke Warren, 4 Hanu Pieterse, 3 Ben Le Roux, 2 Murray Brink (vice-captain) 1 Bunono Jabvu.

Michaelhouse: 15 Murray Baker (vice-captain), 14 Aya Mkhokeli, 13 Campbell Ridl, 12 Tom Baguley, 11 Leo Muziva, 10 Luke Davidson, 9 Josh Aissing, 8 Carlyle Hawkins, 7 Fortune Mpofu (captain), 6 Tristan Arde, 5 Michael Thornton, 4 Jordyn Kleynhans, 3 Luthando Buthelezi, 2 Thabo Njapha, 1 Aphiwe Shelembe.

Results:

u19A: Michaelhouse 18, Hilton College 15
u19B: Michaelhouse 21, Hilton College 19
u16A: Michaelhouse 5, Hilton College 17
u15A: Michaelhouse 14, Hilton College 19
u14A: Michaelhouse 18, Hilton College 22

A determined and energetic St Benedict’s College beat St Stithians College in their final match of the season, winning in style 33-15.

For a second time this season St Benedict’s have beaten Saints, this time making sure that their final match of the season was one to remember.

The school from Bedfordview started the match in a convincing fashion, racking up 18 points before the halftime break, running away from the opposition and making sure that there was enough wiggle room should anything out of the ordinary happen in the second half.

Outside center Raymond Hassim, chipping in nicely scoring two important tries for his side and was supported by Byron Smit who also scored for the home team, and showed his versatility as he was strong in defence.

With the match sitting at 28-0, St Stithians needed to show a lot of grit to claw their way back into contention. Two tries from position Tashinga Chingonzo, looked promising but with the game moving away from the visitors, a minor miracle was needed.

Much has been said about Bennies fullback Onkgopotse Monaheng this season, he once again showed his talent, scoring an individual try and making sure that he converted five out of his six placement kicks.

An excellent 50m penalty capped off what has been a successful season for the fullback, who wears his heart on his sleeve.

Bennies end the season having racked up five wins out of six matches against the other independent saints’ schools, beating St David’s Marist and both St Stithians and St Alban’s twice.

For many of the matric boys it was the final match for their school, playing in front of a packed St Benedict’s stand would have been the send-off that most of the players would have wanted, a win at home in your final schoolboy fixture definitely ticks a box.

With eleven of the fifteen boys matriculating this year, St Benedict’s will be looking at rebuilding with a number of grade 11’s currently playing in the second XV.

St Stithian’s College are not quite done yet as they still have the Independent Schools Festival, taking place next week starting on Thursday 23 June 2023 hosted at St Andrew’s College.

Saints will be looking at a couple of their players to stick up their hands as they enter in the twilight phase of a long season.

St Benedict’s College 33 (18) – Tries: Raymond Hassim (2), Byron Smit, Onkgopotse Monaheng. Conversions: Monaheng (2). Penalties: Monaheng (3). St Stithian’s College 15 (0) – Tries: Tashinga Chingonzo (2), Mathula Sikhakhane.

The teams:

St Benedict’s College: 15 Onkgopotse Monaheng, 14 Ntelezi Mchunu, 13 Raymond Hassim, 12 Uche Ejike, 11 Nathi Beda, 10 Jason Pengelley, 9 Sabelo Shangase, 8 Jason Cutler, 7 Thando Jadezweni, 6 Byron Smit, 5 Declan Murphy, 4 Luke Carr, 3 Victor Goncalves, 2 Michael Mundove, 1 Daniel Walsh.

St Stithians College: 15 Lebo Mofolo, 14 Ben Parkinson, 13 Sean Strydom, 12 Gabriel Hore, 11 Tinashe Gweshe, 10 Nthabeleng Mafole, 9 Aidan Appalsamy, 8 Tashinga Chingonzo, 7 Ryan Zvinevashe, 6 Mathula Sikhakhane, 5 Thato Madziwanyika, 4 Francois Botes, 3 Keabetswe Mapukana, 2 Braedon Hollingworth, 1 Branden Lightfoot.

In David Fincher’s film Fight Club, lead actor Brad Pitt’s character has one very famous line which goes along the lines of “The first rule of fight club … ” addressing a room full of men in said fight club.

And quite simply answered by himself “… is you don’t talk about fight club!”

So perhaps to break the jinx around the Michaelhouse victory which eludes them, we shall not mention what the landmark is and what it would mean for the school. If you would like to do that feel free to read our previous article that covered the first match earlier this season.

Hilton College won the first of these two epic matches at Meadows by a margin of three points. The final score ending on 20-17. Both teams put up a sterling display of some very entertaining schoolboy rugby in some wet and gloomy conditions.

This weekend the First XV kicks off at 14:00, on Gilfillan Field, with what is forecasted to be a warm sunny winters afternoon.

Catch the action on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

There are several ways, that one could think of celebrating the long weekend in honor of Youth Day. A day which is so rich in South Africa’s history that it paved the way on how the country’s education system was viewed and structured.

For Michaelhouse beating a very strong Hilton College side away would be right up there amongst the ways to enjoy it.

The home side have had a wonderful season this year, winning 12 of their fixtures and are currently searching for their ninth consecutive win.

In their most recent fixture against Kearsney College, winning 28-12, where the boys put on an incredible performance and showed their strength in defence as they managed to fight off a wave of strong offensive plays. The side will look at Luke Warren and Ross Brown to put in some powerful hits.

Captain Christopher Horak will be looking at creating opportunities for his backline to get into strong offensive positions allowing the side to get points on the board and will be leading a fearless side into battle.

The red and white have been in good form as well recently beating Westville Boys’ High School (36-22), Northwood (38-12) and Pretoria Boys High School (34-19) and would feel confident going into the fixture albeit having to tweak a few minor changes to their playing XV.

Michaelhouse’s Wandile Mlaba is out after injuring his knee last weekend, the big eighth man has been ruled out of the season, needing to have surgery during the week. A disappointing end to what has been a very good season for the young man.

Flyhalf, Luke Davidson, has kicked superbly throughout this season and will be itching to get a few more points in this much anticipated classic clash, which will give captain Fortune Mpofu some comfort.

Many of the boys playing in this fixture will be playing in their last game against their rivals which boasts an incredible history that has provided supporters with some nail-biting finishes over the years.

We can expect another close encounter between these two machines from the midlands. But who will come out on top as victorious will depend very much on how badly each of these teams wants to win.

The teams:

Hilton College: 15 Ivan Jjuuko, 14 Rukudzo Madinga, 13 RD Engelbrecht, 12 Ivan Lockem, 11 Tayedza Jaravaza, 10 Christopher Horak (captain), 9 Luke Watt, 8 Akhona Kunene, 7 Matthew Stewart (vice-captain), 6 Ross Brown, 5 Luke Warren, 4 Hanu Pieterse, 3 Ben Le Roux, 2 Murray Brink (vice-captain) 1 Bunono Jabvu.

Michaelhouse: 15 Murray Baker (vice-captain), 14 Aya Mkhokeli, 13 Campbell Ridl, 12 Tom Baguley, 11 Leo Muziva, 10 Luke Davidson, 9 Josh Aissing, 8 Carlyle Hawkins, 7 Fortune Mpofu (captain), 6 Tristan Arde, 5 Michael Thornton, 4 Jordyn Kleynhans, 3 Luthando Buthelezi, 2 Thabo Njapha, 1 Aphiwe Shelembe.

Fixtures:

u14A: 7:55 am

u15A: 8:55 am

u16A: 11:20 pm

u19B: 12:30pm

u19A: 14:00 pm

Nothing quite beats a midweek fixture, just before the long weekend. What better way to get the Youth Day celebrations rolling with some schoolboy rugby?

A fired-up St Benedict’s College who are going through a purple patch of form, winning three out of their last four fixtures, will be hosting St Stithians College.

The side have beaten Parktown Boys’ High, St Alban’s College, and St David’s Marist, their most recent loss to St John’s College where they went down (34-22), in what was a slight upset.

Kick-off takes place at 18:05. These two sides have already met earlier in the season where St Benedict’s came out on top, winning the fixture away (26-17).

The team have already come out on top twice against St Alban’s College and will be looking to do the same against Saints.

St Stithians however might be the underdogs in this fixture but don’t be surprised to see the team coming out all guns blazing as they look to wrap up, what has been a long and tedious season. The staff might take an opportunity to scout a few new recruits for next year’s season.

Saints will be looking at prop Keabetswe Mapukana to put in some big hits in defense as the side looks to slow down any sort of offensive play from the home team. The backline will need to fire if they want to put points on the board and push for a win, watch out for winger Tinashe Gweshe as looks to kick it up a gear.

Bennies Coach Andrew Barnes will be going into the match feeling confident in his side’s ability to perform during crucial times. His side has won nine matches this season and are on the search for a tenth.

St Bendict’s College have managed to find ways to win from unlikely positions as was the case against St Alban’s College where they won the match from behind. The team is well led by skipper Sabelo Shangase, who has shown his tenacity in the scrumhalf position.

Against St David’s Marist, Bennies defended well making 68 tackles in the second half to slow down the hosts who were persistent in attack as they searched for victory, locks Luke Carr and Declan Murphy put in some hard graft.

The teams will be looking forward to squaring off against each other before entering their midterms.

Expect an exciting match to be played under lights in very cold conditions with evening temperatures set to drop down to 11 degrees.

Can Bennies secure a second win over Saints and hold their cool or will there be an upset with St Stithians breaking the ice?

Teams:

St Benedict’s College: 15 Onkgopotse Monaheng, 14 Ntelezi Mchunu, 13 Raymond Hassim, 12 Uche Ejike, 11 Nathi Beda, 10 Jason Pengelley, 9 Sabelo Shangase, 8 Jason Cutler, 7 Thando Jadezweni, 6 Byron Smit, 5 Declan Murphy, 4 Luke Carr, 3 Victor Goncalves, 2 Michael Mundove, 1 Daniel Walsh.

St Stithians College: 15 Lebo Mofolo, 14 Ben Parkinson, 13 Sean Strydom, 12 Gabriel Hore, 11 Tinashe Gweshe, 10 Nthabeleng Mafole, 9 Aidan Appalsamy, 8 Tashinga Chingonzo, 7 Ryan Zvinevashe, 6 Mathula Sikhakhane, 5 Thato Madziwanyika, 4 Francois Botes, 3 Keabetswe Mapukana, 2 Braedon Hollingworth, 1 Branden Lightfoot.

Fixtures:

u14A: 15:00 pm (C Field)

u15A: 15:00 pm (B Field)

u16A: 15:00 pm (A Field)

u19B: 16:15 pm (A Field)

u19A: 18:05 pm (A Field)

Big traditional schools come with the additional nuances of long-standing rivalries and old boys’ days which add a layer of interest to the matches. Throw in the attendance of some well-known old boys and you have a recipe for entertaining fixtures.

This past weekend saw two different old boys matches unfold with St Alban’s College beating St Stithians comfortably (36-14), and St David’s Marist losing narrowly to St Bendict’s (17-3) in a physical match dominated by some big tackles.

Rewatch both matches on SuperSport Schools (www.superschools.co.za).

St Stithians travelled across to St Alban’s College where the hosts put on a mighty performance to win the return fixture against their long-standing rivals.

The Hoops were particularly brutal scoring five tries amongst themselves, with a number of players getting their names onto the scorecard.

St Stithians struggled to keep up with the pace of play but were able to find the try line on two separate occasions once by lock Mathula Sikhakhane and the second by prop Keabetswe Mapukana. 

A special mention to Druan Visagie had a stellar game scoring the first try of the match and kicking well for St Alban’s notching up a total of 14 individual points.

St Stithian’s have an opportunity to bounce back against St Benedict’s College on Wednesday 14 June 2023, in their return fixture.

In the other match of the day St David’s Marist were eager to put on a show and were pumped up due to the excitement around their old boy’s day but could not hold back St Benedict’s College.

The home team drew first blood with a penalty from the boot of flyhalf Jayden Jagga, kicking over his first of three converted placement kicks for the day.

Outside centre Raymond Hassim, scored the first try of the day for Bennies with a long-range intercept, gathering the ball and making a sprint for the try line.

With a few well-worked phases with the forwards and some strong mauls, the away team scored again this time through eight-man Jason Cutler.

St David’s scored through Theo Fonternel after a poor kick-off receive by Bennies.

Bennies Fullback Onkgopotse Monaheng, kicked well for the visitors slotting over two conversions and a long range penalty kick.

At halftime, the score read 17-10 to Bennies, but St David’s would have felt in a good position to claw themselves back into contention, knowing that they had their home support behind them.

It was a very physical match with plenty of tackles between the two sides and a large number of double hits coming in the second half, with both teams picking up a yellow card each.

St David’s chucked absolutely everything at Bennies. With seven maul attempts inside St Benedict’s twenty-two, St Davids were not going to give up as victory was well within their grasp.

St David’s held most of the possession, but St Benedict’s absorbed the pressure very well ensuring that the home team did not score any further points.

Another feisty performance will be needed from St David’s against The Hoops on Friday 16 June 2023. The Pretorian school have found a winning formula since making a few changes to the make-up of their side. St Alban’s College have now won two matches on the trot.

Scorers:

St Alban’s College 36 (29) – Tries: Druan Visagie, Luke Webber, Lloyd Schneeburger, John-Joshua Steenkamp, Cody Petersen. Conversions: Druan Visagie (3), Penalties: Druan Visagie. St Stithians College 14 (7) –Tries: Mathula Sikhakhane, Keabetswe Mapukana. Conversions: Lebo Mafolo  (2).

St Benedict’s College 17 (10) – Tries: Raymond Hassim, Jason Cutler. Conversions: Onkgopotse Monaheng (2) Penalties: Onkgopotse Monaheng. St David’s Marist 13 (10) – Tries: Theo Fonternel. Conversions: Jayden Jagga (2) Penalties: Jayden Jagga.

The teams:

St Alban’s College: 15 Luke Sass, 14 Michael Rider, 13 John-Joshua Steenkamp, 12 Tumelo Mohale, 11 Nkosi Malaza, 10 Druan Visage, 9 John Verster, 8 Daniel Bouwer, 7 Matthew Price, 6 Patrick Weir, 5 Llyod Schneeberger, 4 William Von Broembsen, 3 Craig Milne, 2 Luke Webber, 1 Cody Petersen.

St Stithian’s College: 15 Lebo Molofo, 14 Ben Parkinson, 13 Sean Strydom, 12 Gabriel Hore, 11 Tinashe Gweshe, 10 Nthableneg Mafole,  9 Aidan Appalsamy, 8 Tashinga Chingonzo, 7 TiagoKostov, 6 Ethan Jacobs, 5 Thato Madziwanyika, 4 Ryan Zvinavashe, 3 Keabetswe Mapukana, 2 Braedon Hollingworth, 1 Branden Lightfoot.

St Davids Marist: 15 Teegan Rossini, 14 Luke Bailey, 13 Theo Fonternal, 12 Isaac Amadasun, 11 Cameron Simmonds, 10 Jayden Jagga (vice-captain), 9 Joshua West, 8 Tristan Grimett, 7 Daniel Fellingham, 6 Max Nader, 5 Jack Brady,4 Ryan Daye, 3 D’Andre Mushonga, 2 Brandon Archer, 1 Mariano Paolantonio (captain).

St Benedict’s College: 15 Onkgopotse Monaheng, 14 Ntelezi, 13 Raymond Hassim, 12 Uche Ejike, 11 Nathi Beda, 10 Jason Pengelley, 9 Sabelo Shangase (captian), 8 Jason Cutler, 7 Thando Jadezweni, 6 Byron Smit, 5 Declan Murphy, 4 Luke Carr, 3 Victor Goncalves, 2 Michael Mundove, Daniel Walsh (vice-captain).

Results:

u19A: St Alban’s College 36, St Stithians College 14

u19A: St David’s Marist 13, St Benedict’s College 17

Pretoria Boys’ High cooked up a storm on Burger Field, making light work of St John’s College and winning by a 34-point margin, the final score sitting at 39-5 to the visitors.

The Candies showed a dominant display of offensive play, cutting through The Blues defence like a hot knife through butter. The team scored seven tries amongst themselves, making sure that there was no opportunity for the home side to break into the match.

Rewatch all the action on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

By the halfway mark, the score was already sitting at 24-0, with the away team putting themselves in a strong position, displaying their hunger for points and a much-needed win.

St John’s College found solace in creating one scoring opportunity, through an overlap which was put away excellently by winger Jacob Smith and thus avoiding a potential whitewash.

Winger Ntasko Ndlovu, helped himself to two tries during the game, and would have been eyeing the try line for a potential hat-trick and looked dangerous for The Candies.

The Blues would have backed their defences going into the match, having shown throughout the season they are willing to put up a fight, if it means sacrificing flashy play. Unfortunately, this was not the case and nor was it enough to slow down the barrage of attacks thrown their way from the opposition.

Potentiall,y the score could have read a lot more than it did, with several placement kicks getting missed by the school from Pretoria. The side would feel that it has been one element of their play which has not quite been on par with some of the other teams this year.

Pretoria Boys’ High School will now need to wait a few weeks until their next fixture, with exams and a school holiday looming.

The last part of the season sees the school face up against long-standing rivals King Edward VII for the return fixture and Affies, both highly competitive teams this year.

How will the school on the hill fare in the final half of the season? Only time will tell.

Scorers:

Pretoria Boys’ High 39 (24) – Tries: Kitso Mokoena, Keethan Fitz, Ntsako Ndhlovu (2), Stephen Adams, Joshua Naude, Christopher Smith. Conversions: Tebogo Nchabaleng, Kyle Hezlett. St John’s College 5 (0) – Try: Jacob Smith.

Teams:

St John’s College: 15 Bryson Walker, 14 Bradley Chabalala, 13 Reece Watson, 12 Nkosi Sibanda (vice-captain), 11 Jacob Smith, 10 Joe Macrobert, 9 Thomas Kurger, 8 Yannis Patu, 7 Matt MacMaster (captain), 6 Grant Barnes, 5 Thomas Archer, 4 Dominic Kamangu, 3 Vincent Miles, 2 Kyle Watson, 1 Finlay Holden.

Pretoria Boys’ High: 15 Kyle Hezlett, 14 Tebogo Nchabaleng, 13 Christoper Smith, 12 Rickus Wessels, 11 Ntsako Ndlovu, 10 Keethan Fritz, 9 Joshua Naude (vice-captain), 8 Seth Venter, 7 Stephen Adams, 6 Etienne du Preez, 5 Tsephpiso Shikhibana, 4 Randy Muzungu, 3 Ofentse Moeng, 2 Shaun Schurmann (captain) 1 Kitso Mokoena.

Results:

St John’s College vs Pretoria Boys’ High School

u19A: Pretoria Boys’ High School 39, St John’s College 5
u19B: Pretoria Boys’ High School 14, St John’s College 9
u16A: Pretoria Boys’ High School 11, St John’s College 18
u15A: Pretoria Boys’ High School 15, St John’s College 19
u14A: Pretoria Boys’ High School 15, St John’s College 19

A battle of the saints will take place this weekend in Pretoria and Johannesburg, giving independent schools much to talk about.

In the match of the day, St Alban’s College hosts their annual Old Boys Day, where they will be facing up against their rivals St Stithians College, where the First XV kicks off at 14:00 on Moshate Field.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com)

These two sides met earlier in the season, where St Stithians were on the winning side of things, taking that match 31-24 on their home-turf.

The Hoops will be rearing to go, having beaten Northcliff High School last weekend at home. Captain Luke Webber filled his pockets with a hat-trick of tries, making light work of Northcliff’s defences and will want his personal form to inspire his team.

Last weekend’s combination of Tumelo Mohale and John-Joshua Steenkamp in the two centre positions really added some impetus to the backline, creating some fantastic running opportunities for the rest of the backline.

St Albans have made a few changes to this weekend’s starting XV, with Luke Saas returning to the fullback position after missing out last weekend due to an injury. He has a massive boot on him, and with his physical stature can hold his own.

St Stithians, going into this match, have had to make plenty of changes from the side that started earlier in the season. A string of injuries and sickness has meant that several regulars will be missing out.

Nthabeleng Mafole, starts for the first time in the important fly-half position. He was recently named in the Lions’ u17 side.

The team’s front row has remained consistent with Keabetswe Mapukana, Braedon Hollingworth and Branden Lightfoot all looking to perform. They will be up against a strong St Alban’s forward pack, who have scored several tries this season from mauls close to the try line.

Historically, there have been some close matchups between the two schools, and on the odd occasion, things on the field can get heated, making for some great entertainment.

The Hoops will be eager to get one back on their rivals, with the home support and the backing of a passionate group of old boys, they would back themselves to win.

St Benedict’s College will be taking on St David’s Marist in another Founder’s Day clash, with the match taking place in Illovo, Johannesburg.

St Benedict’s will fancy themselves going into this match as favourites, having put in some top performances against St Albans and Parktown recently, with fullback Onkgopotse Monaheng and Sabelo Shangase showing their class.

Although losing to St John’s last weekend, the side were in front most of the match but struggled to keep The Blues from winning 34-22.

St David’s has had a tough season, struggling to find form and wins against some of the other all-boys schools. Captain Mariano Paolantonio will need to lead from the front as St Davids look to take home a win on the special occasion.

Teams:

St Alban’s College: 15 Luke Sass, 14 Michael Rider, 13 John-Joshua Steenkamp, 12 Tumelo Mohale, 11 Nkosi Malaza, 10 Druan Visage, 9 John Verster, 8 Daniel Bouwer, 7 Matthew Price, 6 Patrick Weir, 5 Llyod Schneeberger, 4 William Von Broembsen, 3 Craig Milne, 2 Luke Webber, 1 Cody Petersen.

St Stithian’s College: 15 Lebo Molofo, 14 Ben Parkinson, 13 Sean Strydom, 12 Gabriel Hore, 11 Tinashe Gweshe, 10 Nthableneg Mafole,  9 Aidan Appalsamy, 8 Tashinga Chingonzo, 7 TiagoKostov, 6 Ethan Jacobs, 5 Thato Madziwanyika, 4 Ryan Zvinavashe, 3 Keabetswe Mapukana, 2 Braedon Hollingworth, 1 Branden Lightfoot.

St Davids Marist: 15 Teegan Rossini, 14 Luke Bailey, 13 Theo Fonternal, 12 Isaac Amadasun, 11 Cameron Simmonds, 10 Jayden Jagga (vice-captain), 9 Joshua West, 8 Tristan Grimett, 7 Daniel Fellingham, 6 Max Nader, 5 Jack Brady,4 Ryan Daye, 3 D’Andre Mushonga, 2 Brandon Archer, 1 Mariano Paolantonio (captain).

St Benedict’s College: 15 Onkgopotse Monaheng, 14 Ntelezi, 13 Raymond Hassim, 12 Uche Ejike, 11 Nathi Beda, 10 Jason Pengelley, 9 Sabelo Shangase (captain), 8 Jason Cutler, 7 Thando Jadezweni, 6 Byron Smit, 5 Declan Murphy, 4 Luke Carr, 3 Victor Goncalves, 2 Michael Mundove, Daniel Walsh (vice-captain).

Fixtures:

12:15 – St Davids Marist vs St Benedict’s College; 14:00 – St Alban’s College vs St Stithians College.

 

Pretoria Boys’ High School will look to close out their last match of the second term before the start of the exams, against St John’s College away this weekend.

Comparatively, both teams have not had their best seasons this year so far, but have shown glimpses of promise and will want to end the season on a high note by getting a few wins under the belt.

Kick-off is at 12:00 for the 1^st XV’s taking place on Burger Field.

Pretoria Boys have won seven matches and St John’s have won five this season. Last year, when these two sides met St John’s College won the match 27-12, playing in Pretoria on Brooks Field.

The Blues recently beat St Benedict’s College last weekend, winning emphatically away with the scoreline reading 34-22. St Benedict’s led for most of the match before St John’s scored two quick tries in succession to win the match late in the second half.

The hosts have shown earlier in the season that they are not afraid to play a more cautious and defensive style of play. Looking at counterattacking when the right opportunities present themselves through well-executed set-pieces.

Prop Finlay Holden has found himself on the scoresheet a few times this season and will look to add to his number of tries. Another player to keep an eye out for his scrummie Thomas Kruger, who also comes into the match with some form.

Pretoria Boys’ High lost narrowly to Jeppe High School for Boys at home last weekend, where the result ended 22-16. Boys High lost in the final minute and will want to bounce back from a close match, where, arguably, for most of the match, they looked in a good position to win the fixture.

Winger Ntsako Ndlovu put in some big defensive tackles against Jeppe, but will be itching to show off his pace with some tries.

Both sides have needed to replace their flyhalves from last weekend with Keethan Fritz (Pretoria Boys’ High School) and Joe Macrobert (St John’s College) each getting an opportunity to wear their schools’ first XV’s number ten jerseys this weekend.

The Candies have shown some promising plays and will want to put behind them the couple of losses experienced in the last few weeks. Coach Paul Anthony and Assistant Coach Wian Geldenhuys would have ensured that the side put in some hard yards during the training sessions this week.

The teams stack up nicely against each other, which should give both sets of parents and old boys a good opportunity to witness an exciting encounter at one of the more picturesque schoolboy rugby fields around the country.

With St John’s main school building façade, towering over Burger field, it would be intimidating for most away sides.

Enough about school buildings, bring on the rugby!

The teams:

St John’s College: 15 Bryson Walker, 14 Bradley Chabalala, 13 Reece Watson, 12 Nkosi Sibanda (vice-captain), 11 Jacob Smith, 10 Joe Macrobert, 9 Thomas Kurger, 8 Yannis Patu, 7 Matt MacMaster (captain), 6 Grant Barnes, 5 Thomas Archer, 4 Dominic Kamangu, 3 Vincent Miles, 2 Kyle Watson, 1 Finlay Holden.

Pretoria Boys’ High: 15 Kyle Hezlett, 14 Tebogo Nchabaleng, 13 Christoper Smith, 12 Rickus Wessels, 11 Ntsako Ndlovu, 10 Keethan Fritz, 9 Joshua Naude (vice-captain), 8 Seth Venter, 7 Stephen Adams, 6 Etienne du Preez, 5 Tsephpiso Shikhibana, 4 Randy Muzungu, 3 Ofentse Moeng, 2 Shaun Schurmann (captain) 1 Kitso Mokoena.

Fixtures:

St John’s College vs Pretoria Boys’ High School

u14A – 7:45 am (D Rugby Field)

u15A – 8:45 am (C Rugby Field)

u16A – 9:45 am (Burger Field)

u19B – 10:50 am (Burger Field)

u19A – 12:00 pm (Burger Field)

St John’s College took down an inform St Benedict’s College away in Bedfordview, winning the match by a margin of 12 points, and ending the hosts’ recent run of good form entering into this fixture.

St John’s would have felt that they entered into the game as underdogs but found themselves putting in a match-winning performance against a strong St Benedict’s College side.

fter several losses in a row. However, it was the away side who scored first and went up 7-0 with the big prop Finlay Holden, scoring under the poles after breaking through the defence.

St Benedict’s scored a penalty and two tries through backline players Sabelo Shangase and Ntelezi Mchunu both making excellent runs to go 15-14 up at the break.

During the second half St Benedict’s looked to further extend the lead by scoring an excellent try by the quick winger Nathi Beda, which was converted by the inform fullback and hero from their previous outings Onkgopotse Monaheng. 

With the clock clicking down, and The Blues needing some points on the board, St John’s scored two quick tries in succession by Nkosi Sibanda and Yannis Patu to take back the lead and eventually put St Benedict’s on the back foot.

St Benedict’s controlled much of the middle period and will be disappointed with not being able to hold back St John’s. During their last two matches, St Benedict’s have won both games coming from behind and were in a foreign position of leading for much of the match.

A penalty kick was won, which The Blues’ Bryson Walker cleared with ease, closing out the match. The fullback played an important role during the fixture, demonstrating good control and ball distribution.

St John’s set-pieces were dominant throughout the match and assisted in winning a good game of schoolboy rugby.

Scorers: 

St John’s College 34 (14) – Tries: Finlay Holden, Thomas Kruger, Nkosi Sibanda Yannis Patu. Conversions: Bryson Walker (3). Penalty: Walker. St Benedict’s College 22 (15) – Tries: Sabelo Shangase, Ntelezi Mchunu, Nathi Beda. Conversions: Onkgopotse Monaheng (2) Penalty: Monaheng.

The teams:

St Benedict’s College: 15 Onkgopotse Monaheng, 14 Ntelezi Mchunu, 13 Raymond Hassim, 12 Braeden Le Roux, 11 Nathi Beda, 10 Jason Pengelley, 9 Sabelo Shangase (captain), 8 Jason Cutler, 7 Thando Jadezweni, 6 Byron Smit, 5 Declan Murphy, 4 Luke Carr, 3 Victor Goncalves, 2 Michael Mundove, 1 Daniel Walsh (vice-captain). 

St John’s College: 15 Bryson Walker, 14 Tino Munyurwa, 13 Bradley Chabalala, 12 Nkosi Sibanda (VC), 11 Jacob Smith, 10 Oliver Tait, 9 Thomas Kruger, 8 Yannis Patu, 7 Grant Barnes, 6 Matt Macmaster (C), 5 Thomas Archer, 4 Dominic Kamangu, 3 Vincent Miles, 2 Kyle Watson, 1 Finlay Holden.

Results:

u19A – St John’s College 34, St Benedict’s College 22
u19B – St John’s College 24, St Benedict’s College 14
u16A – St John’s College 0, St Benedict’s College 0
u15A – St John’s College 17, St Benedict’s College 12
u14A – St John’s College 65, St Benedict’s College 0