Author: ralsty

The Jeppe High School for Boys 1st XV is in a rich vein of form and has reeled off five wins in succession, which started with a special 22-19 victory over Grey College at the NMI Toyota North-South Tournament.

On Saturday, the challenge they face is huge, literally and figuratively. They take on Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in their own paddock in one of the weekend’s most eagerly anticipated showdowns.

With their tight five leading the way, Affies has pulled off some big wins this season, including victories over Garsfontein and Helpmekaar, playing an exciting brand of rugby.

Last weekend, against Paarl Gimnasium, a team many believe to be number one in South Africa – not forgetting Gim hosts Grey College this weekend – they went down 19-20 to the boys from the Boland, with their pack giving the visitors a hard time.

Kick-off on Saturday is at 13:30 on the A-Field. SuperSport Schools will broadcast the match live.

Jeppe’s coach Drickus Venter is looking forward to the challenge: “We are very excited, and we are expecting a real tough encounter from the Witbulle. There is no doubt it is going to be a cracker of a match. We will give it horns,” he said.

Affies has a solid contingent of players returning who were part of last year’s 33-31 thriller on Collard Field, which the Witbulle clinched at the death. Flyhalf Ruben Pienaar, who missed out on 2023’s game due to injury, will be looking forward to making his mark on Saturday.

With a dynamic centre pairing of Janco Purchase and Nicolaas Grobler facing Jeppe’s exciting midfielders, Kuthadzo Rasivhanga and McMillen Mongwana, expect fireworks at the back.

Last year’s dramatic showdown was the closest Jeppe has come to pulling off a win over Affies since the teams began an annual derby in 2009. They came close, too, in 2018, when Affies claimed a 45-41 win.

Matthew Coetzee, who starred in Jeppe’s upset of Grey College, started on the bench against Westville Boys’ High last weekend, but he starts at flyhalf for Jeppe on Saturday. The game against the Griffin was good preparation for their assault on Affies, with Jeppe pulling off a hard-fought 31-24 victory.

Affies face the pressure of maintaining their excellent history of success against Jeppe, while the visitors will believe they have a good chance of altering the trajectory of that story.

Results since 2014

2014 Affies 23-11 Jeppe
2015 Affies 64-26 Jeppe
2016 Affies 52-32 Jeppe
2017 Affies 52-22 Jeppe
2018 Affies 45-41 Jeppe
2019 Affies 47-28 Jeppe
2020 Covid-19
2021 Covid-19
2022 Affies 35-17 Jeppe
2023 Affies 33-31 Jeppe

Teams

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool: 15 Ruben Groenewald, 14 Rickus Strydom, 13 Nicolaas Grobler, 12 Janco Purchase, 11 Eagan Roux, 10 Ruben Pienaar, 9 Zirk Meyer, 8 Ruan Lippold, 7 Albert Smit, 6 Srefan McDonald, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Muntingh Hamman, 3 Ruan Smuts, 2 Ethan van Dyk, 1 Werner Vrey.

Jeppe High School for Boys: 15 Sanele Simelane, 14 Lindelani Nkambule, 13 Kuthadzo Rasivhaga, 12 McMillen Mongwana, 11 Mjij Ndimphiwe, 10 Matthew Coetzee, 9 Talent Sithole, 8 Risima Khosa, 7 Nathan Classen, 6 Ndimphiwe Mjiji, 5 Luke Cannon, 4 Lagan Leisher, 3 Luca Trevisan, 2 Bonga Nxumlao, 1 Andre Poulton.

Fixtures

U14A: 08:00 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs Jeppe High School for Boys
U15A: 09:00 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs Jeppe High School for Boys
U19B: 11:10 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs Jeppe High School for Boys
U16A: 12:20 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs Jeppe High School for Boys
U19A: 13:30 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs Jeppe High School for Boys

Collard Field played host to an exciting highveld versus coastal fixture on Saturday, with the pace in the Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High clash never waning, and both sides defending resolutely and attacking with creativity in a 31-24 win for the hosts.

In 2023, on Westville’s Bowden’s Field, Jeppe won 43-31. This year’s match was, again, tightly contested, and the respect the schools share for one another was evident, both on and off the field.

Within six-minutes of kick-off, Westville’s fullback Jade-Will Koopman showed off his blistering pace down the sideline, after centre Michael Satade’s clever pass had opened up an overlap.

Employing a clever dive over the corner flag, Koopman evaded the cover defence to score a fantastic five-pointer, which got the scoreboard moving. From out wide, flyhalf Unathi Mlotshwa easily converted.

Jeppe fought hard to retain possession after the restart and, after cycling through a number of phases, captain Kuthadzo Rasivhaga delivered a near perfect pass to set up a try for inside centre McMillen Mongwana, who weaved in between the Westville defenders to go over under the posts.

It was like a game of ping-pong in the first half, with Westville bouncing back immediately after conceding points. From a five-metre scrum, they put the Jeppe pack in reverse and scrum-half Ryan Pistor passed the ball out quickly to the blindside, where the talented Jadrian Afrikaner made a beeline for the left-hand corner, diving in for a try.

Afrikaner is an exciting prospect. He has a touch of pace and the ability to kick a ball long and far and looks like a player with a bright future.

On the brink of halftime, with the half seeming to have run a little long, Jeppe erased the seven-point deficit and levelled at 14-14 after winger Lindelani Nkambule showed off his wheels to slice through the middle of the Westville defence.

The second half was every bit as entertaining as the first, with the hosts striking early through Luke Cannon, who was played into a gap and sprinted through from almost the halfway line to score a fantastic try and give Jeppe the lead for the first time in the match.

Both packs were unyielding in their efforts to gain the edge over the other. Andre Poulton, Jeppe’s loosehead prop, was tough as nails in the set scrums and added some good plays around the field during the course of the contest.

With his side seven points ahead, scrumhalf Talent Sithole added another try for the home team, going over next to the uprights, after the Jeppe pack had driven the ball up. Substitute and one of the heroes of their victory over Grey College, Matthew Coetzee knocked over the conversion, to add to an earlier penalty, to extend Jeppe’s lead to 14 points.

Westville were not done, however, and they fought to the final whistle. They were rewarded with the play of the match before it sounded.

With Jeppe’s defences holding firm, as the Griffin probed for a chink in the hosts’ armour, flyhalf Mlotshwa expertly judged a cross-kick from right to left. It passed just over the outstretched hands of Jeppe’s widest defender but fell perfectly into left-wing Evan Moolman‘s mitts.

He caught it cleanly, with an open try line ahead, and went over for a well-executed try. Mlotshwa added the extras to reduce the deficit to seven points.

Meanwhile, down the road at Parktown Boys’ High School, the home side conceded 80 points in a one-sided loss against King Edward VII (KES), who were clinical in their victory.

The Red Army put on a show, crossing the try line on 12 occasions, with six of the starting XV scoring and substitute backline player Indi-Gusha Mboniswa also getting in on the action.

However, winger Jarell Mbuyi stole the spotlight, with the tall and powerful paceman making light work of a defence that looked uncertain for much of the match to race in for five tries.

By halftime, it was already 40-0, and there was no realistic prospect of Parktown turning the game around from there. They had created several scoring opportunities, including a penalty kick at goal, but failed to use them.

KES no. 10 Vusi Moyo continues to grow in stature as a flyhalf, and on Saturday a couple of neatly executed cross kicks resulted in two of his side’s tries. Moyo’s strong touch kicking has also proven to be a valuable asset and has enabled the Red Army to gain valuable territory in recent outings.

It was his foot and pinpoint accuracy which delivered Mbuyi one of his five tries on a plate. Perfectly judged, it opened up the Parktown defence like a can of beans and landed invitingly in the winger’s welcoming arms.

Dylan Piek, who came in as a replacement for the injured SA Schools’ hooker Esethu Mnebelele, scored a try and handled his lineout throwing duties with aplomb.

With KES comfortably in command, the coaching staff made five changes and were given a good opportunity to examine their squad’s depth in a match situation. There were some nerves on show from the incoming players, resulting in a few errors, but their additions demonstrated a well-balanced unit.

Next weekend KES takes on Pretoria Boys High in the first of their two annual fixtures. With both sides playing attractive 15-man games, it should make for entertaining viewing.

Scorers

King Edward VII 80 (40) – Tries: Jarell Mbuyi (5), Kebotile Maake (2), Haniel Monkoti, , Dylan Piek, Indi-Gusha Mboniswa, Sam Bruwer. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (10). Parktown Boys’ High School 0 (0)

Jeppe High School for Boys 31 (14) – Tries: McMillen Mongwana, Lindelani Nkambule, Luke Cannon, Talent Sithole. Conversions: Kuthadzo Rasivhaga (3), Matthew Coetzee. Penalties: Matthew Coetzee. Westville Boys’ High School 24 (14) – Tries: Jade-Will Koopman, Jadrian Afrikaner, Evan Moolman. Conversions: Unathi Mlotshwa (3). Penalties: Unathi Mlotshwa.

King Edward VII’s SA Schools’ hooker Esethu Mnebelele is out of action with an ankle injury, which he sustained during last weekend’s 59-18 victory over St John’s College.

Dylan Piek replaces him in the front row for the Red Army’s short trip to Parktown Boys’ High on Saturday.

The home side will hope they can take advantage of Mnebelele’s absence in the scrums, but it will take a mammoth effort to slow down the KES forwards, who have produced some dominant performances this season.

Kick-off takes place at 13:15 pm on the A-Field. SuperSport Schools will broadcast the derby matches live.

Last weekend, Parktown narrowly lost 15-16 to Northcliff High School and they will be eager to reverse their fortunes with the benefit of playing at home. A victory, though, would be a big upset.

Keith Ncube has moved to flank for Parktown after previously running out at lock, while winger Christian Cele misses out and is replaced by Benjamin Nettleton.

KES have shone at the breakdowns this season, with their abrasive approach often leading to them turning over possession when it has not seemed likely, so Ncube has an important role to play for the home team.

The visitors’ number 8 Kebotile Maake has been in fine form and continues to go from strength to strength, while his fellow loose-foward, James Kobrowisky, has been on song, too, with both players dotting down twice in their recent win over St John’s.

Westville Boys’ High makes the long trip up from KwaZulu-Natal for a showdown with Jeppe High School for Boys. A good, hard-fought contest is likely.

Coach of the Griffin, Njabulo Zulu, former Springbok Waylon Murray‘s centre partner when they ran out together for the Westville 1st XV, said scrumhalf Ryan Pistor is an exciting player and someone to keep an eye out for.

There’ll be an early start to the derby fixtures, with Westville in for a time-consuming drive back to KZN after the conclusion for the 1st XV match, which kicks off at 13:10 on Collard Field.

Jeppe is fresh off a 47-11 romp against St Stithians College during which the boys in black and white made merry, producing some fantastic passages of play.

Inside centre McMillen Mongwana and his midfield partner Kuthadzo Rasivhaga have gelled well and form a strong attacking combination. Last weekend, they notched up four tries between them.

Should they receive quality ball, Westville will be tested, but they feature two hard-hitting physical centres in Michael Satade and Blake Allbon, who will pose questions of their own on offence.

Last weekend, Westville fell to 9-19 to Durban High School (DHS) in a very wet and somewhat muddy affair, which blunted the dangerous attacking abilities of both sides.

TEAMS

Parktown Boys High School: 15 Kgotso Tumahole, 14 Benjamin Nettleton, 13 Calestin Felkers, 12 Lisasa Mnukiso, 11 Kabelo Jwili, 10 Kelvin Kotey, 9 Thepiso Tladi, 8 Mfunfo Nkosi, 7 Keith Ncube, 6 Reval Meth, 5 Kingsley Okonkwo, 4 Disema Mofokeng, 3 Azola Peter, 2 Lethoko Mallane, 1 Manuel Motsi.

King Edward VII: 15 M Methula, 14 Jarell Mbuyi, 13 Olunje Mehlomakulu, 12 Tristan Maugeri, 11 Haniel Monkoti, 10 Simphiwe Moyo, 9 Regan McGurk, 8 Kebotile Maake, 7 Sam Bruwer, 6 James Kobrowisky, 5 Chinedu Amadi, 4 Michael Bownes, 3 Nathan Frank VD Merwe, 2 D Piek, 1 Connor White.

Jeppe High School for Boys: 15 Sanele Simelane, 14 Lindelani Nkambule, 13 Kuthadzo Rasivhaga, 12 McMillen Mongwana, 11 Mjij Ndimphiwe, 10 Nehmia Hollenbach, 9 Talent Sithole, 8 Risima Khosa, 7 Nathan Classen, 6 Ndimphiwe Mjiji, 5 Luke Cannon, 4 Lagan Leisher, 3 Luca Trevisan, 2 Bonga Nxumlao, 1 Andre Poulton.

Westville Boys’ High School: 15 Jade-Will Koopman 14 Evan Moolman 13 Michael Satade, 12 Blake Allbon, 11 Jadrian Afrikaner, 10 Unathi Mlotshwa, 9 Ryan Pistor, 8 David Humphreys, 7 Seth Gwyn, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Rhys Mitchell, 4 Oliver Gcina, 3 Bandile Mncwango, 2 Ross Calvert, 1 Akhona Maseko.

Parktown Boys’ High School vs King Edward VII 

u14A: 8:20 am Parktown Boys’ High School vs King Edward VII  (C Field)

u15A: 9:20 am Parktown Boys’ High School vs King Edward VII (B Field)

u16A: 10:20 am Parktown Boys’ High School vs King Edward VII (B Field)

u19B: 12:00 pm Parktown Boys’ High School vs King Edward VII  (A Field)

u19A: 13:15 pm Parktown Boys’ High School vs King Edward VII (A Field)

Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High School

u14A: 7:30 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High School (White Field)

u15A: 09:30 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High School (White Field)

u16A: 10:30 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High School (Collard Field)

u19B: 11:40 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High School (Collard Field)

u19A: 13:10 pm Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High School (Collard Field)

 

King Edward VII showed their strength as they ran over their rivals by 41 points on Saturday, leaving the visiting St John’s College scratching their heads after a big defeat. Rewatch all the action on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

The Reds were in good form, despite coming off a recent loss against Paarl Boys’ High, and performed fluently and confidently on attack and defence.

St John’s drew first blood, winning a penalty, which was easily slotted by Bryson Walker, but from there on the rivalry was painted red.

Flanker James Kobrowisky  and 8th-man Kebotile Maake scored two each as the host’s pack dominated the forward exchanges. The KES rolling maul was a huge weapon and it was those mauls that created the opportunities for the big front rankers to power over the St John’s try line.

Simphiwe Moyo showed again that he is an exciting talent at flyhalf, and he converted seven of his side’s eight tries. His performance highlighted the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes with coach Marco Engelbrecht.

Kyle Watson crossed for a try for the visitors. The nuggety hooker, who excelled as a ball carrier during the St John’s Easter Festival, is off to a good start to the season.

Perhaps the only slight negative for KES was a yellow card shown to winger Haniel Monkoti for not rolling away quickly enough from a ruck, which reduced the home team to 14 men. It could have been costly in a tight game but, fortunately for the Red Army, it didn’t hurt them on Saturday.

For large parts of the match, St John’s were forced to play from deep inside their own half as the Reds’ onslaught kept them on the back foot.

This coming weekend, KES is set to face Parktown Boys’ High School, while St John’s have the weekend off.

Down the road, Jeppe continued their excellent form. They look like the team to beat in Johannesburg.

On Collard Field, they rolled to a 36-point victory over St Stithians, winning 47-11 to extend their winning streak to three on the trot, which, of course, included that famous 22-19 victory over Grey College at the NMI Toyota North-South Tournament.

Jeppe has established itself as one of the top rugby schools in the country over the last few years and, while they went down to Garsfontein and Paarl Boys’ High earlier in the season, not many sides would fancy their chances against the Kensington school now.

Their captain, Khuthadzo Rasivhaga, tacked on two more tries to his season’s tally. He’s an exciting talent, and when he has possession of the ball there is a sense that something special is about to happen.

Saints will be disappointed with the result, after a nice run of victories. However, their flyhalf Chris Anderson has looked the part and his assured play is a big positive for the side.

Jeppe hosts Westville Boys’ High School, from KwaZulu-Natal, this coming weekend. It will be a tough challenge from a feisty side which shocked Monument recently but, right now, Jeppe will fancy their chances against any opposition.

Point Scorers

King Edward VII 59 (28) – Tries: Kebotile Maake (2), James Kobrowisky (2), Indi-Gusha Mboniswa, Olunje Mehlomakulu, Haniel Monkoti. Conversions: Simphiwe Moyo (7). St John’s College 18 (13) – Tries: Kyle Watson, Riley Elliot. Conversions: Bryson Walker. Penalties: Bryson Walker (2).

Jeppe High School for Boys 47 (26) – Tries: McMillen Mongwana (2), Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (2) Matthew Coetzee, Ndimphiwe Mjiji, Lesego Zungu. Conversions: Coetzee (6). St Stithians College 11 (6) – Try: Hlelo Ngwenya. Penalties: Chris Anderson (2).

New changeroom, new team energy and keeping it simple was the mantra for the day as Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS) beat their local rivals, St Alban’s College, by 21 points on Saturday on Brooks Field, running out 38-17 winners.

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

Pretoria Boys’ High didn’t muck around, with the first points scored within the first two minutes of the match through an excellent run from flyhalf Tumisho Motswi, who received the ball deep in his half and darted through the defences of the opposition to score a fantastic try.

Boys High functioned well as a unit, with their outside centre Motheo Dimpe and 8th-man Katlego Shebu benefitting from that teamwork and scoring two tries apiece.

On the cusp of halftime, Hoops’ winger Neo Gama, who represented the Bulls at the Academy Week in 2023, cut through the PBHS defensive line, showing off his blistering pace through the middle of the field, as he evaded tackle attempts from left and right, before flying in for a try.

St Alban’s gave it a good go and put together some strong set-pieces, with talented flanker Patrick Weir impressing with his high work-rate.

He also went over for a try, but it came a little too late for St Alban’s, with the home side adding a further 17 points in the second half to take the contest further out of the visitor’s reach.

Throughout the match Candies looked strong on offence, with their powerful mauls driving the opposition back deep into their own half and resulting in two of Boys High’s six tries.

PBHS will be pleased with the result as they head into two big matches in succession, with an away trip down to Maritzburg College next weekend being followed with a match against King Edward VII on 20 April.

St Alban’s jet-off to Europe for a rugby tour during their mid-term holidays.

Points’ Scorers

Pretoria Boys’ High School 38 (21) – Tries: Motheo Dimpe (2), Katlego Shebu (2), Tumisho Motswi,  Jeffrey Singo. Conversions: Tebogo Nchabaleng (4). St Alban’s 17 (10) – Tries: Patrick Weir, Neo Gama. Conversions: Josh Verster (2). Penalty: Josh Verster.

St David’s Marist Inanda supporters were treated to a points’ scoring bonanza as the home team ran riot against St Benedict’s College in Sandton on Saturday, storming their way to a 59-0 victory.

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

Outside centre Theo Fonternel and super-sub Owami Maropola crossed for doubles as St David’s powered their way to eight tries in total.

Bennies were further hurt by scrumhalf Diego Ferreira, who shone with the boot, converting every one of those eight five-pointers. He also landed a penalty for a personal haul of 19 points.

It’s the third time this season that St Benedict’s has conceded 50 or more points, with St Stithians College and Graeme College also achieving the feat against them.

Many questions have been asked but Bennies have found few answers. Incremental improvements will be needed to turn to the tide.

Northcliff edged out Parktown Boys’ High School, winning at home by a whisker, 16-15.

Northcliff set the tempo and had opened up a nine-point lead by half-time, with flyhalf Matthew Hunt punishing Parktown’s errors by landing three penalties.

In the second stanza, the visitors bounced back with tries from scrumhalf Thepiso Tladi and fullback Kgotso Tumahole.

However, with 15 minutes left on the clock, the home team manufactured a crucial reply, with Frank Devenish‘s try proving to be a winner.

Parktown might have thought they had sufficient time left to overhaul Northcliff, but they failed to take the opportunities they created, and it was a clean sweep for the hosts, who also won all of the A team matches on the day.

Points scorers

St David’s Marist Inanda 59 (31) – Tries: Theo Fonternel (2), Owami Maropola (2), D’Andre Mushonga, Jack Brady, Tahin Patel, Kuzivakwashe Majuru. Conversions: Diego Ferreira (8). Penalties: Diego Ferreira. St Benedict’s College 0 

Northcliff High School 16 (9) – Tries: Frank Devenish. Conversions: Matthew Hunt. Penalties: Matthew Hunt (3). Parktown Boys’ High School 15 (0) – Tries: Thepiso Tladi, Kgotso Tumahole. Conversion: Kelvin Kotey.  Penalty: Kelvin Kotey.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for St Benedict’s College, during which they have succumbed to a few hefty defeats. They will look to try turn things around when they come face-to-face with St David’s Marist Inanda in Sandton on Saturday.

After a successful 2023, Bennies have struggled to find form and they’ve copped some big losses. Against Graeme College, at the recent St John’s Easter Rugby Festival, the boys from the Eastern Cape won by a margin of 38 points, 50-12.

This weekend, St Benedict’s will be without their skipper, Jason Cutler, who has fallen ill. In his stead, flyhalf Braeden Le Roux takes over the leadership reins.

He’ll look to ignite his side with the example he sets. He is strong on defence and quick off the mark on offence, and he is well backed up by his brother Declan, at scrumhalf.

St David’s were narrowly beaten by Graeme College at St John’s going down 10-12, but they were well beaten by Kingswood College, falling to a 10-35 defeat on day three.

Lock Jack Brady has performed well recently, while the battle of St David’s number nine Diego Ferreira with Delcan le Roux will be interesting. Ferreira will also handle place kicking duties for the home team.

Based on their results against Graeme, the boys in black and gold are the favourites to taste victory on Saturday.

Parktown Boys’ High School will be up against Northcliff High School, who have shown in the past that they can be a really competitive side on their day.

At the KES Easter Festival, Parktown went down 15-30 to Dale College and 6-12 to Hudson Park, showing good fight in both matches.

Their captain Reval Meth, who was a backline player in 2023, is now up front, at flank. He is quick to the ball and a tough competitor at the rucks.

Last year, Northcliff’s lack of depth was exposed by some of the bigger schools. However, they come in hard and have the ability to catch teams by surprise.

Northcliff beat Hartpury College II 23-10 at the Saints Easter Festival and went down 15-21 to Clifton College, with winger Luke Roos scoring tries in both matches.

Hooker Luke Hammond is tough and will face a good challenge from Parktown’s number two, Lethoko Mallane.

TEAMS

Parktown Boys High School: 15 Kgotso Tumahole, 14 Christian Cele, 13 Calestin Felkers, 12 Lisasa Mnukiso, 11 Kabelo Jwili, 10 Kelvin Kotey, 9 Thepiso Tladi, 8 Lethabo Sikhudo, 7 Chima Mfundo Nkosi, 6 Reval Meth, 5 Keith Ncube, 4 Disema Mofokeng, 3 Azola Peter, 2 Lethoko Mallane, 1 Manuel Motsi.

Northcliff High School: 15 Alerick Rachstein, 14 Bheki Ngwenya, 13 Matthew Pretorius, 12 Matthew Verrydt, 11 Luke Roos, 10 Matthew Hunt, 9 Kaden Iversen, 8 Frank Devenish, 7 Chad Matthews, 6 Vianney Nteumange, 5 Rhema Nwogwugwu, 4 Declan Diesel, 3 Mihlali-Yethu Nqabeni, 2 Luke Hammond, 1 Miguel Smith.

St Benedicts College: 15 Lex Pilling, 14 Anagona Marufu, 13 Tyler Pharo, 12 Braeden Le Roux, 11 Wade Ramsay, 10 Iviwe Mlilo, 9 Declan Le Roux, 8 Matthew Joubert, 7 Zac Raats, 6 Tebogo Phuikuile, 5 Luke Carr, 4 Nicholas Moravec, 3 Matthew Rourke, 2 Chad Urquhart, 1 Rudzani Tshivhase.

St David’s Marist Inanda: 15 Luca Cabion, 14 Tristan Lambe, 13 Theo Fonternel, 12 Elliot Skei, 11 Kuzivakwashe Majuru, 10 Teegen Rossini, 9 Diego Ferreira, 8 Robert Jervis, 7 James Askew, 6 Tahin Patel, 5 Jack Brady, 4 William Allemann, 3 Marco Bitter, 2 Connor Mc Williams, 1 D’Andre Mushonga.

Fixtures

Northcliff High School vs Parktown Boys’ High School

u14A: 8:30 – Northcliff High School vs Parktown Boys’ High School
u15A: 8:00 – Northcliff High School vs Parktown Boys’ High School
u16A: 10:00 – Northcliff High School vs Parktown Boys’ High School
u19B: 9:00 – Northcliff High School vs Parktown Boys’ High School
u19A: 11:15 – Northcliff High School vs Parktown Boys’ High School

St David’s Marist vs St Benedict’s College:

u14A: 8:00 – St David’s Marist vs St Benedict’s College (Gier D)
u15A: 9:00 – St David’s Marist vs St Benedict’s College (Gier D)
u19B: 11:10 – St David’s Marist vs St Benedict’s College (La Valla A)
u19A: 12:20 – St David’s Marist vs St Benedict’s College (La Valla A)

St John’s College will make a very short trip down the road to take on King Edward VII (KES), in an old school Blues versus Reds clash on Saturday.

Both teams hosted their respective Easter festivals last weekend and they will be eager to square off in the latest exciting clash between the traditional rivals.

KES lost 7-22 to Paarl Boys’ High but then overran Bishops Diocesan College 45-8 in their festival games.

Against Bishops, winger Haniel Monkoti crossed for a hattrick, and he would love to carry that form into this weekend’s match.

The Blues have a strong side this year and they will turn to Dom Kamangu, Kyle Watson
and Malan du Plessis, who all enjoyed a stellar Easter Festival, to provide some impetus. Against KES, that trio will need to bring their A-games.

St John’s didn’t look comfortable against a physical Hoërskool Nelspruit, but they looked more assured as a unit when they beat Zimbabwe’s Falcon College 38-21.

Last year, KES, playing at St John’s, comfortably won 31-6 and they’ll be happy to have home ground advantage this year.

Also on Saturday, Jeppe High School for Boys hosts St Stithians College at Collard Field.

Jeppe will be brimming with confidence after their headline-grabbing 22-19 win against Grey College two weeks ago in an absolute humdinger of a game.

Their belief and excellence were on display at the KES Easter Festival, where they romped to a 59-6 win over Brandwag 59-6 and a 47-6 victory against Queen’s College.

Luke Cannon bagged a couple of tries, with the big flanker showing off good skills, while fullback Sanele Simelane enjoyed running circles around the boys from Queen’s College.

St Stithians hosted yet another successful Easter Festival, and they also walked away with two wins, beating St Andrew’s College 27-14 on day one and KwaZulu-Natal’s Clifton College 12-7 on the final day.

Coach Thoriso Shishau remains positive, stating: “Small steps, and we try to get better.”

His side overwhelmed St Benedict’s earlier in the season, winning 62-3, after going on a points’ scoring frenzy late in the second half.

Look out for fullback Sicelo Sakawuli. He is quick and has a good defensive game.

Both matches should draw big crowds, although the weather could put a spanner in the works. For those unwilling to venture out, there’s always live coverage on SuperSport Schools.

TEAMS

King Edward VII: 15 Indi-Gusha Mboniswa, 14 Jarell Mbuyi, 13 Olunje Mehlomakulu, 12 Tristan Maugeri, 11 Haniel Monkoti, 10 Simphiwe Moyo, 9 Regan McGurk, 8 Kebotile Maake, 7 Sam Bruwer, 6 James Kobrowisky, 5 Chinedu Amadi, 4 Michael Bownes, 3 Nathan Frank VD Merwe, 2 Esethu Mnebelele, 1 Connor White.

St Johns College: 15 Riley Elliot, 14 Bryson Walker, 13 Gerald Van Wyk, 12 Tumelo Bopape, 11 Jacob Smith, 10 Joe MacRobert, 9 Tom Kruger, 8 John-John Bierman, 7 ⁠Kakuhle Tunguta, 6 ⁠Grant Barnes, 5 ⁠Zain Newman, 4 ⁠Dom Kamangu, 3 ⁠Matthew Kaplan, 2 ⁠Kyle Watson, 1 Joshua Shannon.

Jeppe High School for Boys: 15 Sanele Simelane, 14 Lindelani Nkambule, 13 Kuthadzo Rasivhaga, 12 McMillen Mongwana, 11 Lesego Zungu, 10 Matthew Coetzee, 9 Talent Sithole, 8 Risima Khosa, 7 Nathan Classen, 6 Ndimphiwe Mjiji, 5 Luke Cannon, 4 Lagan Leisher, 3 Luca Trevisan, 2 Bonga Nxumlao, 1 Andre Poulton.

St Stithians College: 15 Sicelo Sakawuli, 14 Helo Ngwenya, 13 Gabriel Hore, 12 Tyler Maclennan, 11 Louis McAslin, 10 Chris Anderson, 9 Josh Meyer, 8 Jono Caveney, 7 Ryan Zvinavashe, 6 Ross Turner, 5 Francois Botes , 4 Luke Thorrold, 3 Jean Anthony Eblen, 2 Ethan Jacobs, 1 Braden Lighfoot.

Fixtures:

King Edward VII vs St Johns College: 

u14A: 8:00 am King Edward VII vs St Johns College (Reds Field)

u15A: 9:00 am King Edward VII vs St Johns College (Reds Field)

u16A: 10:00 am King Edward VII vs St Johns College (Reds Field)

u19B: 11:15 am King Edward VII vs St Johns College (Reds Field)

u19A: 12:30 pm King Edward VII vs St Johns College (Reds Field)

Jeppe High School for Boys vs St Stithians College

u14A: 8:00 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs St Stithians College (White Field)

u15A: 10:00 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs St Stithians College (White Field)

u16A: 11:00 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs St Stithians College (Collard Field)

u19B: 12:10 am Jeppe High School for Boys vs St Stithians College (Collard Field)

u19A: 13:35 pm Jeppe High School for Boys vs St Stithians College (Collard Field)

 

 

 

Pretoria Boys High School‘s first home match of the season, against their local rival, St Alban’s College, has been met with excitement around the unveiling of a new changeroom for the First XV.

The changeroom has been named after old boy, Ross Buckley, who represented the school’s first XV in 1992 and 1993 and who also ran out for Northern Transvaal.

He tragically passed away in 2020 but his memory will live on in the new changeroom.

Any sportsmen will tell you the significance of a changeroom in a team environment – it is the heart of the home ground, a nexus between generations.

Think about Lords Cricket Ground, when England won the 2019 Cricket World Cup, or Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu, after a big Champions League tie, or even closer to home, Loftus Versveld for the Blue Bulls, during the 2009 Super Rugby season.

This means players will no longer need to trek across from the cricket pavilion, which has doubled up as a First XI and First XV changeroom for a number of years.

Both Pretoria Boys High and St Alban’s College recorded one win and one loss in their respective Easter festival fixtures.

Boys High took part in the KES Easter Festival. They performed well in an 8-24 loss to Paarl Boys’ High and also recorded a good 26-21 win over Selborne College in their opener.

PBHS assistant coach Wian Geldenhuys said: “The boys cannot wait to play on Brooks Field for the first time this year, in front of our home crowd.”

Commenting on the Candies‘ performances at KES and the preceding NMI Toyota North-South Tournament, he added: “Hopefully, the lessons we have learned from the Noord-Suid Tournament and the KES Easter Festival will stand us in good stead for the season ahead and, more particularly, this weekend against St Alban’s College.”

Boys High’s lanky lock and captain Tshepiso Shikhibana, will be looking to lead from the front, and being afforded the privilege of being the first captain at the school to be able to address his side in the new changeroom will surely get the adrenaline pumping.

Seth Venter will be eager to mark his return to Brooks Field with a strong showing, after immigrating to the United States with his family last year. He’s back in South Africa to complete his matric year. The grass is not always greener on the other side but it sure is green in Pretoria at present.

For a forward, Venter has a big boot on him and can kick the ball a country mile, which was evident against Jeppe a few weeks back. So don’t be surprised to see the flanker lining up the odd place kick.

Stephen Adams misses out this weekend and will be out for the next six weeks after sustaining a knee injury in the fixture against Boishaai.

St Alban’s lost to St Charles by six points at the St Stithians Easter Festival, but coach Ofentse Moeng felt that the team could have won that match, which was much closer than it appeared.

“We let ourselves down in the game during the set-pieces, more specifically around the lineouts, where we could have beaten St Charles. There were also a couple of unforced errors,” he reckoned.

Moeng was impressed by Patrick Weir and Daniel Bouwer, whose work-rates he described as “immense”.

From the visitors’ side, outside centre JJ Steenkamp will be one to keep a close eye-on. He has made a speedy recovery from a concussion.

A good rivalry between the schools exists, with St Alban’s aiming to get one over the hosts on their home field. Last year, when they locked horns, the Candies walked away with a victory.

Both teams employ an attacking style of play, but kicking will be an important element with wet weather forecast for Saturday. This will likely necessitate a conservative, forward-based approach.

St Alban’s have an overseas tour to Spain and Portugal on the horizon, and they will need to remain focussed as they take on a hungry Boys High team, who performed admirably at KES.

TEAMS

Pretoria Boys’ High:  15 Tebogo Nchabeleng, 14 Ompfuna Tsanwan, 13 Motheo Dimpe, 12 Rickus Wessels, 11 Ntsako Nhlovu, 10 Tumisho Motswi, 9 Cole Williams, 8 Katlego Shebu, 7 Seth Venter, 6  Panyaiotis Ellinas, 5 Tshepiso Shikhibana, 4 Matthew Parrott, 3 Ofentse Moeng, 2 Thapelo Mphela, 1 Jeffery Singo.

St Alban’s College: 15 Matthew Nelson, 14 Ofentse Sema, 13 JJ Steenkamp, 12 Tumelo Mohale, 11 Ngaa Chikarango, 10 Everett Gosling, 9 Joshua Verster, 8 Daniel Bouwer, 7 Thabiso Mbembele 6 Patrick Weir, 5 Keegan Dick, 4 Jandré Botha, 3 Neo Gama, 2 Craig Milne 1 Andreas Philippou.

Fixtures

u14A: 8:55 – Pretoria Boys High School vs St Alban’s College (Dorey Far Field)
u15A: 10:00 – Pretoria Boys High School vs St Alban’s College (Oehley Far Field)
u16A: 11:00 – Pretoria Boys High School vs St Alban’s College (Oehley Near Field)
u19B: 12:00 – Pretoria Boys High School vs Sutherland u19A (Brooks Field)
u19A: 13:20 – Pretoria Boys High School vs St Alban’s College (Brooks Field)

Much like the miners of years gone by, the ‘City of Gold’ has always had an allure for small-town migration into a city known for bright lights and big attractions. 

The current head coach Marco Engelbrecht of King Edward VII, a former old boy of the school who hails from the small mining town of Thabazimbi, found himself travelling a fair distance away from home to attend one of South Africa’s premier all-boy schools. 

During his time at the school which spanned from 2008-2013, he represented the First XV as fly-half for several seasons where he represented The Red Army with pride.

He was part of a talented squad which had maintained a good record which included some big wins over rivals Jeppe High School for Boys and Pretoria Boys High School.

He played in the same side as current South African hooker and World Cup Champion Malcom Marx, where they played together in 2011 and 2012. 

He has maintained a relationship with his former teammate and has organised that he comes back when not on national duty to present new first-team players with their first XV jerseys – a nice way for current schoolboys to draw inspiration from. 

After six knee injuries that sidelined the talented Lions u19 fly half from pursuing a professional playing career in the sport himself, he needed to look at a change in direction in terms of a career path. 

He turned to coaching where he felt that he would be able to help guide and nurture the next generation of talented individuals which he is well-positioned to do. 

Marco started off his career coaching at the prep school at St David’s Marist Inanda in 2014, before making the move across to his former school in 2017 to take on coaching responsibilities at King Edward VII. 

Having worked his way up the ranks, the coach found himself in the assistant coaching position for a period of two years, before taking on the head coach responsibilities in 2021. 

On the topic of coaching mentors that have played an important part in his career thus far, he was quick to answer with one name, which was former Blue Bulls player and the current Sharks Defense Coach, Joey Mongalo. 

“Joey took me under his wing in the coaching world, he definitely laid the cornerstone on how I want to approach the game as a coach and mentor to players.” 

However, Marco is very much his own coach, as he looks to grow his own brand of coaching. His philosophy when it comes to his coaching style is, “ I have a real care principle for my players, with a focus on keeping it very simple by optimizing his players’ ability to see where they can reach their potential.” 

Outside of rugby, he sees the value in on-going education, having seen the benefits from it in his own career having suffered from a long run of injuries which halted his playing career, picking up a BA in Sports Psychology from the University of Johannesburg and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. 

When asked about how he sees his role as coach and the importance of finding balance with education, he believes that rugby can be used as a tool to help further develop a players career in the sport, even if the players don’t go onto making it onto the big stage – there are so many other opportunities within the game. 

“Education is as important as the game. At King Edward VII we have a great program to assist the boys with making sure that they achieve off the field in their academics through the assistance of creating study schedules and helping the boys obtain the necessary scores to get them into the tertiary education system.” 

With a jam-packed season of fixtures, Engelbrecht believes that he is fortunate with the current crop of players that he has at the helm, working with such a diverse group of individuals and trying to shape them into a team. 

He is looking forward to watching how his players from last year will grow as 9 out of the 15 players from the starting XV make a return which includes several talented players that represented the school year. 

The likes of South African Schools hooker Esethu Mnebelele along with fly-half Vuyo Moyo, who the coach has been working with on improving his kicking game are set to play important roles this season.

With the KES Easter Festival wrapping up over the weekend, The Red Army ended the festival with one big win against Bishops 45-8 on the final day but lost a hard-fought match against Paarl Boys’ High going down 22-7.

As the season draws on, it will be interesting to keep tabs on the coach and see where his journey takes him – the future looks bright for one of the upcoming coaches in the schoolboy rugby scene.