Author: terras

Rondebosch Boys’ High secures bragging rights against their old foe, Diocesan College, on the Piley Rees, defeating the hosts 31-16 in a Sportsmans Warehouse Premier Interschools derby on Saturday.

The leafy Southern suburbs of Cape Town came to a standstill this past weekend as the “Bish-Bosch” derby took centre stage.

This cross-town rivalry that is played twice a season always presents itself as a blockbuster. The first instalment of this year’s fixture was exactly that.

The opening 10 minutes of the match was an arm wrestle between the two sides, with both sizing one another up.

The deadlock was broken in the 10th minute when Rondebosch’s forward pack flexed their muscle. The first try of the afternoon came from a well-set maul, where lock, Danil-Nicolas Oosthuizen, rumbled over to open his team’s account.

Flyhalf, David Simon, couldn’t add the extra two points. Rondebosch had an early lead of 5-0.

It didn’t take long for the hosts to reply. Three minutes later, Fullback, Lucca Mynhart stepped up to put his side on the board from 30 meters out. To some spectator’s surprise, the match-up so far was an even one. Rondebosch 5 Bishops 3.

Bishops found themselves in a period of good play with the bounce of the ball falling in their favour. With pressure mounting on the visitors’ try line, Bishops’ scrumhalf, Max Marr, found space as he sniped around the fringes of a ruck to dive over, uncontested, for his side’s first try of the afternoon. The conversion was missed. Bishops took the lead 8-5 with 22 minutes on the clock.

Bishops began to grow in confidence as the game went on with Rondebosch battling to get out of first gear. Their sustained pressure on the visitors paid off once more when they were awarded a kickable penalty. Mynhart’s boot added the three points. Bishops’ lead grew to 6 points with 28 minutes played.

This Rondebosch side, who have been notoriously slow starters this season fought back just before the halftime break against the run of play, once again using their forward pack to good effect. Hooker, Justin Amos’s impressive leg drive from the base of a ruck powered him over the try line. Simon converted his side’s second try to give his team a 1-point lead at the halftime break. Halftime – Bishops 11 Rondebosch 12.

Rondebosch came out firing in the second half, no doubt after getting a stern talking to by their coach. On paper and based on this season’s set of results, Rondebosch were the stronger side and they proved it in the second half.

Their pivot, David Simon finally found his rhythm as his side’s time in possession grew. Great inter-play between backs and forwards resulted in a try for tighthead prop, Matthew van der Merwe. The conversion was missed by Simon. Rondebosch 17 Bishops 11.

A barrage of attacks on the visitors’ try line was thrown the way of Rondebosch, which to their credit they absorbed incredibly well. This would prove to most onlookers to be the defining factor in this match. A turnover 3 meters from their line allowed Rondebosch to march downfield and they did.

The Rondebosch line out worked well all day and it bared fruit once more thanks to another well set maul. A well-timed break away down an unmarked blindside meant flanker and Sportsmans Warehouse Premier Interschools Man of the Match, Joshua Neill could canter in for his team’s third try. The conversion by Simon was successful. Rondebosch 24 Bishops 11.

David Simon, the Rondebosch flyhalf had a game of two halves. The first half was fairly quiet. In the second half, however, he was in total control, pulling strings, managing where the game was being played thanks to an educated boot and providing his side with an “X” factor on attack.

Simon crafted his team’s final try of the afternoon with a chip kick in behind the Bishops’ defence for his fullback to chase. Dylan Miller regathered the ball thanks to a favourable bounce and ran in a spectacular try. Simon’s conversion was good. Rondebosch with a comfortable lead 31-11 with 20 minutes remaining.

Bishops sparked into life as they could sense this derby result running away from them. They replied with a score of their own within minutes of conceding.

A sharp quick tap allowed them to catch the Rondebosch defence on the back foot and gave their speedster, Alex Newton the chance to show off his pace, power and agility to score in the corner. The touchline conversion by Mynhart was missed. Rondebosch 31 Bishops 16.

Rondebosch managed the game to its completion with Bishops unable to add any more points to the scoreboard. A derby of two halves, the first tightly contested and the second an exhibition of free-flowing rugby. It really did have it all. There’s no doubt the return fixture in a few weeks at Rondebosch will once again be a blockbuster.

Sportsmans Warehouse Man of the Match: Joshua Neill (Rondebosch Boys’ High)

Scorers: 

Rondebosch Boys’ High 31 (12) – Tries: Danil-Nicolas Oosthuizen, Justin Amos, Matthew van der Merwe, Joshua Neill, Dylan Miller. Conversions: David Simon (3). Diocesan College 16 (11) – Tries: Max Marr, Alex Newton. Penalties: Lucca Mynhardt (2).

Other teams: 

u19B – Rondebosch Boys’ High 26, Bishops 12.
u16A – Rondebosch Boys’ High 21, Bishops 18.
u15A – Rondebosch Boys’ High 21, Bishops 0.
u14A – Rondebosch Boys’ High 22, Bishops 10.

An exhilarating Sportsmans Warehouse Premier Interschools derby between Hoërskool Waterkloof and Hoërskool Monument in Pretoria ended in Waterkloof taking a 26-22 victory to secure bragging rights and a spot in the SDC Noordvaal Cup semi-finals.

Waterkloof trailed 14-5 at half-time, but a clinical second half performance, that included a blitzkrieg of three tries in 10 minutes, gave the boys in blue and yellow a deserved win.

It was a true see-saw encounter between the two first teams from Krugersdorp and Pretoria, with Monnas scoring three tries to Klofies’ four in a match that went over 74 minutes.

Klofies’ centre pairing of Reuven Ferreira and Riwan van Aswegen were immense in defence and attack and bagged three of their side’s tries.

Monument scrumhalf, Ceano Everson, also had a brilliant game for the visitors, with his sniping breaks and attacking play keeping defenders guessing.

Waterkloof had most of the possession and territory in the first-half, but solid Monnas defence and flair in attack gave the visitors the edge with a 14-5 lead at half-time.

Monument showed ruthlessness in attack with a brilliant 40 metre run from fullback, Kealan Milton.

His storming run, where he danced past several Klofies defenders, put scrumhalf Ceano Everson through for the first try of the match. Daylon Myners converted the try to make it 7-0 for the visitors.

Discipline was also a factor that hampered both teams in the first 15 minutes with both teams down to 14 men. Waterkloof lost inside centre Reuven Ferreira, and Monnas lost hooker Tristan da Costa, to the bin.

Waterkloof kept territory and possession for the next 10 minutes and deserved to open the scoring with hooker Stephan Jacobsz going over after constant attacking persistence in the Monnas 22.

Cronje missed the conversion and Monument kept a 7-5 lead.

The visitors made the most of Waterkloof’s mistakes, and made a crucial score just before half-time, with flanker Geoffrey French crashing over to grab his side’s second try of the match. Myners converted to make it 14-5 to Monument.

The hosts, buoyed on by fervent home support, were inches from securing their second try with the last move before half-time, but outside centre, Van Aswegen, was held up by desperate Monnas defence with the try-line calling his name.

The second-half started perfectly for Monnas with Everson scoring his second try of the match. Zain Henery got an intercept and made a speedy run before passing to Everson to finish in the corner to make it 19-5.

Waterkloof didn’t keep their heads down and responded immediately through superb play from openside flanker Jean Jooste, who made a world-class off-load to send an appreciative Reuven Ferreira over under the posts to reduce the deficit to 7 points.

Waterkloof tied the game with the try of the game from outside centre, Van Aswegen, going over after a superb build up effort started from a 22 drop-off.

Waldemar Griesel caught the ball mid-air, beating a couple of defenders. He laid the ball off to Happy Makate, who in turn saw Van Aswegen in support on his left with a perfectly timed pass. Van Aswegen did the rest, as a Cronjé conversion levelled the score at 19-19.

Waterkloof took the lead with 20 minutes to go, after they took advantage of a Monument backline error. The crowd went wild as Ferreira made the most of an unclaimed bouncing ball from an up-and under, to go through untouched. Cronje added the conversion and suddenly, Klofies had a 26-19 lead and momentum on their side in this see-saw match.

Monument narrowed the deficit to four points with two minutes to go with a Myners penalty giving the visitors a sniff.

They also had a five-metre scrum in the dying minutes of the game and one last chance to score as the game went down to the wire.

Waterkloof’s defence of 14 men held firm under immense pressure as a knock-on signalled scenes of wild celebration from the players, coaches and spectators who joined on the field with their heroes.

Sportsmans Warehouse Man of the Match: Riwan van Aswegen (Waterkloof)

Scorers:

Waterkloof: 26 (5) – Tries: Reuven Ferreira (2), Stephan Jacobsz, Riwan van Aswegen. Conversions: Franco Cronje (3). Monument: 19 (14) – Tries: Ceano Everson (2), Geoffrey French. Conversions: Daylon Myners (2). Penalty: Myners

The teams:

Waterkloof: 15. Hernus Marais, 14. Waldemar Griesel, 13. Riwan van Aswegen, 12. Reuven Ferreira, 11. Sjaan Steyn, 10. Franco Cronje 9. Francois Viljoen, 8. Dale Arlow, 7. Jean Jooste, 6. Happy Makate, 5. Stephan de Beer, 4. Dylan Knoetze, 3. Luan Brown, 2. Stephan Jacobsz 1. Marnus Maritz.

Monument: 15. Kealan Milton, 14. Hanu Fourie, 13. Jody Schambreel, 12. Zain Henery, 11. Ernesto Oerson, 10. Daylon Myners, 9. Ceano Everson, 8. Jamaal Feldman, 7. Nathan Erasmus, 6. Geoffrey French, 5. RJ Barnard, 4. Ruan Koekemoer, 3. Roelf Jacobs, 2. Tristan da Costa, 1. Muller van Reenen.

Referee: Niel Bosman
AR1: Toit du Toit
AR2: Paddington Kunyaki

A tale of two halves ends in ecstasy for Paarl Gimnasium as they beat bitter rivals Paarl Boys’ High by 20 points to 17 at Faure Stadium in a Sportsmans Warehouse Premier Interschools clash on Saturday

A high-intensity start from Paarl Boys’ High was met with great resilience from the hosts early on. The opening 16 minutes of the half were well contested by both teams. The hosts, however, were the first to draw blood after a well-worked move from a lineout just outside the 22-metre line of Boishaai.

A sniping break by flyhalf and captain Kyle Smith was well supported by his halfback partner, Dawid Kotze, who dived over for his team’s first try. The conversion by Smith was successful. Paarl Gim led 7-0 with 18 minutes played.

Paarl Gim continued on the front foot after their opening try. With Gim on the attack, Boishaai infringed at the breakdown, which gave Paarl Gim pivot Smith a chance to kick for goal. His penalty attempt was a good one from 35 metres out. Paarl Gim had all the momentum late in the half, extending their lead to 10 points to nil with 30 minutes played.

Kyle Smith didn’t have to wait long to get his second penalty attempt at goal as he drove Boishaai back into their half with a well-educated boot.

Boishaai eigththman Divan Fuller carried hard into contact deep in his own 22-metre area but was adjudged to have led into contact with his forearm. Kyle Smith pointed to the posts and calmly stepped up to slot his second penalty of the afternoon. Paarl Gim went into halftime with a 13-0 lead over their neighbours. Paarl Boys’ will have to fight hard to get back into the game in the second half.

Paarl Gim continued where they left off in the first half. Kyle Smith’s educated boot kept driving Boishaai back into their half and forcing them to play from deep. Paarl Gim drove home their constant pressure, which eventually paid dividends with 44 minutes played.

A third wave of attack broke the Boishaai defence as Paarl Gim outside centre Hennie Otto powered his way over for the second try of the afternoon. Smith kept his 100% record intact with another successful conversion. Paarl Gim led by 20 points to nil.

You can’t count this Paarl Boys’ High team out, even when they’re 20 points down. Boishaai finally found the direct running rugby that could get them back into the game. It was playmaker and fullback JC Mars who took matters into his own hands with a clean break inside Paarl Gim’s half and dived over in the corner. Inside Centre Daniel van der Merwe was unsuccessful with the conversion from against the touch line. Paarl Boys’ High 5-20 Paarl Gim, with 25 minutes left in the game.

Paarl Boys’ High seemed to have found their rhythm after their opening score as momentum swung their way. A forward dominated phase of pressure resulted in eighth man Divan Fuller rumbling through Paarl Gim defence and scoring next to the uprights. Van Der Merwe‘s conversion was successful. Paarl Boys’ High right back in the contest with 13 minutes remaining in the game. Paarl Boys’ High 12-20 Paarl Gim.

With tensions running high and adrenaline flowing through Boishaai viens, they continued to build pressure on Paarl Gim. Boishaai left winger Jameel De Jongh showed his class and excellent finishing ability to score his teams third try. Van Der Merwe’s conversion from the touch line was unsuccessful. Paarl Boys’ High 17-20 Paarl Gim.

The comeback was not to be for Boishaai as Paarl Gim won a penalty with time up on the clock and Kyle Smith stepped up to try and convert the penalty. His kick was unsuccessful but his team had done enough to hold onto the victory and write their names into the history books of this famous interschools rugby derby. Paarl Gim walk away victors 20 points to 17.

SupaQuick Man of the Match:  Kyle Smith, Flyhalf and Captain of Paarl Gim

Scorers:

Paarl Gimnasium 20 (13) – Tries: Dawid Kotze, Hennie Otto. Conversions: Kyle Smith (2). Penalties: Smith (2). Paarl Boys’ High 17 (0) – Tries: JC Mars, Divan Fuller, Jameel de Jongh. Conversion: Daniel van der Merwe.

The teams:

Paul Gimnasium: 15 Tazreeq Moerat, 14 Freek de Kock, 13 Hennie Otto, 12 Kobus Blanckenberg, 11 Pieter-Nel Du Plessis, 10 Kyle Smith, 9 Dawid Kotzé, 8 Nicus Van Coller, 7 Louw Du Toit, 6 Adruan Kotze, 5 Marco Steyn, 4 Danio Botha, 3 Nicholas Crous, 2 Jannie Grobbelaar, 1 Xander Mynhardt

Paarl Boys’ High: 1. Michael Pretorius 2. Henko Ben Odendaal 3. Alfie Holm 4. Michael Versfeld 5. Van Heerden Pretorius 6. Rubin Dames 7. Chris Nel 8. Divan Fuller 9. Juan Loots 10. Ruan van Willing 11. Jameel de Jongh 12. Daniel vd Merwe 13. Bryan Burger 14. Scott Nel 15. JC Mars

Referee: AJ Jacobs

Grey College showed why they are a force to be reckoned with after securing an emphatic 38-14 win against Grey High in a Sportsmans Warehouse Interschools derby in Gqeberha on Saturday.

College scored seven tries to two in a match that the visitors from Bloemfontein dominated in the second-half. The hosts, showed commitment and grit especially in the first 35 minutes, but their tank ran empty when College shifted into sixth gear.

College’s pacey inside-centre, Pieter van der Merwe, was named as the player of the match after scoring two impressive tries. Keegan Scholtz also had a superb game for College at number 8, whilst fly-half, Ian van der Merwe and outside centre, Martin Botha also shone brightly for the boys in navy blue.

Grey College had a tremendous start to the match when left-winger, Handré du Plessis, went over in the corner after 2 minutes. A rolling maul from a line-out gave the visitors the momentum which lead to a slick back-line that Du Plessis finished off.  Ian van der Merwe was accurate with his left boot from the tee to give College a 7-0 lead.

Grey High though did not stand back to the unbeaten College and kept things physical throughout the first 20 minutes. The hosts also had the territorial advantage in the opening quarter of the match, but could not break through the College defence.

The visitors had another opportunity to extend the lead when inside centre, Pieter van der Merwe, picked up possession from a loose line-out throw. He raced to the try-line, but desperate defence from fullback, Joshua Bands, kept him at bay.  Superb work from Grey High left wing, Onika Sethosa, smothered the College attack at the breakdown to relieve the pressure.

Pieter van der Merwe though was not to be denied again 3 minutes before half-time as he made the most of a loose ball to score his side’s second try. Ian van der Merwe slotted the conversion to give College a 14-0 lead.

Grey showed guts to narrow the lead on the stroke of half-time when hooker, Imaani Pemba, went over after a rolling maul. The crowd erupted as Grey finally got their name on the scoreboard. Jordan Strydom slotted the conversion to make it 14-7 at half-time.

The boys from Bloem started the second half at full speed and deserved to score their third try of the match as right-winger, Hayden Tolmay dotted down in the corner. Fullback, Vincent Wolhuter deserved major credit as he sliced through the gap to send Tolmay through untouched.

Tolmay added a second try to his name five minutes later diving over in the right-hand corner. A poor kick from Bands under pressure, gave the ball on a plate to College captain, Martin Botha. He gleefully passed the ball to Tolmay to finish.

Grey High showed their proficiency at line-out time as another rolling maul took Pemba over for his second try in the 46^thminute. Strydom kept his 100% kicking display with his second conversion to take the score to 26-14.

Against the run of play, College showed just how dangerous they can when Botha capatalised on smart box kick from Christiaan van der Westhuizen. The blonde outside centre caught the ball mid-air and raced past the defenders before sending substitute and SA schools centre, Benito Goeda, to finish off the move. Goeda showed his class with a 30-metre run to make it 31-14 in favour of the visitors.

A piece of individual brilliance from Van der Westhuizen took College to an even bigger lead. A sniping run from the SA Schools scrummie at the ruck saw him sneak into a gap before side-stepping past two defenders to score under the posts. Van der Merwe eased over the conversion to make it 38-14.

Sportsmans Warehouse Man of the Match: Pieter van der Merwe (12) (Grey College)

Scorers:

Grey College 38 (14) – Tries: Pieter van der Merwe (2), Hayden Tolmay (2), Handré du Plessis, Benito Goeda, Christiaan van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Ian van der Merwe (4). Grey High School 14 (7) – Tries: Imaani Pemba (2). Conversions: Jordan Strydom (2).

The teams:

Grey High School: 15 Joshua Bands, 14. Divan Lamprecht, 13. Kyle Callaghan, 12. Tobias Nota, 11. Onika Sethosa, 10. Jordan Strydom, 9. Azakhanye Ncule, 8. Mark Brombacher, 7. Likona Sodlaka, 6. Recce Miles, 5. De Wet Goedhals, 4. Joshua Durrheim, 3. Aidan Wilkinson, 2. Imaani Pemba, 1. Daniel de Lange.

Grey College: 15 Vincent Wolhuter, 14. Hayden Tolmay, 13. Martin Botha, 12. Pieter van der Merwe, 11. Handre du Plessis, 10. Ian van der Merwe, 9. Christiaan van der Westhuizen, 8. Keegan Scholtz, 7. Jean-Henri Smit, 6. Liam Santos, 5. Schalk du Plessis, 4. Heinrich Theron, 3. Danie Kruger, 2. Liam van Wyk, 1. Ranon Fouche.

The 2023 Premier Interschools season is upon us and promises thrilling match-ups between some of the country’s top sporting schools.

And while Premiership Interschools is celebrating its 10th anniversary, we are also delighted to announce that Sportsmans Warehouse has come on board as the new title sponsor for Premier Interschools.

Sportsmans Warehouse, Southern Africa’s home of sports equipment and apparel, is a wonderful brand to have at the forefront of school sport and Premiership Interschools is proud to be associated with them.

“In the build up to some of the biggest events on the school sporting calendar, we are thrilled to participate in a phenomenal season of sport, tradition and comradery through our partnership with Premier Interschools,” said Raymond Thomas,  Finance Executive of Sportsmans Warehouse.

The 2023 Premiership Interschools calendar sports a total of 12 rugby and 12 netball derbies stretching from the 25^th  of March to the 26^th of August.

Continued participation of top calibre teams highlights Premiers Interschools prestigious status amongst players, coaches and supporters. Schools’ rugby & netball play an invaluable role in the development of South Africa’s sport culture, and instils the values of sportsmanship, teamwork and respect in young players.

In keeping with the tradition of Premier Interschools, viewers can once again expect some of the best rugby and netball fixtures for the season.

The Rugby fixtures feature 15 different schools over a 12 match period.

Premier Interschools welcome back all their old friends who have been with them since inception. This year, a newcomer to the Premier Interschools stable will see Durban High School kick off the program on the 25^th March against old rivals Maritzburg College.

The planned rugby fixtures for the year are as follows:

Durban High School (DHS)  vs Maritzburg College  – 25/03/2023 @ DHS

The Premier Interschools 2023 season kicks off on the east coast in Durban when host DHS takes on old foes Maritzburg College from Pietermaritzburg. DHS have been rebooting their rugby prowess the last few years and with ex-Paarl Boys coach Peter Engeldow at the helm for his second season, it looks like they are heading in the right direction. The last ten encounters between these two rivals have seen College winning six, with DHS winning three and one draw. The last time DHS was victorious over College was last season under their new coach when they won comprehensively 38-14. This shows they are a team to be reckoned with.

Paul Roos vs Grey High School – 15/04/2023 @ Paul Roos

Grey High travels down to beautiful Stellenbosch to take on the might of the Maroon Machine at home. The visitors have not tasted victory against their rivals since 2017 and will be eager to set the record straight at the Markotter fields. This is the same venue where they came back from a 20-point deficit in 2014 and with a young Curwin Bosch at flyhalf, made a remarkable comeback to win the derby 27-26. Paul Roos is re-building and has very strong juniors coming through the ranks at the moment.  Playing at fortress Markotter will motivate them immensely not to make the same mistakes they did in 2014.

Paarl Gimnasium vs Affies – 22/04/2023: @Paarl Gim

Affies comes to Paarl for their annual derby with Paarl Gim, now in its seventh year, but only four matches have been played due to Covid. Having won only one of these derby encounters will see them try and even up the numbers. Their overall record against Gim in the last decade saw them winning three out of the nine matches with one draw. The game will take place at Gim’s Jan Kriel fields and they are all but invincible on their home fields.

Paul Roos vs Paarl Gim– 06/05/2023: @Paul Roos

Paarl Gim’s next big fixture is only two weeks later when they travel to Winelands to face  one of their biggest rivals, their neighbours Paul Roos. They have a score to settle as Paul Roos upset them last year on home turf and won a closely contested game 26-24. Paarl Gim will be out to return the favour and beat Paul Roos on their beloved Markotter field in front of a partisan home crowd. The last ten matches have Paarl Gim winning 7 and Paul Roos 3, so the home team would like to make it two-in-a-row for 2023.

Paarl Boys’ High vs Grey College – 13/05/2023 @Paarl Boys High

The mighty Grey College visits Paarl in May to contest a match that could possibly decide the number one spot on this years’ school rugby calendar. Both teams are predicted to have cracking teams in 2023 and with Grey having competed in the World Schools festivals in December 2022, they have already shown that they are a great side in the making. The boys from Paarl, under the guidance of head coach Sean Erasmus, have been unstoppable in recent years. Could 2023 be the start of another great run for the team?

Paarl Boys’ High vs Paul Roos– 27/05/2023 @Paarl Boys High

Paarl Boys’ High host another big derby in May when neighbours Paul Roos comes visiting from down the road. The Maroon Machine has a similar record against this Paarl team, winning seven out of their last ten encounters. The Stellenbosch outfit will not be content to leave Paarl without a win in 2023 and this derby could be one of the most contestable to date.

Outeniqua vs Paarl Gim – 22/07/2023: Outeniqua

Outeniqua celebrates their 100^th anniversary this year and if the grapevine is to be believed, they have one unbelievable team to represent them for their centenary year. This group was very strong as juniors and hardly lost a match coming through U/14, U/15 and U/16 levels. Paarl Gim will travel to George for this humdinger that could be the highlight of their season. The two sides have a very even record over the last ten games with Paarl Gim having won five with four victories going the way of Outeniqua and one draw.

Grey High vs Grey College – 29/07/2023 @Grey High

The end of August sees the PI team in the friendly city of Gqeberha again for the classic encounter between brother schools Grey College and Grey High. These two schools have the same founder in Sir George Grey and have been rivals for years. Grey High has only one victory in the last ten matches since 2014 and will dearly love to catch up to their brother school.

Paarl Boys’ High vs Paarl Gimnasium– 05/08/2023 @Faure Street Stadium, Paarl

The ninth match of the season features two great rivals in local schoolboy rugby namely Paarl Boys’ High and Paarl Gimnasium. The Galpille against the Bloedworse, South vs North. A whole town divided for one week into two definitive camps. One is either Blue and White or Gold, Maroon and Green. The passion that goes with this rugby derby is undeniable and for more than 100 years the matches have been so closely contested that the average winning margin is just four points. This one is very unpredictable and the boys give it their all for 70 minutes. When the final whistle blows, there will be nothing left on the field but blood, sweat and tears, in victory or loss.

Waterkloof vs Monument  – 12/08/2022 : @ Waterkloof

The clash between Hoërskool Monument (Monnas) and Hoërskool Waterkloof will take place in Pretoria. This is the first Northvaal derby in the Premier Interschools series for this season and promises to be a match of high intensity. While Monnas and Waterkloof’s regular Interschools only started in 1996, this has become one of the most eagerly anticipated matches on the schoolboy rugby calendar given the rich rugby history and heritage of both schools. Both schools are consistently among the top rugby schools in the country, but Monnas has the edge over Waterkloof, winning seven of their last ten encounters.

Oakdale vs Boland Landbou – 19/08/2023: @ Oakdale

Another big interschool derby is scheduled for August with the farmers clash between Boland Landbou from Paarl and Oakdale from Riversdale. These two schools regularly produce teams of outstanding quality from a very small player pool. This all comes down to the commitment of these players to their team and to their school. They are rarely out of the top 20 rankings and have produced numerous Craven Week players for their two provinces. Their Interschools match-up is usually a very close affair with neither team having a clear upper hand. The last ten games have seen both winning five each. While they have played each other on an irregular basis pre-1992, these two schools have been playing each other on an annual basis since 1992.  This year they will meet for the 29th time.

Bishops vs Rondebosch– 26/08/2023: @ Bishops

Premier Interschools will feature one of the oldest school derbies in the country for their big season finale. Rondebosch vs Bishops is one of the most highly anticipated schoolboy games in the Western Cape. This will be game number 201 for them, the first of which took place in 1911. In 1908 they played a once-off U/16 match while the annual derbies started in 1911. The first match between these two schools saw Bishops run rampant on the day winning the encounter 112-0 with Painton Cowen scoring 86 points in the match. The first recorded match nearly put paid to rugby at Rondebosch, but fortunately they continued with the rivalry in 1911. This is one of the longest running interschool derbies in the country and because they compete twice a year, the number of games played against each other is high. Pride and bragging rights are at stake in the leafy suburb of Rondebosch. The two schools are only about 400m apart and are situated in the shadows of the former home of WP Rugby, Newlands Stadium. Rondebosch has won 79 games, while Bishops reached their century of victories in the first encounter of 2018 and currently stands at 102 wins. There have been 19 draws.

 

The Green Machine of Glenwood end their season on a high against KZN rivals Maritzburg College 28 points to 22 in a Supa Quick Premier Interschools clash at Goldstones in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday the 13th of August 2022

The Glenwood forward pack announced themselves in fine fashion in the first half as it was brute force backed up by backline flair that ultimately won the game in the opening 30 minutes for the men from Durban.

From the kick-off, Glenwood found themselves on the front foot as a penalty was awarded to them at scrum time after an early knock-on error from Maritzburg College. Glenwood’s flyhalf and sharpshooter Drico Marx added the first points to the scoreboard with 4 minutes played. Maritzburg College 0 – Glenwood 3.

The trend of Glenwood’s dominance in the first half continued as it took only another two minutes for Glenwood to score their first try of the game.

Glenwood won a tight head as they smashed College’s forward pack backward, Zukisane Tom the eighth man from Glenwood picked up from the base and charged down the far touchline finding a superb inside pass to his number 6 flanker Lwazi Ngcobo who carried a few meters further till he offloaded in the tackle to his captain Sandile Nzuza, it took one more offload to scrumhalf Dallyn Beukes who dived over in the corner to finish off the try that started 60 meters further downfield.

Marx converted from the touchline to give Glenwood a 10-nil lead.

College finally found themselves in a period of possession but a knock-on in contact meant the ball fell kindly to Glenwood fullback Jaco Williams who decided to play with the advantage.

He chipped a short kick through for right winger Renaldo le Fleur to chase with College having to turn their back, the ball sat up perfectly for Le Fleur to regather and beat two College defenders to score a perfect counterattacking try for Glenwood.

Marx converted once more, and Glenwood led 17 nil with only 12 minutes played.

In what would seem to be a long afternoon for the College side on their own turf, they began to claw themselves back into the game and manage their possession better.

Maritzburg College’s first long period of possession paid off as they won themselves a penalty in front of the uprights, Knoetze the goal kicker and captain for College turned down an easy three points and went for touch. It worked out to be the right decision as Knoetze’s boot put College 5 meters from the Glenwood line.

Their forwards set a solid rolling maul for their flanker Kyle Wilken to dive over, College was back in the game with 21 minutes played. Knoetze missed the conversion. Maritzburg College 5 – 17 Glenwood.

The game’s intensity seemed to settle down for a brief period as both sides tried to build momentum. Glenwood was the first to do so, after working their way well into the College 22m area, they won a penalty in front of the poles, Glenwood’s captain felt they had the upper hand at scrum time and called for a scrum that would be in the center of the field roughly 8 meters from the College line.

Glenwood played a set move from the base of the scrum with eighth man Tom breaking blind side, he passed a short ball to his inside center Andile Myeni who ran a flat line and broke through the College defense to score Glenwood’s third and final try of the afternoon. Marx missed the conversion. Maritzburg College 5 Glenwood 22.

The final play came in the 34th minute when Glenwood won a penalty roughly 40 meters out from a College error for holding onto the ball at the ruck. Marx attempted to add another three points but missed the kick just wide of the right-hand upright.

The half ended as Glenwood looked to be dominating all facets of play. Maritzburg College 5 Glenwood 22.

It would turn out to be a tale of two halves for both sides as Maritzburg College fought back valiantly to reduce the points deficit at full time.

Glenwood started in a similar fashion to what they did in the first half, they won themselves a penalty from first phase ball for offside against College. Nzuza pointed to the poles and Marx stepped up and added another 3 points to the Glenwood tally. Maritzburg College 5 Glenwood 25 with 38 minutes played.

Maritzburg College finally found the spark they needed when from kick-off they turned over the ball at ruck time. College strung a few phases together before winning a penalty this time for Glenwood being offside, Knoetze found an excellent touch setting up a lineout 5 meters from the Glenwood line.

College produced a smart variation at the lineout and hooker Albie Mouton bashed his way over for their first try. Knoetze missed the conversion from the touchline, but College felt they were back in the game. Maritzburg College 10 Glenwood 25 with 41 minutes played.

Glenwood would not let College fully back into the game as they won a penalty for holding on shortly after the restart. Marx slotted another penalty with ease and Glenwood extended their lead to 18 points with 43 minutes played. Maritzburg College 10 Glenwood 28.

Maritzburg College showed again their fighting character they have shown more than once already this season as they realized it was now or never. College returned to basics and began to control the tempo of the game as it began to frustrate the boys from Glenwood, and you ask the question if this mentality was there from the first minute it could’ve been a different game.

15 minutes went by, but College had nothing to show for their efforts just yet. College was camping in Glenwood’s half bashing away slowly at the Glenwood defense until a moment of strength from their SA schools outside centre Lili Bester who had been relatively quiet throughout the game so far bust through the defensive line after getting a crisp short ball from Knoetze and dived over under the poles for College.

Knoetze knowing they were against the clock converted quickly. Maritzburg College was back in it with 13 minutes left in the match.

The try from Bester lifted the spirits of his teammates as they built pressure once more, suffocating Glenwood of possession and gaining territory. Glenwood held on for more than 10 minutes as College kept coming at them.

College had the final say in the match when their eighth man Sasha Kadira barged his way over after a quick tap penalty, but it was too little too late for the Red, Black, and White.

Knoetze missed the conversion with the final kick of the game as Glenwood celebrated securing the double win over their KZN rivals as they won earlier in the season 23-22.

It was another epic encounter of SupaQuick Premier Interschools schoolboy rugby. Both teams can be proud of their performance.

Glenwood did enough in the first half, defended like trojans in the second half, and held on for another famous victory on Goldstones in Pietermaritzburg away from home 28 points to Maritzburg College’s 22.

Supa Quick Man of the Match: Sandile Nzuza

Scorers:

Glenwood 28 (22) – Tries: Dallyn Beukes, Andile Myeni, Renaldo Le Fleur. Conversions: Drico Marx (2). Penalties: Drico Marx (3). Maritzburg College 22 (5) – Tries: Kely Wilken, Albie Mouton, Lili Bester. Conversion: AJ Knoetze.

The teams:

Glenwood: 15 Jaco Williams, 14 Renaldo Le Fleur, 13 Wian Janse Van Rensburg, 12 Andile Myeni, 11 Andrew Martins, 10 Drico Marx, 9 Dallyn Beukes, 8 Zukisane Tom, 7 Sandile Nzuza (captain), 6 Lwazi Ngcobo, 5 Likhona Mfupi, 4 Liam Terblanche, 3 Siyabonga Dube, 2 Keegan Goosen, 1 Lithemba Mfupi.

Maritzburg College: 15 Sphakanyiswa Ngcobo, 14 Ivan Chirenende, 13 Lili Bester, 12 liam Prinsloo, 11 Kuhann van den Berg, 10 Luc du Toit, 9 AJ Knoetze (captain), 8 Sasha Kadira, 7 Travis Walton, 6 Kyle Wilken, 5 Kuhle Mthimkhulu, 4 Kevin Ayliff, 3 Mbusu Kweyama, 2 Elbie Mouton, 1 Diego Antionades.