Author: captainmorgan

With the 15-man rugby season in KwaZulu-Natal now completed, the Sevens scene in the province hots up this weekend at the Glenwood Sevens.

Glenwood, Northwood, Durban High School (DHS), Vryheid Landbou, Pinetown Boys’ High and Maritzburg College will all be in action for a first time in 2024 in the u17 competition.

They’ll be joined by Clifton College, Kearsney College, Hilton College, St Charles College, Westville Boys’ High and Michaelhouse, who were part of the Saints Sevens last weekend.

At the Pietermaritzburg event, Westville came from behind to beat St Charles in the final. That made them back-to-back winners after they defeated Michaelhouse in the Clifton Sevens’ final on 21 July.

Westville featured an u17 team at both events, so they’ll be a settled unit ahead of Saturday’s competition. Some of the other sides played their u18 teams in the previous two events, so their makeup will change, which will make the competition less predictable.

Then, speaking of unpredictability, one has to factor in the schools playing a tournament for the first time this year. Among the first timers on Saturday are a number of schools that enjoyed impressive seasons, including DHS and Northwood, who produced the top two 1st XVs in KZN.

Last season, DHS took the title, edging out Westville 21-19 in the final.

Sixteen teams will contest the u17 tournament, while 12 will battle it out in the u15 age category.

Last weekend, Michaelhouse won the Saints Sevens, beating Westville in the final, while Clifton surprised some and narrowly missed out on the title-decider on points’ difference.

The additions of Glenwood, DHS, Northwood, Maritzburg College and Esikhawini should certainly spice up the u15 competition.

Westville won the u15 Glenwood Sevens title last year, outplaying DHS 31-12 in the final.

You can catch the action in person or tune in on DStv Channel 216 or watch online on SuperSport Schools.

U17 POOLS

Pool A: Glenwood, Clifton, Kearsney, Hilton 2
Pool B: Northwood, Hilton, Westville, Kearsney 2
Pool C: DHS, Vryheid Landbou, St Charles, Michaelhouse 2
Pool D: Maritzburg College, Pinetown, Michaelhouse, Northwood 2

FIXTURES

Pitch One

08:30 – Glenwood vs Clifton
08:50 – Kearsney vs Hilton 2
09:10 – DHS vs Vryheid Landbou
09:30 – St Charles vs Michaelhouse 2

10:00 – Northwood vs Kearsney 2
10:20 – Westville vs Hilton College
10:40 – Maritzburg College vs Northwood 2
11:00 – Michaelhouse vs Pinetown Boys’ High

11:30 – Glenwood vs Kearsney
11:50 – Vryheid Landbou vs Michaelhouse 2
12:10 – Clifton vs Hilton 2
12:30 – DHS vs St Charles

Semi-finals

13:30 – A4 vs B4 (Shield semi-final)
13:50 – A3 vs B3 (Bowl semi-final)
14:10 – A2 vs B2 (Plate semi-final)
14:30 – A1 vs B1 (Cup semi-final)
14:50 – C1 vs D1 (Cup semi-final)

Finals

15:10 – Winner A4 vs B4 (Shield final)
15:30 – Winner A3 vs B2 (Bowl final)
15:50 – Winner A2 vs B2 (Plate final)

16:10 – Winner CS1 vs Winner CS2 (u15 Cup final)

16:30 – Winner A1 vs B1 (Cup final)

Pitch 2

08:30 – Northwood vs Hilton
08:50 – Westville vs Kearsney
09:10 – Maritzburg College vs Pinetown
09:30 – Michaelhouse vs Northwood 2

10:00 – Glenwood vs Hilton 2
10:20 – Kearsney vs Clifton
10:40 – DHS vs Michaelhouse 2
11:00 – St Charles vs Vryheid Landbou

11:30 – Hilton vs Kearsney
11:50 – Pinetown vs Northwood
12:10 – Northwood vs Westville
12:30 – Maritzburg College vs Michaelhouse

Semi-finals

13:30 – C4 vs D4 (Shield semi-final)
13:50 – C3 vs D3 (Bowl semi-final)
14:10 – C2 vs D2 (Plate semi-final)

U15 POOLS

Pool A: Maritzburg College, Westville, Esikhawini
Pool B: Glenwood, Hilton, Clifton
Pool C: Northwood, Kearsney, Hilton 2
Pool D: DHS, Michaelhouse, St Charles

FIXTURES

Pitch 3

08:30 – Michaelhouse vs St Charles (D2 vs D3)
08:50 – Kearsney vs Hilton 2 (C2 vs D3)
09:10 – Hilton vs Clifton (B2 vs B3)
09:30 – Westville vs Esikhawini (A2 vs A3)
09:50 – Northwood vs Hilton 2 (C1 vs C3)
10:10 – DHS vs St Charles (D1 vs D3)
10:30 – Maritzburg College vs Esikhawini (A1 vs A3)
10:50 – Glenwood vs Clifton (B1 vs B3)
11:10 – DHS vs Michaelhouse (D1 vs D2)
11:30 – Northwood vs Kearsney (C1 vs C2)
11:50 – Glenwood vs Hilton (B1 vs B2)
12:10 – Maritzburg College (A1 vs A2)

13:10 – 1st A vs 2nd B (Cup quarterfinal)
13:30 – 1st B vs 2nd A (Cup quarterfinal)
13:50 – 1st C vs 2nd D (Cup quarterfinal)
14:10 – 1st D vs 2nd C (Cup quarterfinal)

Pitch 2

14:30 – 3rd A vs 3rd B
14:50 – LCQ1 vs LCQ2

Pitch 3

14:30 – 3rd C vs 3rd D
14:50 – LCQ3 vs LCQ4

Pitch 2

15:10 – W Cup Quarterfinal 1 vs W Cup Quarterfinal 2 (Cup semi-final)

Pitch 3

15:10 – W Cup Quarterfinal 3 vs W Cup Quarterfinal 4 (Cup semi-final)

Pitch 2

15:30 – Loser Bowl semi 1 vs Loser Bowl semi 2 (Shield final)
15:40 – Winner Bowl semi 1 vs Winner Bowl 2 (Bowl final)
16:10 – Winner Plate semi 1 vs Winner Plate semi 2 (Plate final)

Pitch 1

16:10 – Winner Cup semi 1 vs Winner Cup semi 2 (Cup final)

Score one for SuperSport Schools Plus! In a preview, it was suggested that the hosts, St Charles College, would challenge Westville Boys’ High for the title in the u19 section of the Saints Sevens on Saturday, and that is exactly what happened.

In a fitting finale, which produced seven tries, Westville came from behind to record a thrilling 28-21 victory.

Saints started the title-decider well, opening up a 14-0 lead, with Matthew Ludick turning on the afterburners to finish off a length of the field effort before a sharp break from Ukhanyo Ntsangani brought the home side another seven points.

The Griffin levelled by half-time, striking twice within a minute, with both tries being long-range efforts. Michael Satade scored the second, which was his first of a brace.

In the second half, St Charles edged in front again when Okuhle Peti barrelled over while handing off a couple of would-be tacklers. They had an opportunity to extend their lead, but Westville stole a Saints’ lineout and were in under the uprights to make it 21-21.

With just over a minute remaining, Satade made St Charles pay for an ill-considered kick and he dived over beneath the posts to snatch victory for his school.

u15

The u15 competition proved to be fascinating. No team finished unbeaten.

Michaelhouse A lifted the title with a 14-7 victory over Westville in the final, but ‘House, after winning their first three games, was dominated in their last pool match, going down 0-29 to Clifton College.

The Durban school also beat Hilton B and St Charles B, but a 7-26 loss to Kearsney A kept them out of the final.

Westville, meanwhile, lost to St Charles A in their opening game, but followed up with wins over Kearsney B, Hilton A and Michaelhouse B to earn their spot in the final.

U19 RESULTS

Round 1

St Charles A 54-0 Clifton
Michaelhouse A 33-5 St Charles B
Kearsney A 5-12 Michaelhouse B
Kearsney B 38-0 Hilton B

Round 2

Michaelhouse B 12-40 St Charles A
Hilton 0-73 Michaelhouse A
Clifton 7-36 Hilton A
St Charles B 0-39 Westville

Round 3

Hilton A 24-26 Michaelhouse B
Westville 61-0 Hilton B
St Charles A 40-7 Kearsney A
Michaelhouse A 27-0 Kearsney B

Round 4

Kearsney A 27-0 Hilton A
Kearsney B 0-47 Westville
Michaelhouse B 36-12 Clifton
Hilton B 0-42 Charles B

Round 5

Hilton A 0-29 St Charles A
Clifton vs Kearsney A
Westville 10-0 Michaelhouse A
St Charles 19- 14 vs Kearsney B

Final

Westville 28-21 St Charles A

U15 RESULTS

Round 1

St Charles B 0-36 Michaelhouse A
Westville 12-26 St Charles A
Clifton 21-10 Hilton B
Hilton A 31-5 Kearsney B

Round 2

Hilton B 19-14 St Charles B
Kearsney B 0-33 Westville
Michaelhouse A 10-7 Kearsney A
St Charles A 35-0 Michaelhouse B

Round 3

Kearsney A 12-5 Hilton B
Michaelhouse B 21-19 Kearsney B
St Charles B 0-29 Clifton
Westville 19-7 Hilton A

Round 4

Clifton 7-24 Kearsney A
Hilton A 41-0 Michaelhouse B
Hilton B 7-26 Michaelhouse A
Kearsney B 7-26 St Charles A

Round 5

Clifton 26-0 Michaelhouse A (Pool A)
St Charles A 14-35 Hilton A (Pool B)
Kearsney A 42-0 St Charles B (Pool A)
Michaelhouse B 0-70 Westville (Pool B)

Final

Michaelhouse A 14-7 Westville

Maritzburg College claimed a first season’s double over Glenwood since 2005 when they recorded a 39-20 win over the Green Machine on Goldstone’s on Saturday.

Early in the second half, the game was tied at 15-15, but the Red, Black and White never trailed. They had a little more in the tank and they pulled away to win comfortably in the end.

On a sunny afternoon, it took almost 12 minutes for College to break through Glenwood’s hard-hitting defence. Eventually, though, after sucking in the Green Machine’s defenders with a series of pick and goes, scrumhalf Rayke Maartens sent the ball wide to the right and flyhalf Jordan Thackeray cruised over for a try, having outflanked the visiting team’s defenders.

A superb 50/22 kick from the visitors’ flyhalf Juan Viljoen then gave Glenwood possession in the home side’s 22. From there, they won themselves a penalty and Viljoen slotted the kick to start his side’s tally rolling.

A huge scrum, which resulted in a tighthead, almost put 8th-man Imivuyo Kemke over for a try. College had to settle for a penalty, however, and Thackeray had no problem with a straightforward kick to bump the College lead back up to five points.

The Red, Black and White were bossing territory and from a lineout inside the Glenwood 22, they scored again. After taking the ball through a number of phases, no. 10 Thackeray sold a dummy and ghosted through the visitors’ defence to touch down beneath the uprights. He tacked on the extras, too.

While results have not gone Glenwood’s way in 2024, their fighting spirit has never been in doubt, and they put that on display as they arrested College’s momentum.

Just before halftime, they forced their way over in the left-hand corner from a five-metre lineout. Then, they charged out of their 22 from the second half kick-off, flying up the right-hand touchline and into the home team’s 22. When they won a penalty, they kicked for touch, and their captain Junior van Wyngaardt made it count by crashing over from the subsequent rolling maul.

Flyhalf Viljoen sent the conversion sailing between the uprights from near the touchline and it was all square at 15-15.

Maritzburg College had, however, made most of the running in the first half, and they soon seized the momentum and the lead again.

With five minutes of the second half elapsed, Glenwood was in possession and fed a scrum midway between their 22 and the halfway line. When the ball squirted out the side, College scrumhalf  Maartens pounced on it and was quickly up to full speed, racing away, and challenging the Green Machine’s defenders.

Approaching the Glenwood 22, he cut to his left and, when he was taken down, he offloaded to Luyanda Kunene. The fullback injected further pace into the offensive thrust. Cutting inside and then outside, he crashed over in a tackle for a try.

Scoring ceased for the next 25 minutes, but it was Kunene who again undid the visitors’ defences. He jetted over in the left-hand corner and then raced in to dive down behind the posts. Thackeray knocked over the conversion and College enjoyed a 27-15 advantage.

Glenwood tried to give the ball air, but they were playing the game in the wrong areas of the field, pinned back deep inside their own half.

Then, when the home side splintered Glenwood’s lineout defence, close to the try line, the Durban boys brought the rolling maul to ground, but they did so illegally. The referee signalled a penalty try.

Coach Derek Heiberg‘s team hurried to kick off again, eager to chase points as time wound down. College fullback Luyanda Kunene counterattacked and carried the ball back to halfway. There, however, Glenwood turned over possession. They fed the ball to the backline where centre Lizwe Mtetwa grubbered through the host’s defensive line.

It was untidy as College tried to get their hands on the ball. Glenwood, instead, toed it ahead and chased. They were rewarded with another try.

The final say, though, belonged to Maritzburg College. They attacked from the kick off, first probing the left flank, then probing the right flank of the field.

When the attack went to ground in midfield, just outside the Glenwood 22, scrumhalf Maartens picked up and sped to the right, angling towards the corner. He was tackled, but he was over for five points, which was a deserved reward for a very good all-round showing from the no. 9.

Thackeray’s conversion attempt was narrowly wide. The referee blew his whistle and Maritzburg College had won by 19 points, 39-20.

Scores

u19 – Maritzburg College I 39 Glenwood I 20; Maritzburg College II 40 Glenwood II 7; Maritzburg College III 24 Glenwood III 7; Maritzburg College IV 50 Glenwood IV 0; Maritzburg College V 50 Glenwood V 0; Maritzburg College VI 49 Glenwood VI 0; Maritzburg College VII 5 Glenwood VII 5

u16 – Maritzburg College A 56 Glenwood A 24; Maritzburg College B 40 Glenwood B 7; Maritzburg College C 33 Glenwood C 8; Maritzburg College D 50 Glenwood D 0; Maritzburg College E 31 Glenwood E 10

u15 – Maritzburg College A 23 Glenwood A 14; Maritzburg College B 27 Glenwood B 14; Maritzburg College C 31 Glenwood C 20; Maritzburg College D 12 Glenwood D 8; Maritzburg College E 50 Glenwood E 0

u14 – Maritzburg College A 17 Glenwood A 12; Maritzburg College B 14 Glenwood B 21; Maritzburg College C 26 Glenwood C 7; Maritzburg College D 17 Glenwood D 10; Maritzburg College E 21 Glenwood E 12

The 2024 Durban High School (DHS) 1st XV cemented an outstanding legacy with a 24-20 victory over Jeppe High School for Boys on Saturday.

With the win, the grade 12 learners in the side, the core of the team, finished undefeated on Van Heerden Field throughout their time at School.

The season finale brought together two formidable teams, with the visitors having won their last eight matches in succession. They hadn’t lost since April.

While DHS had a more recent loss on their record, it was one of only two all season long.

In a good omen for the Horseflies, their 2nd XV won 34-10 to complete an unbeaten season for a first time since 1939. In fact, in a notable achievement, DHS won all of the A team matches.

Jeppe, however, had shown the difference between their 1st XV and 2nd XV when they visited Northwood on 11 May. The Durban school won the 2nd team match, but the Jeppe 1st team powered their way to a 40-8 victory over the Knights.

Given Northwood’s superb season, which included a 7-7 draw with DHS and a tough 11-18 loss to the Horseflies in a recent rematch, that Jeppe win was arguably their most impressive of the season besides their 22-19 defeat of Grey College.

The stakes were high on Saturday and that fact was reflected in a Test match-like atmosphere. The free-scoring visitors faced one of the toughest defences at the top tier of schools’ rugby this season. They managed to put 20 points on DHS, which was the most that School had conceded all season long, but it wasn’t quite enough as the hosts overcame a 3-8 halftime deficit to record a four-point win.

In the early going, it was Jeppe who made it onto the scoreboard first, courtesy of a Matthew Coetzee penalty from just outside of the 22m line, 15 metres in from the left-hand touchline.

DHS had an opportunity to equalise after a sharp counterattack, which earned them a penalty, but Aka Boqwana curled his kick at goal wide of the left upright. Then, the Blue Typhoon forced their way over the Jeppe try line from a lineout. The Joburg boys held the ball up, however, preventing it from being grounded.

DHS turned to Allston Cedras to have a crack at goal from about 30 metres out in the 21st minute, but he, too, was wide left with his kick.

Soon, School surged back onto the attack, setting up another lineout deep inside the Jeppe 22. A stubborn defence kept DHS out as they carried the ball through a number of phases, but the Zebras had strayed offsides and Boqwana opened the home side’s scoring with a simple kick from 10 metres out, directly in front of the poles. Twenty-five minutes had elapsed.

Three minutes later, from a scrum on their own 10-metre line, Jeppe launched an attack, with 8th-man Risima Khosa picking up at the back of the pack and charging down the field at pace. He was brought down five metres inside the DHS half, but popped up a pass for scrumhalf Talent Sithole, who quickly let the ball through his hands to Owaka Manaka.

The flank was immediately met by a tackle, but just as quickly he fed the ball back inside to Sithole. The no. 9 raced into the 22, drew the last man, Boqwana, and released right-wing Nkambule Lindelani, who rounded off with a spectacular swallow dive into the right-hand corner.

Down by five at the break, DHS dialled up the heat and took advantage of an overthrown ball at a Jeppe lineout early in the second half. Lock Vimbiso Kasvosve carried into the visitors’ 22, then found Daniel Ikotela to his right. The flank was brought down just shy of the try line. Jeppe, then, halted two dives at the in-goal area, but they couldn’t contain big Teddy Dlamini, with the tighthead crashing over as two defenders tried in vain to hold him up.

Boqwana’s aim on the conversion was straight and true and DHS led for a first time after 38 minutes.

Duncan Basson and his team had the bit between their teeth, and they were soon back on the attack after disrupting a Jeppe ruck and kicking the ball through as it rolled free. Left-wing Leruo Dithagiso covered, but he was swamped by three DHS players and that led to him holding onto the ball on the ground. The hosts kicked the resulting penalty into the right-hand corner.

This time, there was no stopping the rolling maul, and DHS was over for a second try, scored by Ikotela. Boqwana’s conversion was straight down the middle and suddenly the gap was nine points, with Peter Engeldow‘s charges leading 17-8.

Quality outfit that they are, Jeppe powered onto the attack immediately from the restart, carrying the ball through a number of phases as they chipped away at the Horseflies’ defences.

When Jeppe won a penalty in a central position, five metres from the DHS try line, they executed a training ground move with precision, moving the ball to the right before quickly reversing direction and opening up space out wide on the left. A long pass from flyhalf Coetzee put fullback Sanele Simelane into a gap and he dived over in Duncan Basson’s tackle to add five to the Kensington side’s total.

Just before the hour-mark, strong defence from DHS and a rip and steal from Teddy Dlamini had the home team knocking on the Jeppe try line again. His front row partner and DHS Head Boy Unaya Mndau gathered the ball from a ruck and charged forward. Zingce Simka, the Blue Typhoon’s powerful centre, then cut inside, beating a few men, before being brought down.

After one more charge at the line, towards the uprights, the ball was shipped back to the left and Simka barrelled over for another DHS try despite the attention of two Jeppe defenders. Boqwana’s conversion was good, and the home side led by 11.

Coach Drickus Venter‘s charges pursued a quick response and forced their way into the DHS 22. From a scrum, Khosa went blind and was stopped just shy of the whitewash.

After a further three charges at the line, scrumhalf Sithole spotted some space, picked up the ball and in a flash deposited it over the try line. Coetzee added the extras and there were only four points in it with just under three minutes to play.

With time up on the clock, Jeppe had possession and a lineout just outside their 22. When they attempted a short and low throw to the front, DHS contested it and claimed possession. The ball was passed back to Cedras and he knocked it into touch.

The DHS boys raised their arms in triumph and the final whistle sounded. Many of the Jeppe boys stood with hands on hips, exhausted and deflated. The home side’s frenzied second half fightback had taken its toll. Jeppe had given a good account of themselves, but on DHS’s home ground fortress it wasn’t quite enough.

Scores

DHS 24 (3) – Tries: Bongani “Teddy” Dlamini, Daniel Ikotela, Zingce Simka. Conversions: Aka Boqwana (3). Penalty: Aka Boqwana. Jeppe 20 (8) – Tries: Nkambule Lindelani, Sanele Simelane, Talent Sithole. Conversion: Matthew Coetzee. Penalty: Matthew Coetzee.

Results

u19 – DHS I 24 Jeppe I 20; DHS II 34 Jeppe II 10; DHS III 41 Jeppe III 7

u16 – DHS A 33 Jeppe A 14; DHS B 17 Jeppe B 24

u15 – DHS A 19 Jeppe A 3; DHS B 3 Jeppe B 3

u14 – DHS A 42 Jeppe A 0; DHS B 26 Jeppe B 0

Westville Boys’ High, the winners of the Clifton Sevens two weeks ago, will be defending the Saints Sevens title at St Charles College on Saturday in Pietermaritzburg. They will, however, be without one of their star players.

Zekhethelo Siyaya, who scored a hattrick for SA Schools against the SA Schools A side, has been withdrawn because of his selection for the SA u18 team to play against France, England and Ireland later this month.

It’s not as if the cupboard will be empty without Siyaya, though. The Griffin are blessed with some tricky runners, including Jade-Will Koopman, a slippery customer, who set up one of the tries of the season with a brilliant run when Westville and KES shared a 36-36 draw on Bowden’s in May.

Last season, Westville beat St Charles 28-17 in the final and Saints will likely be one of the frontrunners for the honours this season. Their grade 12 boys didn’t play in the Clifton Sevens, but they’ll be in action on home soil on Saturday. Fleet-footed Salmaan Mohammed, big and fast Raphael Ajibade and multi-skilled Matthew Fick will pose problems for any team facing the hosts.

Michaelhouse A, who held Westville to a draw at the Clifton Sevens in pool play, before going down to the same side in the final, should be a contender once more.

Hilton College could be in the running as they play themselves into form, and Clifton, while they won’t be favoured to go all the way, have the ability to pull off an upset or two. They were comfortable winners over Michaelhouse A at their home tournament.

Kearsney College missed the Clifton event, so they’re a bit of an unknown.

Pool A – St Charles A, Kearsney A, Michaelhouse B, Clifton and Hilton A – with four A teams is tougher to call than Pool B – Michaelhouse A, Kearsney B, Hilton B, St Charles B and Westville – which has only two A teams.

Those two sides, Michaelhouse A and Westville, who contested the final at the Clifton Sevens, should be favoured to fight it out for a place in the title match. Sevens, though, is an unpredictable game and anything could happen.

In the u15 event, Pool A features three A sides, Michaelhouse, Clifton and Kearsney, who will also face St Charles B and Hilton B. Pool B includes Westville, Hilton A and St Charles A, along with Kearsney B and Michaelhouse B.

Although no u15 winner was crowned at the Clifton Sevens – each match was played as a one-off – Westville Boys’ High went through their schedule undefeated. Should they repeat their unbeaten run through pool play, they may face a tough challenge. Their last match is scheduled to start at 12:45 and the final takes place directly after that at 13:00.

FIXTURES

SENIORS – OLD ORCHARDS
(7 mins a side)

Round 1

08:00 – St Charles A vs Clifton (Pool A)
08:20 – Michaelhouse A vs St Charles B (Pool B)
08:40 – Kearsney A vs Michaelhouse B (Pool A)
09:00 – Kearsney B vs Hilton B (Pool B)

Round 2

09:20 – Michaelhouse B vs St Charles A (Pool A)
09:40 – Hilton B vs Michaelhouse A (Pool B)
10:00 – Clifton vs Hilton A (Pool A)
10:20 – St Charles B vs Westville (Pool B)

Round 3

10:40 – Hilton A vs Michaelhouse B (Pool A)
11:00 – Westville vs Hilton B (Pool B)
11:20 – St Charles A vs Kearsney A (Pool A)
11:40 – Michaelhouse A vs Kearsney B (Pool B)

Round 4

12:00 – Kearsney A vs Hilton A (Pool A)
12:20 – Kearsney B vs Westville (Pool B)
12:40 – Michaelhouse B vs Clifton (Pool A)
13:00 – Hilton B vs St Charles B (Pool B)

Round 5

13:20 – Hilton A vs St Charles A (Pool A)
13:20 – Clifton vs Kearsney A (Pool A, Crookes)
13:40 – Westville vs Michaelhouse A (Pool B)
13:40 – St Charles B vs Hilton B (Pool B, Crookes)

14:15 – Final (Winner A vs Winner B)

JUNIORS (u15) – CROOKES
(5 min a side)

Round 1

08:00 – St Charles B vs Michaelhouse A (Pool A)
08:15 – Westville vs St Charles A (Pool B)
08:30 – Clifton vs Hilton B (Pool A)
08:45 – Hilton A vs Kearsney B (Pool B)

Round 2

09:00 – Hilton B vs St Charles B (Pool A)
09:15 – Kearsney A vs Westville (Pool B)
09:30 – Michaelhouse A vs Kearsney A (Pool A)
09:45 – St Charles A vs Michaelhouse B (Pool B)

Round 3

10:00 – Kearsney A vs Hilton B (Pool A)
10:15 – Michaelhouse B vs Kearsney B (Pool B)
10:30 – St Charles B vs Clifton (Pool A)
10:45 – Westville vs Hilton A (Pool B)

Round 4

11:00 – Clifton vs Kearsney (Pool A)
11:15 – Hilton A vs Michaelhouse B (Pool B)
11:30 – Hilton B vs Michaelhouse A (Pool A)
11:45 – Kearsney B vs St Charles A (Pool B)

Round 5

12:00 – Clifton vs Michaelhouse A (Pool A)
12:15 – St Charles A vs Hilton A (Pool B)
12:30 – Hilton A vs St Charles B (Pool A)
12:45 – Michaelhouse B vs Westville (Pool B)

13:00 – Final (Winner A vs Winner B)

Maritzburg College hosts Glenwood on Goldstone’s on Saturday in the last match of the season for both teams. It’s a long-standing rivalry, which will be played for the 177^th time.

Playing at home, and with a superior record to their Durban rival, College will be favoured to win. If they do, it will, astonishingly, be their first season’s double over Glenwood since 2005.

That’s an eye-opening fact, especially considering the historical record between the sides, which convincingly favours College, who have won 112 matches, with Glenwood victorious in 48, and 17 games having ended in draws. In recent times, though, the Green Machine has enjoyed the edge over the Red, Black and White, but the balance of power appears to be shifting back in favour of the Pietermaritzburg school.

Earlier this season, in a cold and wet Sportsmans Warehouse Premier Interschools clash on Dixon’s Field in Durban, College recorded a hard-fought 18-7 victory.

It has been an inconsistent season for Maritzburg College and a tough one for Glenwood, but the last impression one leaves is important, so a win would do wonders for either team.

In 2023, it was the Green Machine who ended their season on a high with a surprise 27-24 victory over a College team that had outplayed them 42-15 on Goldstone’s.

One of the big questions that captain Rambo Kubheka and his team will need to answer is how much successive trips up to Gauteng to play Pretoria Boys High and KES over the past two weekends have taken out of his team? That was a tough ask, and it was reflected in their 21-47 loss to KES in their most recent outing. College started that game slowly and were 0-19 down in 19 minutes. They never recovered from there.

On Goldstone’s, however, one of the secrets to College’s success has been their ability to get away to a fast start. They were unbeaten on the hallowed ground in 2023 and have lost only twice there this season, going down narrowly to two extremely good teams.

On 20 April, they dominated the first half of their clash against Durban High School (DHS), building up an 18-6 lead with some excellent rugby. The Horseflies, though, clawed their way back into the contest and claimed a 21-18 victory. To College’s credit, those are the most points DHS has conceded in a game this season, with School set to play one more match against Jeppe.

Then, against Affies, on 13 July, College was on the scoreboard first and that game went back-and-forth before the Wit Bulle snatched a 39-37 victory with flyhalf Ruben Pienaar landing a penalty with just 30 seconds to play to secure the win.

College has, otherwise, beaten Clifton, Pretoria Boys High, Michaelhouse and Hilton College at home.

Glenwood last won in the middle of April, when they beat Clifton. Their only other wins all season long have been against Marlow and Wesvalia.

To beat Maritzburg College, they’re going to have to stop one of College’s strengths on Goldstone’s – a fast start – and reverse something that has plagued them all season long – a slow start. A loss on Saturday would be a 10^th in succession for the Green Machine.

They have seldom been overrun this season, but they have often also been out of matches until upping their game in the second half of those contests. They will need to show their second half form from the start against the Red, Black and White. If they don’t, it might be a familiar pattern of playing catch-up when it is too late.

Maritzburg College will be without their SA Schools tighthead prop Aiden Botha again, and his place is taken by Bavula Madikazela. Naz Isaacs returns at flank, which has led to an interesting change, with Wasi Vyambwera, usually a loose-forward, being named on the right-wing.

Glenwood’s team was not available when this article was written.

TEAM

Maritzburg College – 15 Luyanda Kunene, 14 Wasi Vyambwera, 13 Swelithle Mbatha, 12 Nkululeko Sithole, 11 Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein, 10 Jordan Thackeray, 9 Rayke Maartens, 8 Imivuyo Kemke, 7 Naz Isaacs, 6 Struan Oosthuizen, 5 Jake Jansen, 4 Bohlale Maphisa, 3 Bavula Madikazela, 2 Siya Nyathi, 1 Phiwayinkosi Kubheka.

Glenwood – TBC

One of the most intriguing and exciting matches of the season takes place on Van Heerden Field in Durban on Saturday, where Durban High School (DHS) tackles Jeppe High School for Boys at 12:20.

There is plenty at stake for both teams and there is a remarkable record on the line for the hosts.

The boys currently in their 1^st XV have never lost on Van Heerden Field, right through all the age groups. They’ll be highly motivated to keep that record clean.

In addition, they’ll be keen to avenge a loss on Collard Field last year, where Jeppe won a memorable and thrilling contest 39-36.

Catch this enthralling clash on SuperSport Schools!

Both schools have produced outstanding seasons. Jeppe is on a run of eight wins in succession, and one of those was a recent reversal of a loss to KES earlier in the season. Rugby lovers, of course, remember their stunning upset of Grey College at the NMI Toyota North-South tournament at the end of March.

They’ve lost four times along the way – going down to Garsfontein in their season-opener, and falling to Affies, Paarl Boys’ High and KES – but their current form is strong. Their last loss was in April.

DHS has lost only twice all season, and they will feel they should have won those games. Early on, they went down 7-12 against Rondebosch and then lost 13-15 to Paarl Boys’ High. Northwood, also, held them to a 7-7 draw. In their most recent match, though, they beat the Knights 18-11 to lay claim to being KZN’s best in 2024. They’ve recorded 11 wins.

Look at the aforementioned scores, though, and something stands out. Those were all low-scoring matches. That’s been a hallmark of the Horseflies‘ games. Many of them have not featured many points, and DHS hasn’t needed many because they boast one of the best defensive records in the country.

The most points they’ve conceded in 2024 has been 18 in a win against Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s, and winning there is no mean feat; College is a different animal when playing at home.

DHS has given up only 113 points in 14 matches. That’s an average of only eight a game!

Therein, though, lies the rub and the reason their match against Jeppe promises so much excitement. The Kensington boys have had no difficulty scoring points. In fact, the least they have scored all season, 19 in their loss to Paarl Boys’ High, is one more than the most that DHS has conceded in a game.

Jeppe has tallied 573 points in 18 matches, which averages out at 32 a match. Something has to give!

Jeppe has also conceded 358 points – 20 a game – but that higher number should be expected because of their more attacking approach.

For the record, DHS has scored 372 points this season, an average of 27 a game. That, too, is very solid production.

The visitors will hope to emulate the form they showed when they last visited KwaZulu-Natal for a match against Northwood in May.

After withstanding a fierce onslaught from the Knights in the first half, they struck numerous times from long range to turn the contest on its head and score an eye-opening 40-8 victory. It was the only time in the season that any team managed to truly get on top of Northwood.

The battle in the midfield should be very interesting. Jeppe has an outstanding attacking combination in their captain Kuthhadzo Rasivhaga and McMillen Mongwana, while the DHS duo of Zingce Simka and Duncan Basson is very physical and stout on defence.

The flyhalves, Matthew Coetzee (Jeppe) and Allston Cedras (DHS) are both capable of unlocking the best of defences with their vision and deft skills.

Up front, it should be a brutal battle. These are two teams that understand only one setting and that is all out. The visitors boast a sturdy and mobile pack, but that description could be applied to DHS, too. Those battles within the war should be fascinating and decisive.

Jeppe boasts three players who earned national selections after the Stadio Craven Week, with the captain Rasivhaga being named in the SA Schools squad, while prop André Poulton and 8^th-man Risima Khosa were selected for the SA Schools A lineup.

DHS had fullback Aka Boqwana and hooker Mahle Sithole picked for SA Schools and centre Zingce Simka chosen for SA Schools.

Both teams are very well coached and well drilled. Again, though, something has to give. The question is who and what will give? Lock and load and get ready for a thriller!

TEAMS

DHS – 15 Aka Boqwana, 14 Adriano Jackson, 13 Zingce Simka, 12 Duncan Basson (c), 11 Zenkosi Mthiyane, 10 Allston Cedras, 9 Marwin Nero, 8 Khanyisa Stamper, 7 Sibusiso Mahlangu, 6 Daniel Ikotela, 5 Thando Luthuli, 4 Vimbiso Kasvosve, 3 Bongani Dlamini 2 Mahle Sithole, 1 Unaye Mndau

Jeppe – 15 Sanele Simelane, 14 Nkambule Lindelani, 13 Kuthhadzo Rasivhaga (c), 12 McMillen Mongwana, 11 Leruo Dithagiso, 10 Matthew Coetzee, 9 Talent Sithole, 8 Risima Khosa (vc), 7 Owaka Manaka, 6 Grady Ngui, 5 Luke Cannon, 4 Lagan Leisher, 3 Luca Trevisan, 2 Joseph Zulu, 1 André Poulton

After winning on Dixon’s Field for a first time in 2023, Northwood made it back-to-back on Glenwood’s home ground with a 31-17 victory on Saturday, which brought down the curtain on an outstanding season for the Knights.

Durban High School (DHS) was the best team in KZN in 2024, with Northwood not far behind the Sharks-laden outfit, and it took DHS a second bite at the cherry to defeat the Knights after the sides shared a 7-7 draw on Reece-Edwards Field. The Horseflies picked up a hard-fought 18-11 win at home on 20 July when the teams met for a second time.

That game on Van Heerden Field, in the words of DHS Director of Rugby, Peter Engeldow, was a “Test match”. The Dixon’s Field clash was keenly contested but not as much of an attritional arm wrestle. From the start, Northwood tried to play the ball out wide to their wings.

Most of the early action took place in the Glenwood half, but it took the Knights 10 minutes to breech the hosts’ defences. With their pack driving well and setting the Green Machine on the back foot, the visitors broke through by attacking the right-hand corner before flinging the ball down the backline and putting Savio Stevens over in the left-hand corner.

The conversion, by Stevens, three metres in from the touchline, was good.

From the kick-off, Northwood surged back onto the attack and their robust pack drove hard at the hosts’ defence, denting it and gaining ground. That told eventually as their big tighthead Abulele Kuleku crashed over for another five points.

The conversion kick was a whole lot easier, but this time Stevens pulled it to the left of the uprights. A quarter-of-an-hour was in the book, and it appeared as if Glenwood might be brushed aside.

The Green Machine, however, found a perfect response. Almost immediately, they forced their way onto the attack, taking the ball through numerous phases as the Knights’ pack had to put in hit after hit to stop a series of pick-and-goes. In the end, those charges bore fruit as captain Junior van Wyngaardt broke to the blind and went over wide on the left for a try.

From the restart, most of the play took place between the halfway line and the Glenwood 22, with Northwood probing and the home team standing firm. Northwood’s small but sturdy inside centre Bongane Khumalo was having himself a whale of a time, challenging the Green Machine’s defenders and leaving a good number of them trailing in his wake with his quick feet and low centre of gravity.

With halftime beckoning, Glenwood conceded a penalty and Northwood kicked for the right-hand corner. From a clean take, the pack took it to the hosts and powered their way over for a try from their hooker Werner van Niewenhuizen. Another Savio Stevens conversion made it 19-5 at the interval.

Based on the first half, it appeared as if it would be smooth sailing for coach Jacques Deen‘s charges, but Glenwood has tended to play better rugby in the second half of their games during the course of the 2024 season and that was again the case on Saturday.

Early in the second stanza, they reduced the deficit, catching the Knights out by reversing direction from a five-metre penalty to send Michael Ize-Iyamu over for a try in the left-hand corner.

Northwood produced a strong response, working their way deep into the Glenwood 22. As they built through many phases, they appeared set to add to their tally. However, when their general at flyhalf, Siya Nkosi, tried to outflank the hosts’ defence with a long skip pass, Lizwe Mtetwa snatched the ball out of the air and charged 80 metres down the field for another Glenwood try.

Juan Viljoen knocked over the easy conversion and there were only two points in the contest. Glenwood was back in the game. With less than 10 minutes to go, the outcome had not yet been decided.

But when the Knights were awarded a penalty five metres from the Green Machine’s try line, their big loosehead Reuben Vos took the shortest route to the in-goal area, charging his way through a number of defenders to make the dive for five. His try meant that every member of the Northwood front row had scored.

Stevens was narrowly wide with his conversion attempt. Glenwood could draw level with a converted try.

Instead, the Knights had the final say in the game. A sweeping move from the left flank to the right-hand corner put Kwenzo Dlamini over for the visitors’ fifth and final try.

Stevens bounced his conversion kick off of the crossbar and over, and Northwood completed a 31-17 victory.

Throughout the match, the visitors’ pressure in the tight scrums and especially at lineout time was telling. The manner in which they challenged the opposition on their throw-ins was one of the calling cards of the Knights all season long.

“We do our homework. Ethan Macey and Vuyo Gwiji read the lineouts nicely,” coach Jacques Deen said. “We go according to zones. If we can take away their veges, they can’t play. We try to suffocate them and put as much pressure as possible on them, so that they make mistakes, and we can play from there.”

For Glenwood, 8th-man Jordan Hargreaves enjoyed a good game, making some strong runs off the back of the scrum, while fullback Leo Weber showed enterprise on the counterattack and put his body on the line to stop what looked like a certain Northwood try late in the game. Their second half try scorer Lizwe Mtetwa looked dangerous on the attack.

Northwood finished 2024 with a record of nine wins, one draw and three losses. “It has been a really, really good season,” Deen said. “I think this is a really special bunch of boys and, as you saw today, if they do what they’re capable of doing, there’s no turning them back, so I am really proud of them.”

Getting up for the Glenwood clash was not an issue, he added, even after the brutal battle against DHS a week earlier. Deen explained: “The big thing was we had 10 grade 12 boys playing today. For them, it was a special occasion. That was enough motivation for them… It was absolutely amazing today.”

Reflecting on Northwood’s strong season, which surprised many, the coach said he hadn’t been surprised: “It was expected, to be honest. We knew from the last three years about these boys coming through our system. It was just a matter of time before they put it together and, looking at them today, I am looking forward to next year with the grade 11s coming through. Northwood is in a good place.”

Asked to pinpoint what the players had done to produce outstanding results all season long, Deen said: “The boys have made it a success because of their ability to play with the ball. It’s unbelievable. From the backline to the forwards, it was incredible. They’ve got hands. They can attack, they’ve got a kicking game, and then we go and we maul and scrum like that. It’s a complete package.”

Scorers

Northwood 31 (19) – Tries: Werner van Nieuwenhuizen, Reuben Vos, Kwenzo Dlamini, Savio Stevens, Abu Keleku. Conversions: Savio Stevens (3); Glenwood 17 (5) – Tries: Junior van Wyngaardt, Michael Ize-Iyamu, Lizwe Mtetwa. Conversion: Juan Viljoen.

Results

u19 – Glenwood I 17 Northwood I 31; Glenwood II 17 Northwood II 17; Glenwood III 0 Northwood III 15; Glenwood IV 0 Northwood IV 40

u16 – Glenwood A 24 Northwood A 45; Glenwood B 0 Northwood B 29; Glenwood C 31 Northwood C 12

u15 – Glenwood A 12 Northwood A 10; Glenwood B 10 Northwood B 21; Glenwood C 7 Northwood C 43; Glenwood D 20 Northwood D 12

u14 – Glenwood A 8 Northwood A 0; Glenwood B 26 Northwood B 7; Glenwood C 40 Northwood C 0

The opening day of the Primo Big 10 began with a mouthwatering repeat of the 2023 final, with Maritzburg College facing Glenwood High School, who had recently been crowned the champions of the KZN High Schools Football Association’s 2nd term Coastal League.

Last year, College captured the Primo Big 10 title after a hard-fought 1-0 win but, on Saturday at Hilton College, Glenwood fought back from a goal down to win 2-1.

That defeat put the Red, Black and White‘s title defence in danger, but Glenwood, then, saw their chances of reaching the quarterfinals undermined when Clifton College handed their Durban counterparts a 1-0 loss.

The last of the Group B matches, between Maritzburg College and Clifton, became very consequential, but the defending champions rose to the challenge to claim a 3-1 win.

Then, the teams’ last pool games, which were, in fact, cross-pool matches, proved decisive. Maritzburg College handled St Charles, winning 2-0, Glenwood beat Durban High School (DHS) 2-0, and Clifton went 1-2 down against Hilton College.

In the end, Maritzburg College and Glenwood finished level on points, but College’s goal difference was just one goal better. Clifton, however, advanced to the quarterfinals as the second best of the third placed teams.

The hosts, Hilton College, edged out DHS for first place in Group A. Again, it was super-tight.

DHS beat Hilton when they met, winning 1-0. They also beat St Charles by the same score, and Hilton won 3-2 against Saints.

Hilton’s win over Clifton in the cross-pool matches proved to be the difference, though, as Glenwood’s 2-0 win over their Durban rivals, gave Hilton a one-goal advantage over DHS on goal difference.

Group C featured four teams – Westville, Michaelhouse, Northwood and Kearsney – and it was the Griffin who made a statement by winning all three of their matches.

They opened with a 2-1 win over Michaelhouse and followed up with a 2-0 victory over Northwood before completing their group assignments with another 2-0 win, this time over their neighbours, Kearsney.

Michaelhouse, who were under the cosh in their opener against Westville, responded well to that setback, edging out Kearsney 1-0 and then beating Northwood 1-0 in a crucial clash to claim second spot in the group.

Northwood took third. While they were beaten by Westville and Michaelhouse, they scored the biggest win of the day when they crushed Kearsney 5-0.

That big victory proved pivotal because it left them with a plus-two goal difference, which was enough to take them through to the last eight as the best of the third-place finishers.

On Sunday, Kearsney and St Charles will meet for ninth and 10th places. The other eight teams will still be in the running for the Primo Big 10 title.

The Westville vs Maritzburg College clash catches the eye. It’s a showdown between the team that was, arguably, the most impressive on the opening day, Westville, and the defending champions. Also, Westville’s football programme is headed up by Dan Haswell, while College’s is led by his brother, Nic.

Hilton has also been drawn against Michaelhouse in the last eight, and that sells itself. The rivalry between the two schools is healthy and seldom anything less than exciting.

DHS faces an unpredictable opponent in Clifton, and that’s a challenge in itself. While Clifton has not been the most consistent of teams, they have already notched up some notable victories this season, including their win over Glenwood.

At the Kearsney Soccer Tournament, a 2-1 victory over the runners-up, Siyajabula, and a 4-0 dismantling of TuksSport High School were excellent results.

Like Clifton, Northwood is also somewhat unpredictable. Glenwood will take heart from a 1-0 win over the Knights in the Coastal League, but that was not a comfortable victory, so they will know a big test awaits them,

RESULTS

Group A

Hilton College 3-2 St Charles
DHS 1-0 St Charles
DHS 1-0 Hilton College

Group B

Glenwood 2-1 Maritzburg College
Clifton 1-0 Glenwood
Maritzburg College 3-1 Clifton

Group C

Westville 2-1 Michaelhouse
Northwood 5-0 Kearsney
Michaelhouse 1-0 Kearsney
Westville 2-0 Northwood
Michaelhouse 1-0 Northwood
Westville 2-0 Kearsney

Cross-Group Matches (A and B)

Glenwood 2-0 DHS
Maritzburg College 2-0 St Charles
Hilton College 2-1 Clifton College

SUNDAY FIXTURES

Quarterfinals

09:00 – DHS vs Clifton, Zungu (QF1)
09:00 – Glenwood vs Northwood, Etheridge (QF2)
10:00 – Westville vs Maritzburg College, Zungu (QF3)
10:00 – Hilton College vs Michaelhouse, Etheridge (QF4)

9th/10th
11:00 – Kearsney vs St Charles, Zungu

Semi-finals

12:00 – W QF1 vs W QF 4, Zungu
12:00 – W QF 2 vs W QF 3, Etheridge

Final

14:30 – W SF1 vs W SF2, Zungu

Northwood visits Glenwood on Saturday for the second meeting of the schools’ 1^st XVs in 2024. After a first ever win on Dixon’s Field last season, the Knights will be favoured to record back-to-back victories over their rivals at Glenwood.

Coach Jacques Deen has led Northwood to a very successful season, with a powerful pack and a rugged defence creating opportunities for a dangerous backline to run in some fantastic tries.

Meanwhile, Glenwood, with a very young and inexperienced team, but under the experienced leadership of Derek Heiberg, has found the going tough. They have played some very good rugby at times, but consistency has been lacking.

Catch the action live on SuperSport Schools. Kick-off is at 14:30.

On 18 May, when the sides met on Reece-Edwards Field, the Knights caught the Green Machine cold, building up a 19-0 lead at the break, which they then increased to 31-0. It appeared as if the visitors were in for a nasty trouncing.

Glenwood, though, showed their renowned spirit and staged a gutsy fightback, scoring the last 24 points of the contest, but that left them seven points shy of a share of the spoils.

Based upon that game, both teams will feel they have unfinished business. Both Northwood and Glenwood played outstanding rugby for large parts of that clash. They’ll want to extend that to an entire contest this time around, however.

Coach Heiberg’s young Glenwood team has often finished matches strongly this season. All too often, though, they’ve found themselves out of the contest before mounting a fightback. They’ve undergone growing pains but will hope to put the lessons they have learned along the way together for their last outing of 2024.

A victory over a Northwood team, which has played with assurance and fire, would be a fine fillip for the hosts and cause for optimism that the tribulations of the season will serve to spur the team onto far greater heights next year.

The Knights have plenty to play for, not least of which is the aforementioned second win in succession on Dixon’s. As the favourites, too, they’ll be eager to preserve their record as a close number two to DHS in KZN.

They gave the Horseflies fits on Van Heerden Field this past weekend with the manner in which they contested every ball, whether in the set scrums, in the lineouts, or in the rucks and mauls. That stubbornly persistent effort enabled them to slow down the DHS attack, and they did it, also, when the teams shared a 7-7 draw at Northwood.

One of the questions ahead of Saturday’s showdown, though, will be just how much a brutally physical clash took out of the Knights. They left everything out on Van Heerden Field and their recovery will be one of the keys to a victory over Glenwood.

There are some changes to the Northwood lineup, with Savio Stevens, who came off the bench at DHS, starting at fullback. With outside centre Ramatuku Sikhakhane out of the game, the inclusion of Stevens ensures the Knights have a good goal kicker in their run-on XV.

Carlos Lovell moves from left-wing to centre in place of Sikhakhane, with Nokutenda Gunda taking over out wide.

Up front, there is one change, with Sphe Ntshangase, who was injured against DHS, being replaced at tighthead by Abulele Keleku.

It’s a second-last match of the season for the Green Machine, who face a daunting finale against Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s on 3 August. A win either on Saturday or in Pietermaritzburg would be very welcome but unexpected.

One thing that will never be in question, however, is the heart and desire of a Glenwood 1^st XV.  In Northwood, though, they meet a team which has done a better job in 2024 of turning heart and desire into execution.

TEAMS

Glenwood

15 Leo Weber, 14 Sthabiso Dube, 13 Sisipho Dwayi, 12 Lizwe Mtetwa, 11 Mevelo Mndwalane, 10 Juan Viljoen, 9 Ronan Rankin, 8 Jordan Hargreaves, 7 Tyler Conyngham, 6 Mkhululi Mhlongo, 5 Tylo Madaat, 4 Michael Ize-Iyamu, 3 Ethanda Moloi, 2 Martin van Wyngaardt (junior), 1 Ronald Petersen

Northwood

15 Savio Stevens, 14 Kwenzo Dlamini, 13 Carlos Lovell, 12 Bongane Khumalo, 11 Nokutenda Gunda, 10 Siya Nkosi, 9 Jed Mun-Gavin, 8 Vuyo Gwiji (c), 7 Ethan Macey, 6 Ayavuya Makula, 5 Titas Cesonis, 4 Lian Terblanche, 3 Abulele Keleku, 2 Werner van Nieuwenhuizen, 1 Reuben Vos