Author: captainmorgan

School rugby fans in KwaZulu-Natal are in for a treat, with Hilton College hosting the KwaZulu-Natal High Schools’ Rugby Day, bringing 10 of the top teams together at one venue.

But there is a catch. The matches take place on Friday, 16 May. Blasting on Saturday, along the N3, will close the highway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, which has led to the event being brought forward.

If you’re one of the lucky ones, who is able to get away from work early, there are few finer settings than Hilton College in May, and the weather forecast is mild, with the temperature topping out at 25 degrees Celcius. Be aware, though. There is an entry fee.

St Charles College vs Clifton College

The action kicks off at 09:30, with St Charles College facing Clifton College.

After an impressive showing last time out against Maritzburg College, Saints will be favoured to defeat their Durban rivals, who have endured a challenging season.

Coming off the back of a big defeat to Hilton, an inspired performance from Saints against College was a big boost for their morale and cause for optimism about the potential of the team.

There are some changes to the starting fifteen that took on their Pietermaritzburg rivals, mostly interestingly at number eight, where Eben Crafford starts, with Raphael Ajibade moving to the bench. Another change to the loose trio has Lethokuhle Nyawo taking over from Thomas Borgen at seven. With Crafford moving to eighthman, Josh Milne wears the six jumper.

Besides the changes to the loose forwards, St Charles runs out the same team that faced College, and why not? They rose to the occasion of their Old Boys’ Day, in their 150th year, and, even in defeat, gave their supporters plenty to cheer.

Clifton celebrated their Founders Weekend and faced St Alban’s College on the same day. Unfortunately for the Durban boys, they failed to fire, and they’ll look upon Friday’s match as an opportunity to show that they’re capable of better things.

Northwood School vs Michaelhouse

There is one rematch on the card, at 11:00, and it’s between Northwood and Michaelhouse. They met in the opening match of the season, with the Knights snatching a come-from-behind 15-13 victory right at the death in Durban. It’s likely to be another tight clash on Friday.

The Knights are coming off a 24-30 defeat to Jeppe, in Johannesburg. No doubt, despite the close result, they’ll be disappointed by that loss. There were surely some mitigating circumstances, including playing at altitude, but their recent schedule was, more likely, an influence. Their showdown with Jeppe was preceded by matches against DHS, Paarl Gimnasium, and HTS Drostdy. That’s tough sledding.

Coach Jacques Deen leads a team with strong character, however, and they’ll be eager to stitch together a bounce-back performance. What they have on their side, despite the big recent challenges, is a settled line-up, and even with some changes they’ve made for the ‘House match, those players coming into the side have already run out for the Knights in 2025.

There are two changes up front, with Janco Visagie starting at tighthead prop and Omari Mabuza cracking the nod on the left flank. Behind them, Jaydon Smith wears the number 14 jersey.

Special mention needs to be made here of their eighthman Jamie Wimble who showed, when Northwood met Paarl Gim, that he can raise his game to meet the stiffest of challenges. He’s an exciting skilful and physical ball player. Another player who caught the eye in that game was Bongane Khumalo, who matched up with Markus Muller, arguably the player of the season in South African schoolboy rugby thus far. Khumalo held his own, which not many have been able to do.

Michaelhouse played an awful lot of rugby for not much reward when the teams met on Reece-Edwards Field and they made a stuttering start to the season, being competitive in every match, but results didn’t go their way.

They’re a team that’s loaded with quality players, however, and they truly pulled their game together last time out against Kearsney College, racing into an early 19-0 lead before allowing Kearsney to close to within 17-24. ‘House’s response was outstanding, however, and they scored the last 26 points of the contest to run away to a 50-17 victory.

Coach James Fleming has made one change to the backline, bringing in Laird Hamilton-Brown on the right wing, while the pack remains unchanged. That’s good news for the Balgowan boys, who will be raring to have another crack at the formidable Northwood lineup.

Kearsney College vs Durban High School

At 12:30, Kearsney College takes on Durban High School (DHS). Despite the big defeat at Michaelhouse, the One-Stripe has been playing some good rugby, and that have certainly made strides this season. In DHS, though, they face a daunting challenge.

The Horseflies have won nine of their 10 matches, going down only to Paarl Gimnasium, rated by most as the best team in South Africa in 2025. They’ve since had a week’s break, which should serve them well.

School‘s success has been built on their teamwork more than individual brilliance, and that is credit to their coaching and team-first attitude.

They’re a solid unit all-round with their physicality being one of their calling cards. In many instances when facing DHS, it’s a case of knowing what’s coming but not being able to do anything about it.

For most of the season, Jordan van Wyk has run out at flyhalf for DHS, but on Friday he’ll be at fullback, with the creative Cilermo Carlos taking over at number 10. Amo Mataboge is in at right-wing, while Marcwin Nero gets the start at scrumhalf.

Dexter Mkhencele plays eighthman, with Bradley La Grange shifting from the back of the scrum to the number seven jersey. Josè Lottering, who wore seven against Paarl Gim, joins Zion Smith in the second row. The props change, too, with Omphile Kola starting at tighthead and Elvino Witbooi at loosehead.

Kearsney’s starting 15 has a familiar look to it. Coach Grant Bashford has shown his belief in his players, even after their loss last Friday. With six wins from nine starts, including victories over Pretoria Boys High and Glenwood, that looks like a sound call.

No doubt, though, the odds are stacked against the One-Stripe.

Maritzburg College vs Westville Boys’ High

At 14:00, Maritzburg College takes on Westville Boys’ High. That could be very interesting. Last year, at the KZN High Schools’ Rugby Day, College charged out of the gate and overwhelmed the Griffin, powering their way to a 41-10 victory. It was one of their better performances of the season, if not their best.

There’ll be a good number of Westville players who were part of last year’s game who will be eager to give the Red, Black, and White a taste of their own medicine, and that’s not beyond the realm of possibility. Westville, now under the guidance of coach Zander Erasmus, has been very impressive this season, and they sport a perfect record of eight wins from eight matches.

Last time out, they won 55-31 against KES, in Johannesburg. With a rugged pack and some exciting backline players, they have all the ingredients necessary to run up the score on an opponent if that team is not on its game.

Fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya has deservedly captured the spotlight, but he’s been far from a lone standout, and the return of flyhalf Jade-Will Koopman has further boosted Westville’s prospects. It all starts up front, however, and they have a strong pack, which lays a sound foundation.

A measure of Westville’s success can be found in their run-on XV, which is unchanged from the side that did duty against KES.

College heads into the clash off the back of a very physical, hard-fought 26-16 victory over St Charles.

They’ve been through an up-and-down season, with some good performances being interspersed with some puzzling showings. Which version of College will we see on Friday? Which version of College will Westville allow?

College showed in their win over St Charles that they have the ability to raise their intensity when the chips are down, but, if they don’t fire from the start, it will be too late against the Griffin.

Like Westville, they’ll have one of their best counterattacking players wearing the fullback’s number 15, with Amahle Hadebe, who played centre earlier in the season, at the back. He’ll have more opportunities to exploit space if Westville’s kicking isn’t on point.

Up front, it’s fantastic to see Rory Stanton playing flank. He suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the season that looked as if it would sideline him for a long time. He has, however, made a remarkable recovery and his availability is a big boost for College.

Hilton College vs Glenwood High

The last game of the day kicks off at 15:30 and it features the hosts, Hilton College, against Glenwood.

Hilton is another of those teams where it is difficult to identify weaknesses. They’re settled – unchanged from a 38-24 win over Pretoria Boys High – well-drilled, and have a bit of flair about them. They’re going to give Glenwood a stern examination.

One of the most impressive aspects of Hilton’s success has been how well their combinations have worked together. From the back three, to the midfield, the halfbacks, the loose trio, the second row, and the front row, it has been a combined effort, and when they’re on song Hilton is a dangerous side, capable of overwhelming the opposition.

Glenwood is a better side in 2025 than in 2024. They’re not the dominant Green Machine that once, not too long ago, ruled KZN rugby, but there is no doubt that their trajectory is up.

They have played some marvellous rugby, yet in the same game have also allowed the opposition back into the contest, and it’s that inconsistency that coach Derek Heiberg will want to see eliminated.

Glenwood’s opening against Milnerton at the Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, which saw them power their way into a 29-0 lead with some breathtaking play was followed by a drop in intensity and accuracy, which allowed Milnerton all the way back into the game. It was at 34-34 before a late penalty by Joshua Kopp won it for the Durban school.

Against Kearsney, they let slip their lead late in the game and went down by a point, and they also lost a squeaker to Nico Malan by only two points at the Absa Wildeklawer tournament, with the Humansdorp boys coming from behind to win with a try late in the game.

Glenwood needs to learn how to close out games. They’ll be hoping for just such an opportunity against a strong opponent on Friday.

TEAMS

St Charles College vs Clifton College at 09:30

St Charles College: 15 Phiwe-Junior Dlamini, 14 Likuthi Mbalana, 13 Carl Chekera, 12 Athenkosi Qumo, 11 Mathew Ludick, 10 AJ Bosman, 9 Thandokuhle Nyawo, 8 Eben Crafford, 7 Lethokuhle Zimu, 6 Joshua Milne, 5 Joshua Harris, 4 Matthew Naudé, 3 Silindokuhle Nciza, Dresden Coetzee, 1 Braydon Joese.

Clifton College: 15 Tor Mclean, 14 Troy Rencken, 13 Devan Schwartz, 12 Dhilan Bhoola, 11 Kwadokuhle Sokhela, 10 Adam Selikow, 9 Matthew van Blerk, 8 Danyaal Motala, 7 Nathan Burger, 6 Jack Woollatt, 5 Lukhanyiso Nala, 4 Cole Nienhauser, 3 Trent Bam, 2 Asabonga Jiyane, 1 Kegomoditswe Maseko.

Michaelhouse vs Northwood School at 11:00

Michaelhouse: 15 Alex Jankowitz, 14 Laird Hamilton-Brown, 13 Rourke O’Sullivan, 12 William Ridl, 11 Jack Carmody, 10 Stefan Moolman, 9 Nicholas Baker, 8 Dom Sesink-Clee, 7 Luke Mitchell, 6 Oliver Davis, 5 Daniel Carr, 4 Alex Ardé, 3 Nicolas Salamousas, 2 Max Oliva, 1 Koketso Bopape.

Northwood: 15 Trevor von Volenstee, 14 Jaydon Smith, 13 Bongane Khumalo, 12 Tristan Parkinson, 11 Aphiwe Mapisa, 10 Savio Stevens, 9 Jed Mun-Gavin, 8 Jamie Wimble, 7 Lusanda Mabizela, 6 Omari Mabuza, 5 Chad Howe, 4 Lian Terblanche, 3 Janco Visagie, 2 Ayavuya Makula, 1 Sphephelo Ntshangase.

Durban High School vs Kearsney College at 12:30

Durban High School – 15 Jordan van Wyk, 14 Amo Mataboge, 13 Nathan Aneke, 12 Zingce Simka, 11 Zinkosi Mthiyane, 10 Cilermo Carolus, 9 Marcwin Nero, 8 Dexter Mkhencele, 7 Bradley La Grange, 6 Daniel Ikotela, 5 Zion Smith, 4 José Lottering, 3 Omphile Kola, 2 Okuhle Mbanjwa, 1 Elvino Witbooi.

Kearsney College – 15 Lwazi Mbebe, 14 Valentino Lenge, 13 Doan Nel, 12 Keanu Williamson, 11 Lwandle Mkhize, 10 Jayden Jonsson, 9 Fynn Verbaan, 8 Nhlanhla Ndlovu, 7 Oliver Ludwig, 6 Simanye Mlakalaka, 5 Joseph Roylance, 4 Thomas Francke, 3 Azania Thela, 2 Micah van Wyk, 1 Luke Faure.

Maritzburg College vs Westville Boys’ High at 14:00

Maritzburg College – 15 Amahle Hadebe, 14 Caleb Scheepers, 13 Olwethu Kosani, 12 Jordan Thackeray, 11 Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein, 10 Liyema Tsoko, 9 Dom du Toit, 8 Wasi Vyambwera, 7 Rory Stanton, 6 David Colenbrander, 5 Elethu Mabanga, 4 Mian Pretorius, 3 Alanda Ngubane, 2 Theo Boshoff, 1 Indiphile Mlotshwa.

Westville Boys’ High – 15 – Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Phumula Xulu, 13 Jadrian Afrikaner, 12 Sean McGough, 11 Avumile Lisa, 10 Jade-Will Koopman, 9 Liam Simpkins, 8 Lwandile Simelane, 7 Lwandle Makhanya, 6 Brandon Eke, 5 Lwandile Mlaba, 4 Moustapher Gcina, 3 Bandile Mncwango, 2 Ross Calvert, 1 Sibusiso Hlongwa.

Hilton College vs Glenwood High at 15:30

Hilton College – 15 James Peattie, 14 Guy Fender, 13 Khazimla Makali, 12 Tristan Uys, 11 Ricky Adonis, 10 Liyema Nela, 9 Zander Vorster, 8 Zander Muller, 7 Emmanuel Dankwah, 6 Stewart Falconer, 5 Andrew Schnell, 4 Andre Boschoff, 3 Mholi Khuzwayo, 2 Josh Grant, 1 Khanya Jekwa.

Glenwood High: N/A

In April, the South African Hockey Association (SAHA) released a memorandum about the treatment of match officials, players, and competitors, signed by Shaune Baaitjies, the Interim CEO of SAHA, and by Executive Board Member Rules and Technical, John Wright. It’s been a long time coming, in my opinion.

A common theme in chats I have had with different people in the schools’ hockey community is that behaviour on the pitch and alongside it has deteriorated to the detriment of the game. It’s something I have heard and something I have witnessed. And it puts an ugly damper on the fantastic matches we are seeing on the Astro.

Hockey, at schools’ level, is going from strength to strength, but if the community does not look after and respect one another, there will be a price to pay.

Everyone involved in the hockey community – players, coach, administrators, supporters – should read the memorandum and, then, adhere to it. Please be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.

MEMORANDUM

TREATMENT OF MATCH OFFICIALS, PLAYERS AND COMPETITORS

Despite hockey being a sport that continues to grow in both participation and spectator interest with increasing marketing opportunities, engaging competitions, and events that foster lifelong friendships the abuse directed at match officials and players has reached unacceptable levels.

This behaviour is now bordering on being out of control and is bringing the game into disrepute.

Such conduct is negatively affecting the marketability of our sport, diminishing spectator enjoyment, and undermining the overall experience for both players and match officials.

Hockey must remain a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved. There is no place for abusive or uncontrolled behaviour in our sport.

In particular, the abuse being experienced by match officials from coaches, managers, and players alike is deeply concerning. This relentless pressure is leading many officials to leave the game, creating a significant and lasting impact on hockey and the South African Hockey Association (SAHA) as a whole.

Abuse takes many forms, including sarcasm, swearing, persistent questioning, dissent, dismissive gestures, and negative body language. The perception that it is acceptable to abuse a match official, an opposition player, or even one’s own teammates is wholly unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated.

While SAHA acknowledges that not all matches have qualified technical table personnel, where such officials are present, they are empowered to take appropriate action against offenders.

Effective immediately, the South African Hockey Association mandates the following actions and sanctions in response to misconduct:

1. Warning – To be issued by technical officials or umpires.
2. Repeat Offence – May result in a Yellow Card (15-minute suspension) or Red Card, depending on the severity.

o Yellow Card: Suspension served in the designated area.
o Red Card: The individual must immediately leave the ground and venue.

3. Disciplinary Hearing – Any recipient of a Red Card must face a disciplinary hearing, conducted by the relevant school, club, or province within 7 days.
4. Sanctions – Penalties may include, but are not limited to monetary fines, match suspensions, or bans from the sport.

Furthermore, it is mandatory that all provinces ensure that every participant in their region signs and adheres to a Code of Conduct and that the SAHA Safeguarding Policy is strictly implemented.

We request that this directive be implemented immediately, and trust in your commitment to upholding the values and integrity of our sport.

Hilton College hosted Pretoria Boys High on Gilfillan Field on Saturday, seeking to follow up a 25-20 win over Michaelhouse with another quality victory.

With the leaves of the trees that overlooked the fields turning from green to brown and all shades between, it was an ideal day for rugby in a beautiful setting.

From the opening kick-off, Hilton immediately forced their way into the visitors’ half and began to play the game where they wanted to play it.

After exerting pressure for a while, a quick tap from Zander Muller was halted close to the try line. But Hilton quickly went the other way, to the blind side, with scrumhalf Zander Vorster feeding flyhalf Liyema Nela, who, cleverly, slipped a pass back inside and lock André Boschoff was in space and over for a try.

A high tackle gave the home team another opportunity to kick themselves deep into the Candies‘ territory, with a lineout to come. But the referee, Danie Joubert, played an excellent advantage, and a sweetly judged chip out wide from centre Tristan Uys sat up invitingly for left-wing Ricky Adonis. He didn’t need a second invitation. He grabbed the ball out of the air, rounded the PBHS defence and was in under the poles.

Nela made the easy conversion and Hilton led 12-0 after 15 minutes.

Boys High did themselves no favours when they conceded a penalty, which allowed Hilton to kick into the 22 and keep applying the pressure on the visitors, who had barely staged an incursion into the hosts’ half.

Eventually, from a quick tap, it took only two phases for Josh Grant to power over for the home team’s third try. Nela added the extras, and Hilton was cruising at 19-0, scoring at just shy of a point a minute.

If they were to have any chance of victory, Pretoria Boys High desperately needed to score next. They did.

From a lineout, about 30 metres out, the visitors’ Banele Mashaba shed a tackle in midfield and burst towards the Hilton try line. After a thrilling run, he was stopped with the whitewash almost within arms’ reach, but the ball went wide quickly and their tall lock, Pieter Lindeboom, was over in the right-hand corner.

Unfortunately for Boys High, the ball toppled off the tee as Blake Mager was attempting the conversion, forcing him to take a hurried drop kick, and they were unable to add two more points.

The visitors, though, were the next to strike, too. Beginning from a lineout in a similar position to the previous one which had produced a try, the Candies set up a maul. When it splintered, they entered Hilton’s 22. Phase after phase, they kept possession and probed, shifting the ball left, right, then left again.

With a keen eye for a gap, scrumhalf Michael Fourie sniped around the right of a ruck, cut back left, and, when he was tackled, one-handed a pass out wide to centre Tyler Mason and he dived over in the corner for a try.

It was 19-10 at the break. Hilton had been cruising, but Pretoria Boys High’s late first-half fightback had made a game of it.

Brad Macleod-Henderson‘s charges snatched back the momentum from the visitors within five minutes of the restart.

From a scrum wide on the left, around the 22, Hilton captain Liyema Nela received the pass from Zander Vorster. Inside centre Tristan Uys cut inside, drawing the attention of the defence, and left-wing Ricky Adonis drifted into a gap between two defenders to rip through the Boys High defence. It was a textbook training ground move, and he was over under the uprights. Nela’s successful conversion made it 26-10.

An excellent chase from Nela, then, forced the visitors to dot down behind their own try line, giving Hilton an inviting five-metre scrum right in front of the posts. A simple pick up and drive for the line brought Zander Muller another five-pointer and Nela turned it into a seven-point play to extend the hosts’ advantage to 23 points.

PBHS struck back in the 53rd minute. After a clean take at the back of a five-metre lineout, they mauled towards the try line, breaking open Hilton’s defences. When the hosts illegally dragged the maul to ground, the referee signalled a penalty try.

He had warned the home team twice previously. Not only did they surrender seven points, but they were reduced to 14 men, with a yellow card being shown.

Even though they were a man down, it was Hilton who scored next. They’re well organised and patient when the try line is nearby. They keep it tight, mostly, and advance metre by metre. This time, though, they sent the ball wide to Ricky Adonis and he nudged a grubber into the left-hand corner, won the race to it, and was over for his hat-trick.

Pretoria Boys High had the final say, with some sharp handling and a blind side attack bringing Callum Nel a try in the corner, despite a valiant attempt from Guy Fender to prevent him from dotting down.

Blake Mager nailed the kick from the touchline to make it 38-24.

SCORES

Hilton College 38 (19) – Tries: Ricky Adonis (3), André Boschoff, Josh Grant, Zander Muller. Conversions: Liyema Nela (4); Pretoria Boys High 24 (10) – Tries: Pieter Lindeboom, Tyler Mason, penalty try, Callum Nel. Conversion: Blake Mager.

RESULTS

u19 – Hilton College I 38 Pretoria Boys High I 24; Hilton College II 45 Pretoria Boys High II 0; Hilton College III 27 Pretoria Boys High III 7; Hilton College IV 22 Pretoria Boys High IV 7; Hilton College V 7 Pretoria Boys High V 26; Hilton College VI 7 Pretoria Boys High VI 24; Hilton College VII 19 Pretoria Boys High VII 15; Hilton College VIII 34 Pretoria Boys High VIII 21

u16 – Hilton College A 10 Pretoria Boys High A 33; Hilton College B 17 Pretoria Boys High B 12; Hilton College C 14 Pretoria Boys High C 12; Hilton College D 0 Pretoria Boys High D 60

u15 – Hilton College A 23 Pretoria Boys High A 24; Hilton College B 7 Pretoria Boys High B 45; Hilton College C 7 Pretoria Boys High C 24; Hilton College D 7 Pretoria Boys High D 44

u14 – Hilton College A 22 Pretoria Boys High A 34; Hilton College B 0 Pretoria Boys High B 38; Hilton College C 0 Pretoria Boys High C 64

St Charles College is celebrating its 150^th anniversary in 2025 and that meant that Old Orchards was jam-packed and electric for Saturday’s showdown between the Saints 1^st XV and Maritzburg College on St Charles’s Old Boys’ Day. What an atmosphere!

Saints have had their fair share of injuries this season, and they were trounced by Hilton College at home last weekend, but they were a different team on Saturday, giving College a thorough workout before the Red, Black, and White came away with a tough 26-16 victory.

Saints started brightly, forcing the visitors deep into their 22, where they conceded a penalty. In a strong sign of their intent, St Charles opted against a kick at goal and instead set up a lineout five metres from the College try line. It didn’t work out, but it was clear that the home team had their sights set on an upset.

They were the first to score, too, when, in the seventh minute, a beautifully judged cross-kick from flyhalf AJ Bosman picked out right-wing, Likuthi Mbalana, between two defenders. He juggled the ball, gathered it in, and raced through, executing a flashy dive next to the uprights to finish off the try-scoring move.

Bosman, the architect of the try, knocked over the conversion to add two more points to the Saints’ haul.

For the next 10 minutes, the teams probed and thrust at one another in the middle of the field, but when the home side won a penalty, about 28 metres out, on the left, Bosman took a shot at goal and nailed it to put St Charles 10-0 clear.

Four minutes later, Maritzburg College was on the board. They attacked from a lineout and worked their way up to the hosts’ try line, but Saints turned possession over and counterattacked. Number eight, Raphael Ajibade, put in a chip as he sped down the right touchline, but he was beaten by a nasty bounce, and College launched a counter from their 10m line.

Moving the ball from left to right, they found space on the right flank, where wing Caleb Scheepers put in a chip over fullback Phiwe-Junior Dlamini. Again, the bounce of the ball favoured the visitors and centre Jordan Thackeray snapped up the ball and dragged hooker Dresden Coetzee defender over the try line for five points. It appeared as if he might have spilled the ball forward in the act of scoring, but the referee was decisive in his determination that it had been forced down, and College had their first points.

Dom du Toit, whose place-kicking has impressed since he took over the kicking duties, was on target and the gap between the sides shrank to three points.

Conceding that try brought a strong response out of St Charles, and they played a lot of rugby in College’s half without being able to reap a reward before halftime. Still, with a narrow lead at the break, coach Craig Dwyer‘s boys had the home supporters excited.

Maritzburg College started the second half well, playing the game in the St Charles half. They inched their way towards the Saints’ try line through their forwards before attacking the blind side, on the left. Thackeray almost sliced through for a try, but, after he was brought down, the ball was quickly recycled to the right, with an inviting flat pass to Mian Pretorius helping College over for a second five-pointer and the lead.

Dom du Toit, unusually, didn’t land the conversion. Five minutes had been played in the second stanza.

Within two minutes, though, St Charles had nosed ahead, thanks to a successful penalty kick from AJ Bosman.

From the restart, College worked their way deep into Saints’ territory, dialling up the pressure as they maintained possession through numerous phases, denting the hosts’ defensive line as they drove the ball up with their forwards. When that pressure brought them a penalty, they turned down what would have been an easy kick at goal and kicked to touch.

St Charles, though, forced a fumble out of prop Indiphile Moltshwa as he dived to dot down and, for a moment, the home side breathed a little easier. They had a five-metre put-in.

Sharp defence from College, however, resulted in Saints making a mess of their exit and a kick that didn’t find touch led to the visiting team countering and attacking deep in College’s 22 again. Bashing it up and recycling quickly, they went right to lock Mian Pretorius and he made the dive for five for a second time.

Du Toit tacked on the extras and College pulled six points clear at 19-13.

Coach Nico Breedt‘s boys were soon back on the offensive after St Charles conceded a penalty, and an accurate touch-finder gave College a five-metre lineout. St Charles, though, repulsed the drive at the line and created a turnover and a penalty to escape a try-scoring threat.

Then, another superbly weighted chip from AJ Bosman dropped perfectly for centre Athenkosi Qumo. He ran onto the ball and accelerated into the College half. After he was brought down, the visitors were blown up for not releasing the tackled player and Bosman pointed to the uprights again. Another good kick reduced the deficit to only three points.

Maritzburg College turned to the tried and tested to open up the gap once more, banging a penalty into touch and then letting the pack chip away at the home team’s defences with their forwards. St Charles defended valiantly. Eventually, though, the dam wall broke and Owethu Kosani crashed over for a try.

Du Toit dished up two more points with his boot to put College 10 points ahead at 26-16.

Trailing by more than a single score, Saints opted for touch instead of a kickable penalty, with seven minutes left. Hooker Dresden Coetzee almost went over, but was halted a couple of metres shy of the whitewash. College soaked up the pressure and was eventually able to escape their 22.

Victory went the way of the Red, Black, and White, but St Charles, on their Old Boys’ Day, brought plenty to the contest and gave their alumni many reasons to be proud after a feisty and committed performance against their Pietermaritzburg rivals.

Clifton College vs St Alban’s College

In Durban, Clifton College celebrated its Founders Weekend with hockey and rugby fixtures against St Alban’s College.

It’s been a tough season for the Clifton 1st XV thus far and it didn’t get any better on Saturday at the Riverside Sports Club.

Perhaps it was the occasion, and the Clifton boys were desperate to impress their old boys, but it seemed to get to them. There was no shortage of effort, but it was undermined by poor ball retention and imprecise passing, which prevented the home team from building up any rhythm.

Meanwhile, St Alban’s didn’t produce a vintage performance. They didn’t have to. They punished Clifton’s errors in the first half, slotting three penalties to take a 9-0 lead. Then, just before halftime, they forced their way over for the first try of the game. A successful conversion made it 16-0 at the break.

In the second half, St Alban’s added four more tries to pull comfortably clear and score a 38-0 victory. Vuthali Matsila starred for the Pretoria school, showing off his pace as he crossed for a hat-trick of tries, while Everett Gosling also bagged a five-pointer.

Thabiso Simelane enjoyed his outing, scoring a try, landing three penalties, and a conversion for a personal haul of 16 points. Rea Masuku also slotted a penalty.

SCORES

St Charles College 16 (10) – Try: Likuthi Mbalana. Conversion: AJ Bosman. Penalty: AJ Bosman (2); Maritzburg College 26 (7) – Tries: Mian Pretorius (2), Jordan Thackeray, Owethu Kosani. Conversion: Dom du Toit (3).

Clifton College 0 (0); St Alban’s College 39 (16) – Tries: Vuthali Matsila (3), Everett Gosling, Thabiso Simelane. Conversions: Thabiso Simelane, Rea Masuku. Penalties: Thabiso Simelane (3).

RESULTS

St Charles College vs Maritzburg College 

u19 – St Charles I 16 Maritzburg College I 26; St Charles II 3 Maritzburg College II 61; Midlands I 7 Maritzburg College III 34; Linpark I 0 Maritzburg College IV 29; Ashton I 10 Maritzburg College V 19; Haythorne I 14 Maritzburg College VI 39; St Charles IV 7 Maritzburg College VII 15; Howick II 32 Maritzburg College VIII 5; Linpark II 29 Maritzburg College IX 5; St Charles V 37 Maritzburg College X 15.

u16 – St Charles A 0 Maritzburg College A 47; Midlands A 7 Maritzburg College B 55; Asibemunye 10 Maritzburg College C 31; St Charles B 8 Maritzburg College D 14; Howick A 27 Maritzburg College E 22; Siyalomula 27 Maritzburg College F 7.

u15 – St Charles 14 Maritzburg College 22; Ashton A 0 Maritzburg College B 40; St Charles B 0 Maritzburg College C 39; Howick A 16 Maritzburg College D 8.

u14 – St Charles A 0 Maritzburg College A 38; Linpark A 5 Maritzburg College B 55; St Charles B 3 Maritzburg College C 39; Howick A 0 Maritzburg College D 25; Pretoria Boys High D 14 Maritzburg College E 17

Clifton College vs St Alban’s College

u19 – Clifton I 0 St Alban’s I 38; Clifton II 14 St Alban’s II 17; Clifton III 0 St Alban’s III 53

u16 – Clifton A 17 St Alban’s A 10

u15 – Clifton A 7 St Alban’s A 26

u14 – Clifton A 24 St Alban’s A 5; Clifton B 19 St Alban’s B 38

It was a matter of time before the Michaelhouse 1st XV clicked. Unfortunately for Kearsney College, they were the opposition when that happened on Friday, with ‘House pulling away to a comfortable 50-17 victory over a side that has been in good form.

Playing for a third time in succession on Baileys, Michaelhouse put the bitter taste of a 20-25 defeat to Hilton College last Saturday behind them and took out their frustrations on the game visitors from Botha’s Hill.

He was happy, said Michaelhouse coach James Fleming after the game, but, he admitted, more relieved than anything else.

Throughout the season, playing a tough schedule, the Balgowan boys have been in every game, yet their win over Kearsney was their first against South African opposition.

They had beaten Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse and St John’s College, and drawn with Grey High School and St Andrew’s College, two teams enjoying good seasons, which showed the quality and potential of the Michaelhouse team. But a South African win had evaded them, until Friday.

With losses stacking up, though, doubt begins to creep in, Fleming admitted, but he said; “The sun will shine brighter after today. We needed that big time, so I am very chuffed.”

While there might have been doubts, one thing that his players have not lacked has been an all-out effort, the coach said. He hoped they would get it together, and they did that on Baileys. “I keep telling them,” Fleming said, “if we turn the corner, we can win every game on the run home. We could lose every game, as well,” he added. But, after a convincing win, Michaelhouse’s belief has been boosted.

From the opening whistle, the home side surged onto the attack, moving the ball wide and almost circumventing the Kearsney defence on the left. They were stopped just shy of the try line, but Kearsney was penalised for straying offsides and scrumhalf Nicholas Baker took a quick tap. He was stopped by a solid tackle, but the ball was recycled quickly and flyhalf Stefan Moolman took an outside gap to go over in the right-hand corner.

When they get going, Michaelhouse plays a lovely flowing game, with clean interaction between the forwards and backs, and it was clear they had found their rhythm early against the One-Stripe.

The home side added more points in the ninth minute, when, after losing a lineout five metres from the Kearsney try line, they pressured the visitors into dotting down and forced a five-metre scrum. A solid scrum and a couple of skip-passes created space wide on the left for Rourke O’Sullivan to scoot over in the left-hand corner.

The home team’s ability to get the ball out to both flanks was paying dividends, and that approach put Kearsney under pressure.

Michaelhouse went over for their third try in the 14th minute, with captain William Ridl making a decisive break, again to the outside, before feeding the ball back inside to O’Sullivan who went over beneath the uprights for his second five-pointer. The home supporters cheered loudly. Their team was making it look easy.

Kearsney, though, is not short of character and they forced their way down into the ‘House 22. Twice, they probed to the blind side and the second time, quick hands and astute thinking from Keanu Williamson saw the centre pick out eighthman Nhlanhla Ndlovu with a beautifully timed inside pass, which played Ndlovu into a gap, and he was over for Kearsney’s first try and points of the contest. Michaelhouse led 17-5.

Stung, Michaelhouse hurled themselves back onto the offensive, taking play deep into Kearsney’s 22. This time they kept it tight, with the forwards battering away until they had crossed the try line, but it was O’Sullivan, who was in the thick of the action, who had gone over for his third. Stefan Moolman knocked the conversion between the posts and Michaelhouse extended their advantage to 24-5.

Just before the break, Kearsney struck back. From a scrum about 30 metres out, the visiting team went left. Flyhalf Jayden Jonsson stabbed a grubber behind the ‘House backline and vice-captain Doan Nel was the first to the ball when it bounced high. He snatched it out of the air and was over for five points, just next to the uprights. Fullback Lwazi Mbebe made the easy conversion and the teams turned with Michaelhouse 24-12 in front.

Kearsney was the first to strike after the break. It began when Keanu Williamson made a huge dent in the ‘House defence after running onto a flat pass at pace, which took him up to five metres from the home team’s try line. Then, the ball was moved wide swiftly and the One-Stripe, through Valentino Lenge, went over in the corner.

With Kearsney pulling back to within one score of Michaelhouse, there was some concern, given the way the season had panned out, about how the home side would respond, their coach James Fleming said. He needn’t have worried. Kearsney had tacked on 12 points while ‘House was a player down but, once back to 15 men, they picked up their game.

Michaelhouse responded superbly to that early second-half setback and was soon camping in the visitors’ half. Their forwards did a good job of sucking in the Kearsney defenders by driving the ball up with a series of pick-and-goes before it was released to the left. Ridl, with a nice dummy, drew two defenders’ attention and then fed O’Sullivan, on his outside. The centre gratefully took possession of the pass and was over for his fourth. Moolman nailed the conversion and Michaelhouse moved two converted tries clear at 31-17.

“At 24-17 it was game on,” Fleming said, “but then we scored a lekker try to go 31-17 up, and then the boys unleashed.”

‘House added another five points in the 57th minute when Dom Sesink-Clee finished off another fluent attack down the right-hand touchline. The hosts had the bit between their teeth and were enjoying a surfeit of possession.

Before the hour mark, the red and white hoops were in again. They bashed it up on the right and then shifted it smartly to the left where fullback Alex Jankowitz took the scoring pass and crossed the whitewash in the corner for a try. Moolman rubbed a little salt into Kearsney’s wounds by converting from near the touchline.

The last try of the contest began inside the Michaelhouse half. The hosts’ attack appeared to have lost momentum when a misdirected pass forced Jankowitz to stop and grab the ball, which was a little behind him. He got a pass away to Jack Carmody, though, and Carmody headed for the outside gap. Just before he was cut down, he slipped a pass inside to Nicholas Baker.

With open ground ahead of him, Baker hit the gas, drew the last defender and passed inside to James Mallett, who outstripped the Kearsney defence to dive over close to the posts. Moolman sank the conversion to bring up Michaelhouse’s half-century.

It was a fitting exclamation mark on an excellent all-round performance from Michaelhouse.

It’s an interesting reflection on their season that they have won only three of their 10 games, but they have never lost by more than eight points, and their points difference is 160 to the good. There is, perhaps, more to come from them.

They next have a crack at Northwood on Friday, meeting the Knights for a second time this season, at the KZN High Schools Rugby Day, which will be hosted by Hilton College. At the start of the season, Northwood edged out Michaelhouse 15-13 in Durban. No doubt, William Ridl and company are looking forward to having another crack at the Durban school.

SCORES

Michaelhouse 50 (24) – Tries: Rourke O’Sullivan (4), Stefan Moolman, Dom Sesink-Clee, Alex Jankowitz, James Mallett. Conversions: Moolman (5); Kearsney 17 (12) – Tries: Nhlanlha Ndlovu, Doan Nel, Valentino Lenge. Conversion: Lwazi Mbebe.

Kearsney 17 (12) –

RESULTS

u19 – Michaelhouse I 50 Kearsney I 17; Michaelhouse II 53 Kearsney II 10; Michaelhouse III 42 Kearsney III 12; Michaelhouse IV 49 Kearsney IV 14; Michaelhouse V 45 Kearsney V 5; Michaelhouse VI 40 Kearsney VI 7; Michaelhouse VII 64 Kearsney VII 0

u16 – Michaelhouse A 21 Kearsney A 52; Michaelhouse B 29 Kearsney B 24; Michaelhouse C 21 Kearsney C 10; Michaelhouse D 26 Kearsney D 22; Michaelhouse E 26 Kearsney E 22

u15 – Michaelhouse A 19 Kearsney A 12; Michaelhouse B 25 Kearsney D 5; Michaelhouse C 47 Kearsney C 0

u14 – Michaelhouse A 17 Kearsney A 15; Michaelhouse B 57 Kearsney B 7; Michaelhouse C 29 Kearsney C 5

Hilton College is, perhaps, a better team than many realise. They’re well-balanced, or, to put it another way, there don’t appear to be any obvious weaknesses in their make-up. They’ll put their skills to the test against Pretoria Boys High, on Saturday, on Gilfillan Field.

Hilton’s pack hunts together and their backline is superbly marshalled by their captain, Liyema Nela, from flyhalf. Alluding to balance again, he possesses a fine all-round game. He can control matters with his boot, with his distribution, and also with his ability to attack the defensive line.

Those are all abilities one would desire to see in the primary decision-maker. He can hurt the opposition in many different ways and much of what Hilton does flows through their skipper.

The KZN side has lost only twice this season, against an outstanding Westville Boys’ High 1st XV in their opening game – and the Griffin remain undefeated through seven matches – and against Grey High School, in a disappointing outing. Mostly, though, coach Brad Macleod-Henderson‘s charges have played some very good rugby and have, at times, been dominant.

Their results include wins over Michaelhouse, Kearsney, St John’s College, and Graeme College, which is the only blemish on the Makhanda school’s record thus far.

It’s been a mixed bag from the Candies in the 2025 season. In nine matches, they’ve won only three times, but those wins include beating Parktown Boys’ High, KES, and Diamantveld, whom they defeated 43-31.

The Diamonds recently beat Maritzburg College 38-31 at the Absa Wildeklawer Festival in Kimberley. College, in turn, beat Boys High 45-28 in Pretoria on 26 April, which serves to show that matches are played on the field and not on a piece of paper.

While their record is not impressive, Boys High has been improving and they gave Grey High School a tough outing in Gqeberha last weekend before going down 27-39. One wonders, though, whether the travelling will catch up with the Pretoria school. It’s not easy spending long hours on a bus and then having a little time to decompress before hitting the field. And Gilfillan is not exactly a happy hunting ground for most visitors.

Both teams feature impressive driving mauls, which have brought many tries to Josh Grant (Hilton) and Jeffrey Singo (Boys High). Nela is a solid goal-kicker, but the Candies, with Blake Mager handling the kicking duties, might have a slight edge there. The fullback seldom misses.

If the game remains tight and structured, it should favour Hilton. If it opens up, Boys High will be in with a shot at victory.

Last year, Hilton won 29-17 in Pretoria. In 2023, when Boys High last visited Hilton, the home side ran out 39-15 winners.

The odds are, thus, against the visitors.

St Charles vs Maritzburg College

St Charles College welcomes Maritzburg College to Old Orchards in a Pietermaritzburg derby on Saturday at 15:00. Both teams have been through their share of ups and downs this season, and both head into the fixture eager to bag a win after going down in their most recent matches.

Kimberley has not been a happy hunting ground for the Red, Black, and White in recent years, and their Absa Wildeklawer results included a 26-37 defeat to Jeppe before the previously mentioned surprise 31-38 setback against Hoërskool Diamantveld. Coach Nico Breedt and his boys will want to cap the slide at two games.

Saints has struggled with injuries and illness this season, leading to wildly fluctuating performances and results. In their most recent match, with their ranks somewhat thinned, they were overwhelmed by Hilton College, suffering a big 14-74 loss. Five days earlier, they had gone down by just five points to St Andrew’s College, who haven’t yet lost in 2025 and have won seven of their nine games.

How much damage did the Hilton loss do? Which Saints team will we see on Saturday? Those are the big questions to be answered.

Something that should boost the St Charles College 1st XI in a big way is the fact that the school, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, is also hosting its Old Boys’ Weekend, so the support is sure to be bigger than ever for coach Craig Dwyer and his boys.

There are many examples of unexpected victories being pulled off when the circumstances are favourable, but College will head into the game as the favourites and will be expected to win.

Clifton College vs St Alban’s College

In Durban, Clifton College tackles St Alban’s College at the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday on their Founders Weekend, with the visitors heading into the contest off the back of their best result of the season, a tight 20-17 win over St Stithians.

Saints won against Michaelhouse in Johannesburg earlier in the season and a Clifton side hit hard by illness and injury went down to the ‘House 2nd XV. It’s, perhaps, not fair to read too much into that result, but it has been a difficult season for the Durban boys so far.

They’re yet to bag their first win and, despite bigger support from their old boys on Saturday, St Stithians will be expected to come away with a win.

TEAMS

Hilton College – 15 James Peattie, 14 Guy Fender, 13 Khazimla Makali, 12 Tristan Uys, 11 Requilme Adonis, 10 Liyema Nela, 9 Zander Vorster, 8 Emmanuel Dankwah, 7 Stewart Falconer, 6 Jacques Olivier, 5 Andrew Schnell, 4 Andre Boschoff, 3 Mholi Khuzwayo, 2 Josh Grant, 1 Khanya Jekwa.

Pretoria Boys High – 15 Blake Mager, 14 Callum Nel, 13 Ofentse Matlebjane, 12 Tyler Mason, 11 Neo Matlaletsa, 10 Reinier Kruger, 9 Michael Fourie, 8 Akin Akingbola, 7 Banele Mashaba, 6 Tristan Heinz, 5 Pieter Lindeboom, 4 Matimu Maluleke, 3 Queenton Mncube, 2 Marnus Wessels, 1 Mufunwa Masibigiri

Hilton College captured a hard-fought 25-20 victory over their arch-rivals, Michaelhouse, on Baileys, in Balgowan, on Saturday to continue a recent trend of the away side winning. One has to go back to 2022 for the last time the home team won.

Baileys, last the host of a 1st XV match in the mid-twentieth century, was heaving as both teams charged onto the field for the 209th meeting in their storied history.

The Hilton pack made an early statement with a powerful rolling maul in the first minute, which carried a clean lineout take from the Michaelhouse 10-metre line to the 22. Two quick passes out to the right and fullback, James Peattie, found himself in a gap. He hit the gas and was over in the right-hand corner with a flamboyant dive.

It took almost 10 minutes before the home side forced Hilton back deep into their 22. The boys in the red and white hoops drove it up with their forwards, gaining ground metre by metre. When the ball was released down the backline, it was, unfortunately, for ‘House, knocked on. But Hilton, in their efforts to hold up William Ridl and his team, had strayed offside.

Stefan Moolman took a shot at goal and his trusty right boot did the trick to get Michaelhouse on the scoreboard.

A smooth, flowing attack down the left flank, then, took ‘House into the Hilton 22, where the forwards, again, forced the visitors to defend the pick-and-go. Once more, Hilton conceded a penalty. Moolman slotted the easy kick from in front of the uprights to put Michaelhouse 6-5 ahead after 15 minutes.

There were shades of the incredible finish to the second derby of 2024 when Hilton, this time, not Michaelhouse, waited for a long kick to cross the dead-ball line. It didn’t, but Hilton, in the nick of time, dotted it down.

In the 20th minute, the home supporters erupted when Alex Arde powered his way over from close range. The momentum was with coach James Fleming‘s boys. The try was scored just to the right of the uprights and Moolman had no problem with the conversion, extending the Michaelhouse lead to 13-5.

Hilton turned to one of their strengths, the rolling maul when they visited the Michaelhouse 22 in the 24th minute.

They’re well-coached, patient and abrasive when close to the try line, and, with their supporters bouncing on the stand behind the Michaelhouse try line, they bashed away. Then, from in front of the posts, scrumhalf Zander Vorster fed flyhalf Liyema Nela. With quick hands, he offloaded to Tristan Uys. He charged through a half-gap and crashed over for Hilton’s first try of the contest.

A successful conversion from Nela, the Hilton skipper, reduced the deficit to only one point after 25 minutes.

Five minutes later, Hilton was over the whitewash again. After laying siege to the Michaelhouse try line, they were awarded a penalty, just right of the poles. It would have been a simple kick, but André Boshoff wanted more, and the big lock caught out ‘House with a quick tap before powering his way over for five. Nela tacked on the extras to make it 19-13.

Michaelhouse attacked enthusiastically before the break and won themselves a penalty. It didn’t bring points, but Hilton went a man down as a result of a tip-tackle by Uys.

They, nonetheless, struck early in the second half, with Nela kicking a penalty after the home team had been caught offsides from a kick out of their 22.

The captain appeared to have sniped through for a try soon after, but the assistant referee informed the referee that Nela had knocked on before grounding the ball. Hilton, instead, was awarded a penalty, right in front of the posts. They opted to bash it up, but another knock-on meant they came away with no reward.

A scything incursion down the right touchline and good interplay between the backs and forwards took Michaelhouse over the Hilton try line, but the visitors held ‘House up, and the ref indicated a five-metre scrum. With a powerful surge, Brad Macleod-Hunderson‘s charges sent Michaelhouse backwards and won a penalty to escape the pressure.

A break from fullback Alex Jankowitz, followed by another break from centre William Ridl, took the hosts back into Hilton’s 22. They kept Hilton pinned there, turning to the pick-and-go, but Hilton defended manfully. Once more, Michaelhouse forced their way over the whitewash. Once more, Hilton held them up.

Eventually, though, the pressure paid dividends and Nicolas Salamousas crashed over. Moolman made it a seven-point play with the conversion.

Down by a point, suddenly, Hilton sneaked ahead again when Nela nailed another penalty to make it 22-20 to the visitors as time ticked down. With three minutes to play, he made it a five-point game with a sweetly struck kick from wide on the left, about 30 metres out.

The boys in red and white responded well, forcing their way deep into the Hilton half. Again, it became a battle of attrition as Michaelhouse backed their forwards to get them over the line. Hilton, though, forced a turnover and when the ball was cleared to touch the referee blew the final whistle.

Players from both sides lay on the ground spent. It had been a fittingly ferocious battle, worthy of the occasion.

SCORES

Hilton 25 (19) – Tries: James Peattie, Tristan Uys, André Boshoff. Conversions: Liyema Nela (2). Penalties: Liyema Nela (2); Michaelhouse 20 (13) – Tries: Alex Arde, Nicolas Salamousas. Conversions: Stefan Moolman (2). Penalties: Stefan Moolman (2)

u19 – Michaelhouse I 20 Hilton I 25; Michaelhouse II 22 Hilton II 24; Michaelhouse III 22 Hilton III 3; Michaelhouse IV 25 Hilton IV 14; Michaelhouse V 26 Hilton V 0; Michaelhouse VI 21 Hilton VI 7; Michaelhouse VII 15 Hilton VII 12; Michaelhouse VIII 0 Hilton VIII 3

u16 – Michaelhouse A 39 Hilton A 22; Michaelhouse B 24 Hilton B 19; Michaelhouse C 13 Hilton C 7; Michaelhouse D 48 Hilton D 5

u15 – Michaelhouse A 13 Hilton A 19; Michaelhouse B 21 Hilton B 12; Michaelhouse C 26 Hilton C 7; Michaelhouse D 48 Hilton D 10

u15 – Michaelhouse A 13 Hilton A 24; Michaelhouse B 33 Hilton B 7; Michaelhouse C 41 Hilton C 12; Michaelhouse D 5 Hilton D 19

The clock will be turned back 70 years when Michaelhouse hosts Hilton College on Saturday in Balgowan. They meet on Baileys, not the usual venue of Meadows, for the first time since 1955.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Michaelhouse’s main rugby field has been damaged by high rainfall and, despite giving it a break for last weekend’s matches, a decision has been taken to stick with Baileys for a second weekend in succession.

When ‘House won 18-15 at Hilton in June 2023, it was their first win over their arch-rivals since 2016, when they also won on Gilfillan Field, triumphing 21-17. Then, in May 2024, they repeated that dose, winning 24-23 away from home.

‘House appeared to be on course for another win and their first season’s sweep since 2015, when the school’s 1st XV went undefeated, when they took a 22-7 lead in the second half of the rematch, in June. Hilton, though, clawed their way back into the game and reduced the deficit to 21-25.

Then, with just three minutes remaining, a lack of communication between Michaelhouse’s defenders, who watched as a kick from Ivan Jjuuko rolled towards the dead-ball line, allowed Hilton right-wing Seb Gaboreau to dive, arms outstretched, and force the ball down for a try. The home side was stunned and Hilton went on to a 26-25 victory.

Cumulatively, it was 49-49 for the season. There was next to nothing between the sides.

This season, Hilton has enjoyed a better time of it than Michaelhouse. Yet, despite their superior record, it looks as if Saturday’s showdown, the 208th between the schools, should be another humdinger.

While Michaelhouse has lost five games, they’ve been in every one of them until the final whistle, and, with an experienced lineup, they have the potential to hit their stride and tack on another win to their school’s rivalry record.

At present, Michaelhouse has 101 wins to Hilton’s 96, while 10 matches have been drawn. The last time that happened was in 1987 when both games ended in draws – 7-7 and 9-9.

Michaelhouse, under the guidance of coach James Fleming, has played nine matches thus far this season and lost five of them, with two draws. They went down 10-17 to Helpmekaar Kollege in their season opener, then fell 13-15 to a very good Northwood team in Durban after leading almost the entire match. That was followed by a 20-28 loss to a powerful Durban High School (DHS) team.

At the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival, they held the hosts to a 28-28 draw but then fell 17-25 to Bishops. After the festival, another draw followed, against St Andrew’s College. This time, it ended 22-22.

‘House broke their duck at the Standard Bank St Stithians Easter Rugby Festival, romping to a 65-14 victory over St John’s College (Harare). Then, in a stunning upset, they went down 21-27 to St Stithians. In their most recent outing, they overpowered Peterhouse 68-0.

That means that nine games into the 2025 season, Michaelhouse has yet to beat a South African school! Don’t be fooled, though. In the matches they have lost, Michaelhouse’s average margin of defeat is six points. No defeat has been by more than eight points.

Hilton has been more convincing this season. They’ve played seven times and won five of those games, losing only to a still-unbeaten Westville Boys’ High and also to Grey High, after an out-of-sorts performance, in Gqberha.

Most of Hilton’s wins have been by emphatic margins. In their only KZN clashes, after the Westville loss, they thumped Kearsney, a team that is enjoying a solid season, 54-10, and then overwhelmed a St Charles side, thinned somewhat by injury and illness, 74-14.

Coach Brad Macleod-Henderson‘s charges have also recorded wins over Graeme College (21-17), St John’s College (29-5), and Kingwood College (33-16).

Yet, despite all the results, facts, and figures previously mentioned, there’s one thing to remember about Saturday’s big game. It’s a derby, and in derbies, most of the time, past results and current form count for little.

It’s an on-the-day thing, where the emotion of the occasion can sweep a team to victory, and, also, it’s those same emotions that can cost a side the game. There will be electricity in the air, at 14:45, when the next chapter in a rugby rivalry that began in 1904 resumes.

It took Nico Malan only three minutes to breach Glenwood‘s defences in the second game of the Absa Wildeklawer tournament on Wednesday, and it came from a clever lineout move, which stretched the Green Machine‘s lineout and opened a gap in the middle of the set piece.

8th-man and captain Pietman Kleinhans took the scoring pass and burst over for five points. Fullback Leighton Lawrence nailed the conversion from near the right-hand touchline and the team from Humansdorp led 7-0. That was the opening blow in an 80-point extravaganza of rugby.

Glenwood struck back quickly after taking possession of a kick deep into the Nico Malan 22. They swung it left down the backline and a nice show-and-go from flyhalf Kungawo Ncamazana froze the defence for a minute, which gave him time to scoot through a gap and score. Fullback Joshua Koop added the extras and it was all square in the seventh minute.

Four minutes later, Lawrence knocked over a penalty to lift the Eastern Cape boys into a three-point lead. From the kick-off, Glenwood was awarded a penalty and Koop did the necessary to make it 10-10.

Glenwood was full of running and they took the lead for the first time from a scrum 10 metres inside the Nico Malan half. After testing the defence down the right-hand touchline, they moved the ball quickly to the left flank, where wing Mvelo Ndwalane made good ground before passing back inside to his skipper Lizwe Mtetwa and the big centre charged over for a second Glenwood try. Kopp banged over the conversion kick, too.

Nico Malan responded with a try of their own in the 22nd minute, with their 8th-man Pietman Kleinhans running a terrific line against the grain to slice through the Glenwood defence, with nary a hand being laid on him before he crossed the try line. Lawrence’s trusty boot made it 17-17.

The pendulum swung again as the Green Machine powered onto the attack. They came ever so close to scoring, but the final pass went forward. Nico Malan, though, had strayed offsides and Glenwood opted to kick for touch, rather than accept a simple penalty kick at the posts.

Glenwood’s brave decision was rewarded when, after they had won the lineout on the right touchline, Kopp, with smart footwork, went over wide on the left. His kick was wide of the mark, but the Durban school led 22-17.

With Glenwood having scored, the momentum immediately shifted as Nico Malan set up shop in the Green Machine’s 22. Then, Gelden van Niekerk took a short pass right in front of the uprights, wiggled out of an attempted tackle and held off another would-be tackler to dive over for a try. The conversion was a formality and Nico Malan took back the lead at 24-22.

After a richly entertaining first half, which produced 46 points, only two points separated the sides.

After the restart, Glenwood made most of the early running, but Nico Malan was eventually able to relieve the pressure and work their way into the Durbanites’ 22. Glenwood, though, returned the favour, holding firm through numerous phases before clearing the ball.

With play now taking place around the halfway line, Nico Malan took it up along the right touchline. Stopped, they fed the ball inside to prop Waldo Krige. He quickly released a short pass to flank Crisjan de Lange, on his left. De Lange pinned his ears back and charged through a gap. After hurdling a desperate tackle attempt, he raced up to the 22, then stepped hard off his left foot, handed off Kopp, and sprinted clear to score a stunning try in the corner.

Lawrence, right up against the touchline, deftly goaled the try to make it Nico Malan 31-22 Glenwood.

Jaco Nepgen’s charges were soon back on the attack after the kick-off. Momentum was on their side. Glenwood’s defence creaked and left-wing Tequane Koopman almost went over in the corner. Nico Malan brought the ball back inside and André van der Merwe probed at a half-gap before he was stopped just short of the try line.

When the boys in blue received a penalty because Glenwood had gone offsides, captain Kleinhans chose a kick at goal and Lawrence added the simple kick to extend Nico Malan’s lead to 12 points.

Glenwood needed to be the next team to score and they were, in the 55 minute. After sustained drives from the Green Machine’s forwards, Tyler Conyngham, on as a substitute, took the scoring pass to dot down to the left of the uprights. Kopp made it a seven-point gain with his conversion, leaving Nico Malan only five points clear.

A couple of minutes later, Glenwood tied it up when, from a five-metre lineout, Zane Kruis burst off the back of a driving maul to crash over for another five-pointer. Kopp slotted the kick and Glenwood edged into a 36-34 lead.

The rollercoaster ride wasn’t over yet, however.

Once more, the team that had just conceded points, grabbed the territorial and possession advantage, with Nico Malan taking play down into Glenwood’s 22. A knock-on allowed coach Derek Heiberg‘s Green Machine to clear their lines and when they won a penalty, about 42 metres out, they opted for a kick at goal. Kopp struck it well and Glenwood was five points ahead with six minutes remaining.

When Glenwood was blown up for scrumming upwards – the entire Nico Malan front row was a good half-metre in the air – the Humansdorp boys kicked deep into Glenwood’s 22. They had a lineout throw-in eight metres out.

A high tackle gave Nico Malan another opportunity after they knocked on from the lineout. Less than two minutes were left. Then, from a whirling maul, they powered their way over and Hayden Pienaar grounded the ball just to the left of the posts. Lawrence had no issues with the conversion kick, making it 41-39 in favour of Nico Malan with under a minute to go.

Glenwood launched a feverish attack, trying to strike the final blow, and they inched their way forward through phase after phase, but, with the try line just five metres away, the Green Machine was blown up for holding onto the ball on the ground, and Nico Malan kicked the penalty to touch to secure a memorable 41-39 win.

SCORES

Nico Malan 41 (24) – Tries: Pietman Kleinhans (2), Gelden van Niekerk, Chrisjan de Lange, Hayden Pienaar. Conversions: Leighton Lawrence (5). Penalties: Lawrence (2). Glenwood 39 (22) – Tries: Kungawo Ncamazana, Lizwe Mtetwa, Joshua Kopp, Tyler Conyngham, Zane Kruis. Conversions: Kopp (4). Penalties: Kopp (2).

Marlow Landbou and Welkom Gimnasium opened the stacked 2025 Absa Wildeklawer programme just after midday in Kimberley, on Thursday, with an entertaining contest that ebbed and flowed.

From the first whistle, the farmers surged onto the attack, putting the Free State side under heavy pressure in the first five minutes.

After a couple of lineouts deep inside the Welkom Gim 22, Marlow had the put-in at a five-metre scrum, but a knock-on at last allowed the boys in black to escape their half.

In the 10th minute, Gim grabbed the lead when Jadewin Solomons kicked a penalty to become the first points’ scorer of the 2025 event.

A 50/22 kick quickly put Marlow back on the attack and a big drive from a lineout had them over the Welkom Gim tryline, but the ball was held up. The Wolramme then attacked towards the uprights, but their efforts were again thwarted when Gim intercepted a pass and broke out, returning to the opposition’s half. Two good opportunities, but two chances spurned by Marlow.

When they returned to the Gim 22 for a third time, just over a quarter-of-an-hour into the contest, they looked on course for an opening try, but obstruction, after they set up a driving maul, meant Marlow, once again, failed to make the most of a fine scoring opportunity.

At last, Welkom Gim, having escaped dangerous situations three times, began to build up some rhythm, but unforced errors plagued both sides.

Solomons came close to doubling Gim’s advantage, but a penalty kick, from right in front, about 26 metres out, struck the right upright. That would have harsh consequences for his team.

Soon, though, the Free State side bagged the first try of the tournament. It began from a clean lineout take in the Marlow 22, and it finished with Reagan Krige breaking through the defensive line to dive over under the posts. The easy conversion, from Solomons, put Welkom Gim into a 10-0 lead.

Marlow looked odds-on to equalise in the 25th minute when, from a scrum just outside the Welkom Gim 22, a beautifully executed backline move put left-wing WJ Pienaar into a gap. He was tackled less than five metres from the try line but was able to pop a pass to his captain Gian Steyl, on his inside. The try line beckoned, but the ball was knocked on, making it the fourth and best try-scoring opportunity missed by the Eastern Cape side.

Soon, though, they were on the board from a penalty smack-bang in front of the uprights, only five metres out, and Dawid-Malan de Ridder knocked it over.

Welkom Gimnasium surged onto the attack from the kick-off, and a knock-on right on their try line put Marlow under pressure once more. A Gim maul crossed the whitewash, but they were unable to ground the ball. However, from the resulting five-metre scrum, 8th-man Emile Mahlelebe forced his way over and Solomons slotted the easy conversion to extend his team’s lead to 14 points.

Just before the break, it appeared as if Nathan Muller was over for five more, but the effort, which covered half the field was reversed because of a forward pass. The halftime whistle sounded with Welkom Gim up 17-3.

Early in the second half, Marlow scored their first try, with CJ Botha providing the finishing touch after the boys from Cradock forced Welkom Gim incrementally back through a series of phases, with the forwards leading the charge.

Coach Roean Bezuidenhout‘s team came close to a very quick reply, but they knocked on mere metres from the line.

Then, when Welkom Gimnasium collapsed a strong Marlow maul, Jacques Barendse was shown a yellow card, giving Marlow a one-man advantage 10 minutes into the second stanza.

The Wolramme kicked for touch. Then, a missed throw-in worked out well for Marlow, with Adrian Joubert, at the back of the lineout, gratefully taking possession of the ball. He shrugged off two would-be tacklers before bursting through a gap to score.

De Ridder added the extras to bring his team within two of Welkom Gimnasium.

Marlow sliced through the black-clad Gimnasium defence minutes later and was about to dot down again, but the final pass was slightly forward and Welkom Gim breathed a sigh of relief.

In the 53rd minute, after consultation between the referee and one of his assistants, Welkom Gim was struck a further blow when their fullback Jadewin Solomons was shown a red card for an incident at a ruck, leaving his team with only 13 players on the field.

With Solomons, Gim’s kicker off the field, they opted to kick for touch when they received a kickable penalty in the 57th minute. Gim, at the same time, welcomed Barendse back onto the field, leaving them one player down.

It was the lock, Barendse, who cleanly snagged the lineout that resulted from the touchline kick, only five metres from the Marlow line, and Kananelo Tutubala crashed over after being driven across the try line by his pack. There were seven points in it.

With intelligent tactical kicking, Marlow worked their way deep into the opposition’s half and laid siege to the Welkom Gim line after a strong maul took them to within close range of the try line. Then, from a penalty, good hands and swift passing by the backline put WJ Pienaar over in the left-hand corner.

De Ridder’s conversion attempt, from the touchline, fell well short, leaving the farmers still two points adrift with about three minutes remaining.

The Cradock boys had to keep possession and attack, and, from deep in their half, Marlow moved the ball down their backline where flank Adrian Joubert, who had scored earlier, ripped through the Welkom Gim midfield and raced into the Gim half. He drew the last remaining defender and put his captain Gian Steyl away for a try just to the right of the posts.

Steyl’s conversion attempt was wide, but Marlow held on to win by three points.

They made it tough on themselves in the first half with their poor finishing, but, in the second half, they tightened up their play, dug deep, and benefited from Welkom Gimnasium’s disciplinary problems to come from 14 points down at the break to win.

Scorers:

Marlow Landbou 25 (3)  – Tries: CJ Botha, Adriaan Joubert, WJ Pienaar, Gian Steyl. Conversion: David-Malan de Ridder. Penalty: De Ridder. Welkom Gimnasium 22 (17) – Tries: Reagan Krige, Emile Mahlelebe, Kananelo Tutubula. Conversions: Jadewyn Solomons (2). Penalty: Solomons.