Author: nemslie

Queen’s College was able to transform a titanic first-half battle into a comfortable 40-22 win over their arch-rivals, Selborne College, in their King Price Derby Series match,  in Komani, on Saturday.

The Rec Ground has often been a graveyard for visiting teams and that proved to be the case in a classic showdown as the home team ran away with the game in the second half after leading just 15-14 at the break.

Queen’s are at their most dangerous when they start building momentum and begin to run the ball at will, and that approach enabled them to celebrate their 167^th school reunion on a spectacular note.

With Thina Fenako prominent in the midfield and Mveli Mqulo always a threat from the back, Fenako and speedy wing Ncutu Kepe each crossed for a brace of tries.

Selborne delivered a typically gutsy performance and finished off the scoring with a try by prop Robert John-Osunkwo, but they were unable to plug the gaps in the second half as the Queenians took control with an entertaining display of flowing rugby.

The visitors, to their credit, had the better of the early exchanges and it was only determined defence by Queen’s which kept them from crossing the line.

As they pressed upfield, the home side was rewarded for a committed chase. After kicking ahead, quick work by their backs saw Fenako burst over for his first try.

Selborne still dominated territory, though, and they were finally rewarded when a forward charge saw Liam Hansen cross the line for their first points.

After conceding a penalty, Selborne went over for a second try, scored by Connor Maree, to lead for the only time in the match.

Queen’s had a golden chance to retake the lead, but a great try-saving tackle saw centre Sbabalwe Magwebu lose the ball over the line.

They, however, got their noses back in front when the lively Mqulo chipped ahead and gathered his kick to score and give the home side a one-point lead at halftime.

After the break, Queen’s found their rhythm on attack and a superb cross-kick from Mqulo saw Kepe grab the ball out of the air and outpace the Selborne defence for his first try.

The hosts began to build scoreboard pressure with penalties by Mqulo and electrifying bursts by forwards Jeffrey Niland and Sambesiwe Vetman, which had the Selbornians scrambling in defence.

That put Queen’s on the front foot and the result was never in doubt once they had established a telling lead, despite Selborne’s persistence with their third try late in the game.

In Gqeberha, Grey High registered their biggest win over Dale College since 2013 when they cruised to a decisive 43-3 victory.

Despite their dominance, it was a game filled with errors, while a number of injuries and cards shown by the referee also disrupted the rhythm of the encounter.

The home team crossed for four tries in the first half to establish their dominance and led 24-3 at the break.

In East London, Graeme College capitalised on several Cambridge errors to power their way to a 50-10 win after leading 24-10 at halftime.

The home side was impressive in the early part of the match but Graeme played an intelligent game, setting up inside Cambridge’s half, and when Cambridge made mistakes in the wrong areas Graeme was able to take charge and run in eight tries.

The match between Hudson Park and Marlow Agricultural was cancelled because of a water-logged field.

SCORERS

Queen’s College 40 (15) – Tries: Thina Fenako (2), Ncutu Kepe (2), Acwenga Saul, Mveli Mqulo; Penalties: Mveli Mqulo (2); Conversions: Mveli Mqulo (2). Selborne College 22 (14) – Tries: Liam Hansen, Connor Maree, Robert John-Osunkwo; Penalty: Khazimla Qavile; Conversions: Khazimla Qavile (2).

The Daniel Pienaar Tigers roared up front, but, eventually, HTS Brandwag had enough gas in the tank to see off their Kariega arch-rivals in a 22-19 blockbuster at the Daniel Pienaar on Saturday.

This clash doubled as a Tinara Cup match and Brandwag now has the inside lane to that trophy after they defeated Muir College, the third of the three competing schools, earlier this season. Daniel Pienaar is the current Cup holder.

Saturday’s showdown was another titanic struggle between two well-matched sides, with Daniel Pienaar showing excellent cohesion among their forwards, while the energetic Brandwag backs, led by centre Damian le Roux, often had the Tigers scrambling in defence.

The educated boot of Ashley Liesing kept Daniel Pienaar in the hunt as he slotted four penalties and a conversion, although he will be disappointed at twice not having found touch late in the game from penalties when his team trailed by three points and needed to make the most of their attacking opportunities.

The home forwards bossed the Brandwag pack early on and they took the lead 6-3 as the teams exchanged penalties.

Then, in the 20th minute, Brandwag sent out a clear signal of their attacking intent when Le Roux sliced through the defence in midfield and raced in for their first try, converted by Derono Potgieter.

From there, the Brandwag offensive effort began to constantly test the Tigers’ defence, but from the restart in the second half an obstruction saw Liesing kick his third penalty to put Daniel Pienaar back in front at 9-8.

He was at it again soon afterwards when the visitors infringed at a scrum, but Brandwag were rewarded for their attacking endeavours when a late Tigers tackle took Le Roux out of the play and the referee ruled a penalty try to edge the visitors 15-12 ahead.

The fluctuating nature of the game was underlined when Daniel Pienaar scrumhalf Rozario Grootboom produced a brilliant individual effort from a scrum on the Brandwag 10-metre line, racing down the blindside and outpacing the cover defence to gather his chip for a try in the corner.

Liesing added the conversion as the Tigers hit the front again, only for substitute wing Rezanio Petrus to show off his running skills when Brandwag created space down the left as he dodged past defenders to score their third try.

This time Angelo Adams added the two extra points to make it 22-19 with 12 minutes left and although both teams had their chances on attack in the closing stages, the defences stood firm as Brandwag grabbed the bragging rights.

At Pearson, in Gqeberha, Outeniqua romped to a comfortable win over the Summerstrand outfit after leading 14-10 following a well-contested first half.

The Kwaggas attacked relentlessly from the start and it was only through stout defence that Pearson was able to win a penalty to clear their lines.

Livewire scrumhalf Denilo Jordaan scored their only try, with Sibu Mkhontwana adding a conversion and a penalty.

The visitors scored twice in the first half and then shut out their opponents after the break, running in three more converted tries for an emphatic 35-10 win.

In Kariega, Humansdorp outfit Nico Malan was equally dominant, running in seven tries and leading 22-7 at halftime en route to a 43-14 victory over Muir College.

After some encouraging performances by HTS Daniel Pienaar in recent years, Hoërskool Brandwag knows they face a serious challenge at Daniel Pienaar on Saturday in what has become the iconic schools’ derby in Kariega.

This latest showdown comes after the Tigers broke a decade-long streak of Brandwag dominance with a 20-13 win in 2023. Last year, the teams shared the honours, with Brandwag winning 18-5 before Daniel Pienaar triumphed 26-25 later in the year.

It promises to be another classic clash and Brandwag coach Heine Erasmus said rugby fever is building for the weekend.

“We are extremely excited to face Daniel Pienaar, especially after losing last year’s second game against them,” Erasmus reckoned.

“A total of 11 players who played that day are still in the team and they are really focused and determined to make things right.”

He admitted that playing in Daniel Pienaar’s backyard would be a test for his team, for whom Damian le Roux and Angelo Adams have been the standout players this year, while Wendall Uithaler, who scored two tries in last year’s opening game, is also in the side.

“Playing the Tigers at home is never easy. Their competitive and aggressive approach is always intimidating, but this was also the case at Marlow (whom Brandwag beat 36-31 two weeks ago),” Erasmus said.

“Our boys showed then that they could rise to the occasion, but only time will tell if this will be the case at Daniel Pienaar this Saturday.”

Brandwag has had some good results this season, mixed with a few disappointing outcomes. In the Tinara Cup, played between the three Kariega schools, they recently defeated Muir College 26-10 and will be looking to tighten their discipline as they chase a second success.

“I think our team’s discipline will need to be our main priority,” the Brandwag mentor said. “Against Muir we conceded a red and yellow card, playing for 10 minutes with only 13 players on the field. We will not be able to get away with this on Saturday.

“In addition, we will need to stay composed and stick to our structures, putting them under pressure and playing in the right areas of the field.

“The Tigers are also well known for their big pack and strong scrum. If we can hold them up front, I feel we have enough flair in our backline to run in some spectacular tries.”

Graeme College will return to the scene of their earlier triumphs this season when they host a competitive Port Rex outfit on the Somerset Field, in Makhanda, on Saturday.

Both teams have shown promising form this season and it should be an exciting showdown as they seek to build on a solid start to the schools’ programme.

Graeme, though, under the guidance of Jonty van der Meulen, will be hurting after a defeat at the Standard Bank Grey Rugby Festival against Hilton College, where, the coach acknowledged, they made too many errors.

“That put us under pressure and we were not at our best, so we will be looking to get back on track this weekend,” he said.

Van der Meulen also acknowledged that they face a tough challenge. “Port Rex have had a very good start to the season and we will have to be up for the game,” Van der Meulen reckoned.

“They are an extremely dangerous side in broken play, so we will aim to go the other way and keep it as tight as possible.”

Earlier this year, Graeme recorded home wins over HTS Daniel Pienaar, Die Brandwag, and St John’s College. Now, Van der Meulen said, they would be aiming for greater consistency in their overall play.

“We have scored some good individualistic tries, but we have been working on greater cohesion in the team and holding onto the ball, building phases, through which we can hopefully score some team tries,” he explained.

Port Rex coach Waldi van Greunen is pleased with his side’s season to date, which has brought them five wins from eight matches.

“The three we lost were against Dale (3-8), St Charles College (15-19), and St Stithians (17-19), with the games being decided in the last couple of minutes.

“The losses have hurt but we have taken valuable lessons and hope that we can build on the pre-season we have had.”

He knows that they face a daunting task on Somerset Field, despite the happy memories of their last match at the venue when they thrashed Woodridge 73-0.

“Graeme College has looked really good so far, and they are dangerous with the ball in hand, and have some game-breaking players,” Van Greunen said.

“We expect to be tested in the wider channels and also in the transitions.”

Kick-off on Somerset Field is at 13:30.

A year ago, Selborne College pulled off a remarkable comeback when they scored 19 points in the last 10 minutes to defeat Gqeberha’s Pearson High 29-25 in their 1st XV fixture.

Now, the two Eastern Cape rivals are set for another epic confrontation when they square off in East London on Saturday, with the visitors, no doubt, hungry for a measure of revenge.

Yet, Pearson coach Christiaan van Schalkwyk knows that they will have to be on point in all facets of the game to handle a Selborne team hurting after a couple of losses at the Standard Bank Grey High Festival.

“We have played six matches so far and have won all six, but there are always things for us to work on,” Van Schalkwyk said as he contemplated Pearson’s next challenge. “Our team is a young side and we are always working hard to improve our game.”

The Summerstrand-based school has taken massive strides to lift its profile in the sporting environment.

“I would like to improve our programme to consistently produce good sides,” the coach said. “We are working hard to establish ourselves as a top-flight rugby-playing school which can compete at a high level.”

With scrumhalf, Denilo Jordaan, an exciting attacking factor, Pearson showed their credentials with a come-from-behind 20-14 victory over Queen’s College at the Graeme College Festival, but Selborne will be another tough examination of their credentials.

“Selborne are strong opponents, and playing an all-boys school will always be tough,” Van Schalkwyk said. “We are expecting a physical challenge from a well-coached side.”

Meanwhile, Selborne coach Allan Miles will be looking to shore up a defensive frailty his charges showed in their recent fixtures.

“Defensively, we weren’t great in our last two games, and this has definitely been an area that we have worked hard at, especially when it comes to our tackle completion statistics, he said.

“Our gainline success rate on attack has also not been great, and at this stage of the season, it is common for teams to be making too many errors. We have to reduce these to be in the game.”

Despite losses to top KZN sides Westville (12-45) and DHS (5-35) at the Grey Festival, Miles said those games had been a help in assessing Selborne’s options for the season. “They have allowed us to try out different combinations, which prepares us well for the rest of the season,” he explained.

“As a coach, you are always looking at areas to improve on and these boys have set high standards for themselves. As a coaching group, it is our goal to help them achieve those.”

The teams: 

Selborne College vs Pearson in East London at 14:45: 

Selborne College: 15 Oliver Schmidt, 14 Samora Bushet, 13 Njongo Mbanga, 12 Aaron James, 11 Iviwe Kabale, 10 Bungqina Nuku, 9 Chad Weimann, 8 Liam Hansen (captain), 7 Connor Maree, 6 Lwandle Bacela, 5 Luca Liebenberg, 4 Dominic Stegmann, 3 Seth Smith, 2 Luke Bowman, 1 Robert John-Osunkwo.

Pearson: 15 Matthew Els, 14 Ezekiel Booysen, 13 Sibu Mkhontwana, 12 Hanro Botes, 11 Siya Ncwadi, 10 Keano Beling, 9 Denilo Jordaan, 8 Ben Arnott, 7 Cameron Knoetze, 6 Ryan Herbst, 5 Mlibo Toni, 4 Robert Harris, 3 Jordan Bruintjies, 2 Nicholas Gillespie, 1 Joshua Pienaar.

Marlow Landbou vs Brandwag (Kariega) on the Willie Meyer Field in Cradock at 14:00: 

Marlow Landbou: 15 Du Preez Vermaak, 14 Pierre Marais, 13 Dawid-Malan de Ridder, 12 Gian Steyl, 11 WJ Pienaar, 10 Cole Hurter, 9 Logan van Vuuren, 8 GD Jordaan, 7 Adrian Joubert, 6 CJ Botha, 5 Marnus Malan, 4 Burgert van Heerden, 3 Arnoldus du Toit, 2 Markus Bester, 1 Zian Jacobs.

Die Brandwag (Kariega): 15 Angelo Adams, 14 Dwayne Louw, 13 Damian le Roux, 12 Derono Potgieter, 11 Enzo Martin, 10 Wendall Uithaler, 9 Keeran Kayster, 8 Duane Meyer, 7 Hanré Oberholzer, 6 Nathan Fraser, 5 Jayden Fitzgibben, 4 Nicolus Thysse, 3 Francu Fouché, 2 Zak Rudman, 1 Zandré van der Mescht.

Cambridge vs Hudson Park at in East London: 

Cambridge: No team received.

Hudson Park: 15 Mahle Zinto, 14 Zearan Booysen, 13 Likho Gidi, 12 Ukhona Kama, 11 Masibulele Kwakwini, 10 Landile Gidi, 9 Imange Gxwem, 8 Sibabalwe Mtshini, 7 Likhanye Mandila, 6 Phindokuhle Mdlalana, 5 Hlumelo Gobile, 4 Tatenda Saunyama, 3 Tyrique Peters, 2 Kwazokuhle Pasha, 1 Manyano Mpendu.

Queen’s College vs Stirling at at the Recreation Ground in Komani: 

Queen’s College: 15 Bongo Nyakaza, 14 Ncutu Kepe, 16 Thina Fenako, 12 Sbabalwe Magwebu, 11 Boikaho Motlohi, 10 Inga Nunu, 9 Ayola Somhlahlo, 8 Khaka Xoseni, 7 Sambesiwe Vetman, 6 Jeffrey Niland (captain), 5 Aidan Newman, 4 Zeacke Mata, 3 Ahlume Gqetywa, 2 Bulumko Manqina, 1 Amyoli Ngxongwana.

Stirling: No team received.

Grey High School finished the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival on a winning note when they defeated Hilton College 20-7 in the final showdown on Monday afternoon, in Gqeberha.

With a stiff south-easterly blowing down the ground, precision play was not always achieved but both sides gave it their all to bring the curtain down on another highly successful showcase of schoolboys’ rugby.

In the main curtain-raiser, Bishops and Michaelhouse also produced a titanic effort, with the former managing to forge ahead in the critical moments to take the bragging rights with a 25-17 win.

The defining score in the Grey-Hilton clash came with just less than 10 minutes remaining when flyhalf Tristan Kemp showed great footwork to dodge and twist his way over the line, just next to the posts.

Hilton had the wind behind them in the second half, but Grey, besides conceding one try, did a good job of cancelling out that advantage.

They often forced their way into the Hilton half and, although the KwaZulu-Natal team was ferocious on defence, the constant pressure eventually told.

In the 51^st minute, as the Grey forwards pounded away at the try line without breaking through, Kemp called for the ball. He found a way over and the five-pointer gave the home side significant breathing space. With a successful conversion, which made it 20-7, he gave them a 13-point advantage.

Grey had taken a 10-0 lead into the second half after a penalty from Kemp was followed by a charging run from centre Bradley Myburgh, who scored score near the posts. Receiving the ball from a set move as he cut back against the defence, the midfielder powered his way through and Kemp added the conversion.

In the second half, Kemp slotted a second penalty before Hilton’s fight and resolve were rewarded when no. 8 Emmanuel Dankwa broke through the Grey defensive line to dot down.

It was a similar move to the earlier Grey try, with the big loose forward bashing through the home team’s defences before Liyema Nela added two points with a successful conversion.

With the match poised on knife’s edge, it was left to Kemp to lift Grey’s spirits after they had conceded a last-minute try on Saturday to draw their opening game with Michaelhouse.

Bishops, who led 15-7 at the break, and Michaelhouse, produced some highly entertaining rugby as each side crossed for three tries, but the boot of Alex Laspatzis made the difference as he slotted two penalties and two conversions.

The Cape Town school’s tries came from Daniel van den Heever, Uzoma Ngcwangu, and Rynard Gordon, while Michaelhouse, who pressed right until the end, scored through William Ridl, Noah Bates, and Lwandle Nzama. Stefan Moolman added a conversion.

Earlier, Queen’s College enjoyed a thrilling 17-14 win over Pretoria Boys High. The boys from Komani had drawn their opener 13-13 with St Stithians College.

It was a tense finish, though, with Boys High having a five-metre lineout with time up. The courageous Queen’s defence held firm on their try line, though. When the referee ruled that the ball was held up, the final whistle blew after the hooter had already sounded.

RESULTS

Westville 28-13 Dale
Durban High School 35-5 Selborne
Kearsney 41-31 Hudson Park
Northwood 33-14 Kingswood
Bishops 25-17 Michaelhouse
Grey High 20-7 Hilton
St Charles College 26-13 HTS Daniel Pienaar
Muir 25012 Ithembelihle 26-12
Andrew Rabie 19-5 Mali XV
St Stithians 19-17 Port Rex

Michaelhouse produced a sensational finish with a try after the final hooter had sounded to snatch a 28-28 draw against the hosts, Grey High, on the opening day of the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival, in Gqeberha, on Saturday.

At the end of it all, the Grey supporters were left scratching their heads when their team failed to close out the win after receiving a penalty following the sounding of the final hooter.

Grey flyhalf Tristan Kemp tapped the ball and kicked it into touch, obviously believing the match was over, but the referee ruled that play should continue.

In a drama-filled finish, Michaelhouse, trailing 23-28, stayed in the hunt with a series of penalties and eventually they created space out wide for centre Rourke O’Sullivan to go over for the equalising try.

It was left to fullback Alex Jankowitz to try to win the match with a successful conversion, but his effort fell short, and it ended all-square.

After conceding an early try to centre William Ridl, Grey led for most of the match and were 14-7 ahead at the breakthrough tries by Evan Mucka and Adam Holmboe.

Their opponents stayed in the match through the immaculate boot of Jankowitz (three penalties and two conversions) and the result was always in the balance.

Eventually Grey, after Mucka scored his second try, seemed to put some daylight between them and their rivals when they crossed for their fourth try from a forward surge to lead 28-16 with just more than 10 minutes remaining.

Michaelhouse, however, must be admired for showing tenacity under pressure. They repeatedly found a way to attack the Grey line and this opened the way for a converted try by scrumhalf Daniel Aissing, which reduced the margin to five points.

Then came the dramatic finale for the match to end in ecstasy for the visitors and agony for the hosts.

The festival’s opening day was marked by thrilling rugby on the Kolisi Field, with Durban High School (DHS) fullback Cilermo Carolus one of the outstanding players as he jinked his way through the Kingswood defence for a hat-trick of tries in their 41-20 win.

The match was evenly poised at 15-15 after 40 minutes, but it was changed to 34-15 in the blink of an eye and it set up a lead Kingswood had little chance of hauling in.

Kearsney had a tense showdown with Pretoria Boys High, scoring the winning try with three minutes left to win 28-26, while Queen’s College and St Stithians got the festival off to a thunderous start in a 13-13 draw.

The match came alive in the final stages when St Stithians took the lead as Queen’s failed to clear the ball close to their line and livewire flank Sipho Cele darted through to score their first try of the match.

Flyhalf Oliver Wilson, after kicking two penalties earlier, slotted the conversion to put the Johannesburg side 13-6 in front with seven minutes to go.

Queen’s, then, went on the attack courtesy of several penalties and although they conceded one themselves, they were soon back pressing hard in the St Stithians’ 22.

Eventually, with two minutes left, a grubber through the defence saw Queen’s left wing Ncutu Kepe dash through for the crucial score, although it was still left to fullback Bonga Nyakaza to land the conversion to level the score.

This he managed to do with a superb effort five metres in from touch and the final whistle went soon afterwards to leave it as a stalemate.

The match between Kearsney and Pretoria Boys High also went down to the wire, with Kearsney wing Lwandle Mkhize scoring an excellent try in the closing minutes, converted by Doan Nel, to put them 28-26 ahead.

The Pretoria side had a penalty in the final minute to snatch back the lead, but it was not successful, allowing Kearsney to celebrate.

RESULTS

Queen’s 13 St Stithians 13
Northwood 24 Dale 0
Kearsney 28 Pretoria Boys’ High 26
Hilton 27 Graeme College 17
DHS 41 Kingswood 20
Westville 45 Selborne 12
Grey High 28 Michaelhouse 28
St Charles 19 Port Rex 15
Hudson Park 36 Muir 15
Daniel Pienaar 31 Ithembelihle 13

Grey High will be aiming to continue a proud record in the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival when they take on KwaZulu-Natal’s Michaelhouse in the final match of the opening day, on Saturday.

The KZN team is making its first appearance at the festival since 2022, and they know that they will have to produce their best performance to quell the support the home team will undoubtedly have in the day’s main match.

Grey coach Matt King will be reasonably satisfied with his side’s opening match last week in Makhanda, at the Graeme College Festival, where the team unleashed some devastating backline attacks.

Under the co-captaincy of hooker Evan Mucka and wing Luc de Villiers, Grey, who have a long string of wins in their festival, ran in six tries in a solid 49-25 win over Hudson Park, although they did concede several tries to their East London opponents in the second half.

King knows they will have to tighten up that aspect of their play against Michaelhouse’s attacking flair.

“Michaelhouse plays a very expansive and highly skilful brand of rugby, which entertains all who come to support, so I know we are facing a difficult encounter,” he said.

“But it is a challenge we welcome with open arms as we continue to fine-tune our performances to build some momentum leading into the second term, in April.”

Meanwhile, Michaelhouse, under the guidance of coach James Fleming, is excited to return to the festival, after a three-year absence.

In 2022, the KZN school beat Kingswood but lost to St Andrew’s College. Fleming believes this year’s competition will be more challenging.

“We are very excited to be returning to the Bay and to be playing both Grey and Bishops on the Kolisi Field. We know we will be up against two strong schools, but we will certainly focus on bringing our A game,” he said.

“Knowing Robbie Kempson and Darron Nell (part of the Grey coaching team), we can expect a very strong set piece.

“The Grey Festival is a great opportunity to give all the squad members a run and to experience the camaraderie of touring, playing different opposition, and making new friends.”

FIXTURES

Saturday, 29 March

Kolisi Field

08:00 – Queen’s vs St Stithians
09:10 – Dale vs Northwood
10:25 – Pretoria Boys vs Kearsney
11:45 – Graeme vs Hilton
12:55 – Kingswood vs Durban High School
14:05 – Selborne vs Westville
15:25 – Grey High vs Michaelhouse

Pollock Oval

14:05 – St Charles College vs Port Rex
15:25 – Hudson Park vs Muir

Crusaders

14:05 – Ithembelihle vs Daniel Pienaar

Monday, 31 March 

Kolisi Field

08:00 – Westville vs Dale
09:10 – Selborne vs Durban High School
10:25 – Hudson Park vs Kearsney
11:45 – Queen’s vs Pretoria Boys
12:55 – Kingswood vs Northwood
14:05 – Bishops v Michaelhouse
15:25 – Grey High v Hilton

Pollock Oval

11:45 – St Stithians vs Port Rex
12:55 – St Charles College vs Daniel Pienaar
14:05 – Muir vs Ithembelihle

Crusaders

14:15 – Mali XV v Woodridge

Queen’s College will be aiming to build on a solid performance at the weekend when they take on St Stithians College in the opening match of the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival, in Gqeberha, on Saturday.

Those two teams will set in motion an extravaganza of schoolboy rugby that features some of the country’s most exciting sides, culminating in the festival finale when Grey High takes on Hilton College in the last fixture on Monday afternoon, at 15:25.

It’s an early 08:00 start for Queen’s and St Stithians on the Kolisi Field, and both will be keen to make an early impression.

The Queenians have been in the thick of the action already this month, registering wins over Stirling High and Ooskus Gymnasium before suffering a narrow 17-20 loss to Pearson at the Graeme College Festival, in Makhanda, last Thursday.

It was a disappointing outcome for Queen’s coach Clinton Loest after Pearson produced a dramatic fightback with five minutes remaining to score two tries and turn a 10-17 deficit into a 20-17 win.

“I feel that was a game we should never have lost,” Loest said, “but we showed much improvement against a strong Brandwag team on Saturday to win that match.”

Queen’s triumphed 29-15 in that clash, finishing strongly to take control of the contest, which had been evenly balanced heading into the final quarter.

Down by two points, at 15-17, Brandwag made a costly error when they attempted to play out of their own 22, which led to an interception try under the posts by centre Thina Fenako.

Later, Queen’s produced a brilliant phase of continuity, which ended with Bongo Nyakaza diving over in the corner to seal the win.

Loest said early season festivals were important in their overall planning for the season. “We would like to see constant improvement in our overall game and these matches allow us to try various combinations and to look to settle on a starting lineup for the season ahead,” he explained.

“Both teams we play (they face Pretoria Boys High on Monday) are well-known rugby-playing schools and the games will be testing for our team.

“But we are ready to embrace that challenge as we ready ourselves for a tough programme ahead.”

FIXTURES

Saturday, 29 March

Kolisi Field

08:00 – Queen’s vs St Stithians
09:10 – Dale vs Northwood
10:25 – Pretoria Boys vs Kearsney
11:45 – Graeme vs Hilton
12:55 – Kingswood vs Durban High School
14:05 – Selborne vs Westville
15:25 – Grey High vs Michaelhouse

Pollock Oval

14.05 – St Charles College vs Port Rex
15.25 – Hudson Park vs Muir

Crusaders

14.05 – Ithembelihle vs Daniel Pienaar

Monday, 31 March 

Kolisi Field

08.00 – Westville vs Dale
09.10 – Selborne vs Durban High School
10:25 – Hudson Park vs Kearsney
11.45 – Queen’s vs Pretoria Boys
12:55 – Kingswood vs Northwood
14.05 – Bishops v Michaelhouse
15.25 – Grey High v Hilton

Pollock Oval

11:45 – St Stithians vs Port Rex
12.55 – St Charles College vs Daniel Pienaar
14.05 – Muir vs Ithembelihle

Crusaders

14.15 – Mali XV v Woodridge