Author: captainmorgan

Kearsney College hosts its annual Kearsney Tennis Tournament from Friday, 3 May to Sunday, 5 May. It will be 28^th time the event takes place and Kearsney Deputy Head Ant Willows has been its organiser since the very first one in 1996.

Willows, a top tennis player, represented Western Province. After he joined Kearsney in 1993, as a mathematics teacher and a tennis coach, Headmaster Owen Roberts tasked him with building up the sport at the school. Within a couple of years, a strong tennis ethos had been established. That was when Willows decided to establish a tennis festival. There were none at the time.

He approached the top tennis-playing schools in the country. The idea was very well received, and from 1996 it became a fixture on the annual tennis schedule, improving year by year, and drawing the best schools from around South Africa.

The event features eight schools, four of which – Kearsney College, Grey College, Affies, and Paul Roos Gymnasium – are core members. It has never expanded beyond eight, simply because it’s what the local courts – at Kearsney, Highbury and St Mary’s DSG – can accommodate.

From the start, too, Sportsmans Warehouse has backed the tournament every year. Their support includes providing a racquet stringer at the event, which no other schools’ tennis tournament in South Africa has, Willows said. Wilson has also joined as a sponsor, providing balls and prizes.

Joining the core schools this year are St David’s Marist Inanda, Pretoria Boys High, Rondebosch Boys’ High, and the defending champions, Westville Boys’ High.

The teams are divided into two pools, with Grey College, Pretoria Boys High, Rondebosch and Westville in Group Alcaraz and Affies, Kearsney, Paul Roos and St David’s in Group Sinner.

Many would expect a final between Westville and Paul Roos, although Grey College might have something to say about that. Also, as Willows pointed out, team tennis is different from individual competition.

“People say tennis is not a team event but, when you come and watch it is a proper team event,” Willows said. “You see how the boys support each other. I find a lot of boys play better when they play for their school then they do outside of school.”

The best player to have been part of the Kearsney event is, undoubtedly, Kevin Anderson, who represented St Stithians College. He reached a career high of number five in the world in 2018 and was a runner-up at the US Open (2017) and Wimbledon (2018).

The Kearsney Tennis Tournament has been moved a little earlier this year, so that it takes place on the same weekend as Kearsney’s winter derby against Northwood and not during the second term’s long weekend, as was previously the case. That was a deliberate move to expose the event to more people.

After 32 years of service at Kearsney, during which the school has consistently performed well above the provincial and national averages in mathematics, Willows will retire at the end of 2024. His legacy will remain in the Mathematics Department, but his most visible legacy will be the Kearsney Tennis Tournament and the strength of the sport at the school.

Since he took charge, Kearsney has remained among South Africa’s best in the sport. Its teams play in top tournament in different age groups around the country, but its own event remains one of the most highly regarded.

Paul Roos is the most successful school in the history of the event, with 14 titles to its name, one of which was shared with Grey College in 2004. The Bloemfontein school has four wins, as does Waterkloof, while Affies and Kearsney have won twice each. Pretoria Boys High, St Stithians and Westville each have claimed the title once.

The same schools that played in 2023 will be in action again this year. Last year, it finished:

1st: Westville Boys’ High School
2nd: Paul Roos Gimnasium
3rd: Grey College
4th: Affies
5th: Kearsney College
6th: Pretoria Boys’ High
7th: Rondebosch Boys’ High
8th: Saint David’s Marist Inanda

At the conclusion of the event, the top players in each of the playing positions were recognised. Guy Vorwerk, the best no. 1, returns for Westville. Connor Doig, also from Westville, who was the best no. 2, has now moved to home schooling as he pursues a career in tennis.

Pieter Kotze, of Paul Roos, the best no. 3, is back again. Westville’s Lindo Gcwensa, the best no. 4, is back, too. Grey College;s Mphi Leshoele, who was the pick of the no. 5 players, is no longer around, but Xander Prinsloo, who was named the top no. 6,

each position were recognised. Westville produced three of the six: Guy Vorwerk (#1), Connor Doig (#2) and Lindo Gcwensa (#4). Paul Roos had two players named: Xander Prinsloo (#6) and Pieter Kotze (#3), while Grey College’s Mpho Leshoele was named the top number five.

SCHEDULE

Friday AM (plays begins at 08:15)

Group Sinner
St David’s vs Kearsney, Kearsney 3, 4, 5
Paul Roos vs Affies, St Mary’s

Group Alcaraz
Grey College vs Rondebosch, Highbury
Pretoria Boys vs Westville, Kearsney 1, 2, 6

Friday PM

Group Sinner
Kearsney vs Affies, Kearsney 1, 2, 6
Paul Roos vs St David’s, Highbury

Group Alcaraz
Westville vs Grey College, St Mary’s
Pretoria Boys vs Rondebosch, Kearsney 3, 4, 5

Saturday AM

Group Sinner
St David’s vs Affies, Kearsney 3,4
Paul Roos vs Kearsney, Kearsney 1, 2

Group Alcaraz
Grey College vs Pretoria Boys Kearsney 5, 6
Westville vs Rondebosch, Highbury

Saturday PM – Playoffs
Winner Sinner vs 2nd Alcaraz (A), TBC
2nd Sinner vs Winner Alcaraz (B), TBC
3rd Sinner vs 4th Alcaraz (C), TBC
4th Sinner vs 3rd Alcaraz (D), TBC

Sunday AM – Finals and Playoffs
Final: Winner A vs Winner B, Kearsney 1, 2, 6
3rd/4th: Loser A vs Loser B, TBC
5th/6th: Winner C vs Winner D, TBC
7th/8th: Loser C vs Loser D

Clifton College and Northwood set the interschools’ action in motion at the KZN High Schools Rugby Day on Saturday at Hollywoodbets King’s Park, after a couple of curtain-raisers between regional teams.

For most of the first half, Clifton led, but the match swung dramatically in the Knights‘ favour five minutes before half-time.

They had made a somewhat lethargic start to the contest and trailed 5-6 when Clifton attempted a counterattack, but an ambitious long pass was intercepted, quickly offloaded, and Northwood went over in the right-hand corner and into the lead for the first time.

They extended their advantage from there, adding another try before the break, to go into it 19-6 ahead. Still, they hadn’t played anywhere near their potential which, coach Jacques Deen reminded them about.

“I just had to make them realise that they are capable of doing better. I had a bit of a go at them, a bit of motivation. They reacted, which is positive. If they didn’t react, then there’s a problem. The second half was much better, and they are capable of doing that for 70 minutes,” he said.

That positive reaction was worth 42 points, without reply, as Northwood stretched away to run out 61-6 winners.

Deen said he wasn’t sure why his players started so slowly. It could have been the big stage of King’s Park, he surmised, adding that, for some players with ambitions of playing the game professionally, running out at the home of the Sharks should have served as motivation.

Northwood, though, played some terrific rugby in the second half, attacking from all areas of the field. “With our coach, Jeremy McLaren, we give them quite a bit of freedom,” Deen said.
“Initially, we try and soften them up. We try maul, maul, maul, maul. And then we start playing from anywhere, but we have to earn that right first.”

The Knights also gained the upper hand in the second half in the set pieces, claiming a number of tightheads. With a surfeit of possession, “we started enjoying ourselves,” Deen said.

Durban High School (DHS) were next up against St Charles College and, like Northwood, they came on strongly in the second half to break open a tight contest.

It was just 14-0 in favour of the Horseflies when the teams turned, but they added 40 more points while Saints scored 12.

Captain Duncan Basson scored one of School’s eight tries, four of which were converted by Aka Bocqwana and two by Allston Cedras.

Saints’ scrumhalf Matthew Fick, who earned selection for the Sharks’ Craven Week team in 2023, caught the eye with his immense work rate and outstanding defensive work, especially. He robbed DHS of another try with a spectacular try-saving tackle, ripping the player back from the try line as he was about to dot down, and also added a sensational 60m solo try-scoring effort, which included a goose step and a dummy.

DHS faces Oakdale and Paarl Boys’ High at the Absa Wildeklawer Tournament in Kimberley on Thursday and Saturday respectively and, said DHS Director of Rugby, Peter Engeldow, he wanted his team to drive their intensity ahead of those clashes, which he described as test matches.

“We wanted to be ruthless and physical, and I said this is the perfect opportunity to do that. Here, mistakes happened. Next week, it’s going to be about the tempo. We need to up it.

“The boys did well. It’s not about the errors. It’s about the effort and the work rate. To put 54 points on St Charles, who have had a really good season to date, and a very good win at their Founders Day last week, makes me very happy.

“As we go into this week, it is something that we’ve worked towards and we have to go out there and do our best, and this was good prep for it.”

DHS faces a very tough Absa Wildeklawer schedule, but their great rivals, Maritzburg College, whom they beat 21-18 in Pietermaritzburg, faces the toughest schedule of them all. They take on Grey College on Thursday, followed two days later by unbeaten Paul Roos.

That’s why College coach Tim Orchard was pleased to see his charges deliver a ferocious and effective performance against Westville Boys’ High, which allowed him to withdraw some players later in the game to give them a break ahead of the massive demands that lie ahead.

“We are very happy with that,” he smiled, after College powered their way to an unexpectedly large 40-10 victory.

The key to their success was that intensity, and the Red, Black and White delivered it in spades from the first whistle.

“We spoke about that during the week,” Orchard said. “We wanted to start well, bring the fight to them, bring the physicality and win that battle. We felt that we could get a lot of joy against them [if we did that].

“[A lack of intensity] cost us last week [against DHS]. We wanted to lay down a marker in terms of effort this week at training and get it right in our match here today.”

Westville has shown this season that they are strong in the set scrums, and Monument, despite possessing a super-sized pack, discovered that at the Kearsney Easter Festival. On Saturday, though, College had the edge over the Griffin. They also tightened up their ball control at lineout time, which was something that had hurt them against DHS.

Their reward was a six to two advantage in tries, with five of the six going to the backline, which reflected the quality ball provided by the pack. The centres, Swelithle Mbatha and Nkululeko Sithole, scored three between them, with Mbatha going over for a double.

Jadrian Afrikaner crossed for a brace for Westville.

They’ll want to quickly fix any areas of concern ahead of the Grey High Rugby Festival where they’ll face Durbanville and Dale College.

Michaelhouse and Kearsney College dished up an eight-try feast, with ‘House winning it 34-19 after leading 15-7 at the break.

Playing without their sidelined captain, Carlyle Hawkins, it was a solid performance from the Balgowan boys. As was the case with Maritzburg College, good quality ball from the pack benefitted their backline.

In fact, all of the Michaelhouse tries went to backline players, with Jack Hughes, Luke Davidson, William Ridl, Stefan Moolman and Aya Mkokheli going over, while Connor McIntyre, Daniel Eager and Jayden Jonsson scored for Kearsney.

It was a sixth loss on the trot for Kearsney, but they showed that their offence has improved since the start of the season. They have a sharper edge to their attack with Cameron Veenstra now at fullback. Meanwhile, Dan Eager, who has moved from 15 to 11, has found himself among the tries out on the wing.

It’s the Hilton/Michaelhouse on the coming weekend, so ‘House will be happy to have finished the game with an apparently clean bill of health. Captain Carlyle Hawkins, whose arm was in a sling, said he hoped to be fit to play on Gilfillan Field on Saturday.

Hilton College, meanwhile, posted a sixth win in succession when they handed Glenwood a 26-7 loss in the last game of the day. It was a composed and well-executed showing from Hilton, although the slippery evening conditions led to a few handling errors.

Their skipper Hanu Pieterse caught the eye, bull rushing his way over for a first half try and adding another off the back of a five-metre scrum in the second half.

Ivan Jjukko and Josh Grant also dotted down, while Liyema Nela, who controlled the contest from flyhalf, nailed three conversions.

Glenwood were kept at bay for almost an hour, but they enjoyed the last say in the game when Sisiphiwo Dwayi ran in for a try, which was converted by Juan Viljoen.

“I was very happy with the performance,” Hilton’s Director of Rugby, Brad Mcleod-Henderson declared.” They are a tough side, and playing at King’s Park was a good experience.

“Luckily, it was quite late in the day. The last couple of weekends of 30-plus degrees’ rugby has been tough.

“I’m very happy with the boys. Obviously, next weekend is a big one, the Hilton/Michaelhouse, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Scores

Northwood 61 (19) – Ethan Macey, Bongane Khumalo (2), Kwezi Kunene, Ramutuku Sikhakana (2), Reuben Vos, unknown (2). Conversions: Siyanda Nkosi (8). Clifton 6 (6) – Penalties: Adam Selikow (2).

DHS 54 (14) – Tries: Duncan Basson, Allston Cedras, Zenkosi Mthiyana, unknown, Adriano Jackson (2), Tshabalala (2), Conversions: Aka Bocqwana (4), Allston Cedras (2). St Charles 12 (0) – Tries: Matthew Fick, Ukhanyo Ntsangani. Conversion: Ukhanyo Ntsangani.

Maritzburg College 41 (22) – Tries: Luyanda Kunene, Swelithle Mbatha (2), Nkululeko Sithole, James Slevin, Naz Isaacs. Conversions: James Slevin (4). Penalty: James Slevin. Westville 10 (5) – Tries: Jadrian Afrikaner (2).

Michaelhouse 34 (19) – Tries: Luke Davidson, Stefan Moolman, Aya Mkokheli, William Ridl, Jack Hughes. Conversions: Luke Davidson (3). Penalty: Luke Davidson. Kearsney 15 (7) – Tries: Connor McIntyre, Daniel Eager, Jaden Johnson. Conversions: Cameron Veenstra (2).

Hilton 26 (14) – Tries: Hanu Pieterse (2), Ivan Jjuuko, Josh Grant. Conversions: Liyema Nela (3). Glenwood 7 (0) – Try: Sisiphiwo Dwayi. Conversion: Juan Viljoen.

Fans of schoolboys’ rugby will be afforded a rare treat, an opportunity to watch the 10 leading boys’ schools in KZN in action, all in one place, the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium, on Saturday.

The matches form part of the Sharks High Schools Rugby Day and will play an important role in the selection process for the provincial teams, with u16 and u15 matches also being contested on the surrounding fields at the home of the Sharks rugby team.

You can catch every moment live on SuperSport Schools.

The first of the games, between Northwood and Clifton, takes place at 11:40 after a couple of curtain-raisers, which will feature regional teams in action.

Both went down last weekend, with the Knights falling just two points shy of Michaelhouse in Balgowan, while Clifton was well beaten at St Charles College on the latter’s Old Boys’ Weekend.

It was a first defeat for coach Jacques Deen‘s Northwood team, who fell behind 5-21 early on, but then battled their way back into the game to eventually go down 22-24. It took a committed and outstanding defensive effort from ‘House in the second half to keep the visitors at bay.

Northwood will fancy their chances on Saturday. They face a Clifton team that is still unsettled in the backline. They’re still trying to determine their best combinations and this week they’ve moved Adam Selikow to fullback, with Handré de Bruin running out at outside centre, and Nkanyiso Ntshangase moving from the midfield to do duty at flyhalf.

Clifton has competed well up front in many games, but they’re still seeking greater offensive flow behind the pack.

Northwood, meanwhile, has shown a sharp edge if they can secure quality ball. They have a strong pack capable of delivering it. When they have done that, it has made them a very challenging proposition, as Die Brandwag (50-0) and Hudson Park (40-8) found out at the KES Easter Rugby Festival.

At 13:20, Durban High School (DHS) takes on St Charles College.

The Horseflies are surely buzzing (excuse the pun) after they overturned a 6-18 half-time deficit to beat Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s last weekend.

St Charles, too, were on song in a 50-15 win over Clifton. Unfortunately, Saints picked up an injury or two, which has resulted in the shuffling of a number of players in their backline.

Both teams play a very attractive game. DHS, under Peter Engeldow, has consistently scored some of the most exciting tries of the last two seasons to be found anywhere, while St Charles, especially now that they’re under the guidance of their new Director of Rugby, Craig Dwyer, has a very attacking and exciting approach to the game.

Dwyer spent the past 10 years coaching rugby in New Zealand. Thus, Saints are a little less concerned with a structured build-up than most South African teams and more focussed on creating multiple options when on the offensive.

The DHS vs St Charles clash has the potential to be a real running treat for spectators.

Maritzburg College and Westville Boys’ High meet at 15:00. It should be a cracker.

Both teams have powerful packs, and both are blessed with exciting playmakers. At fullback, they possess two of the most exciting counterattacking players in the country.

Luyanda Kunene, who made SA Schools last year, wears the number 15 for College, and has the potential to break open any game with his speed and eye for a gap. The same, though, could be said of Westville fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya. He, unfortunately, missed a number of games earlier in the season with a knee injury, but his return is a massive boost for the Griffin and for fans of the game.

Something to keep a close eye on will be the front row battle. Many schoolboy rugby fans are aware of College’s acclaimed lineup of Rambo Kubheka, Siya Nyathi and Aiden Botha, but they might be less familiar with Westville’s Akhona Maseko, Jeshua Ferreira, and Bandile Mncwango. They shouldn’t be. They’re a formidable unit.

Ferreira is a former prop and his move to hooker has given Westville a solid and extremely strong front row. They gave a massive Monument pack fits in a 25-22 upset of the Krugersdorp school at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival.

Both Maritzburg College and Westville play an abrasive game, with hard-hitting defence. Last year, College controlled the contest in a 27-8 victory on their Reunion Weekend. Westville, though, will believe they’re in with a good shot at reversing that result on Saturday.

At 16:40, it’s the turn of Kearsney College and Michaelhouse to do battle.

Michaelhouse won last time out against Westville. They’ve also lost three times in 2024, but on each of those occasions a penalty kick would have been enough to change the result to either a draw or a win.

Kearsney made a strong start to the season and pulled off a shock 16-14 upset of Maritzburg College on Stott Field in the Red, Black and White‘s season-opener.

More recently, though, they’ve been on a run of losses against tough opposition, including Framesby, Rondebosch, EG Jansen, and Hilton College. The latter match, played last weekend, was a classic, which produced 92 points. If you missed it, you can watch it on SuperSport Schools.

Michaelhouse, given their greater success this season, will be slightly favoured, but they’ll be challenged by a One-Stripe lineup that put up 37 points on a Hilton College defence that is usually very tough to break down. One of the primary reasons for Kearsney’s success on Gilfillan Field was an astute decision to move Cameron Veenstra to fullback. He’s a dynamic force on the counterattack.

Michaelhouse will be directed by one of the best all-round flyhalves in the game, Luke Davidson, who ran out for the Academy XV last year, but will be in the running for the Craven Week no. 10 jersey this year.

Up front, there’s sure to be an exciting battle between ‘House loosehead Aphiwe Shelembe and Kearsney’s captain and tighthead Anele Cele. They’re two of the best in their positions and also good contributors around the field.

The action concludes at 18:20 with a showdown between Hilton College and Glenwood.

One has to admire Hilton’s approach. They have their style – it’s easily recognisable – but, when it is effectively implemented, it is very tough to stop. Their opposition know what is coming, but knowing what to expect and preventing Hilton from imposing themselves is a super-tough challenge.

Hilton, after some early season blips, has also hit form and their 55-37 win over Kearsney last weekend was their fifth win on the trot. They’re solid up front and enterprising at the back.

Glenwood has a young team and, although the results haven’t always gone their way in 2024, they have clearly been making good strides. In their most recent outing, against Westville on Bowden’s, they fought their way back from 3-20 down to eventually lose by just three points in a very entertaining clash.

In their earlier games, the Green Machine struggled to find offensive fluency, but they’ve played some delightful running rugby in recent weeks and will be a good measuring stick for Hilton.

Derek Heiberg‘s charges play with typical Glenwood tenacity and physicality, which makes their meeting with Hilton especially interesting, because Brad Mcleod-Henderson‘s men exhibit the same qualities.

FIXTURES

08:30 – Urban Tier 2A vs Urban Tier 2B
10:00 – Zululand/Southern KZN vs Northern KZN/Midlands
11:40 – Northwood vs Clifton College
13:20 – Durban High School vs St Charles College
15:00 – Maritzburg College vs Westville Boys’ High
16:40 – Kearsney College vs Michaelhouse
18:20 – Glenwood vs Hilton College

TEAMS

Clifton College

15 Adam Selikow, 14 Lwandile Myeni, 13 Handré de Bruin, 12 Devan Schwartz, 11 Wandile Ngubane, 10 Nkanyiso Ntshangase, 9 Kyle Akal, 8 Bryce Beeslaar, 7 Jamie Brown, 6 Josh Howells, 5 Lukhanyiso Nala, 4 Matt Hammond, 3 Lungani Ngcobo, 2 Richard Castle, 1 Njabulo Dlomo

Northwood – unavailable

Durban High School

15 Aka Boqwana, 14 Adriano Jackson, 13 Duncan Basson, 12 Zingce Simka, 11 Zenkosi Mthiyane, 10 Allston Cedras, 9 Marcwin Nero, 8 Khanyisa Stamper, 7 Bradley le Grange, 6 Daniel Ikotela, 5 Thando Luthuli, 4 Vimbiso Kasvosve, 3 Bongani Dlamini, 2 Mahle Sithole, 1 Unaye Mndau

St Charles College

15 Salmaan Mohammed, 14 Likuthi Mbalana, 13 Athenkosi Qumo, 12 Okuhle Peti, 11 Matthew Ludick, 10 Ukhanyo Ntsangani, 9 Matthew Fick, 8 Stefan Veldsman, 7 Sam Odell, 6 Lazola Makaula, 5 Reece Curtin, 4 Raphael Ajibade, Christian Allardice, 2 Marlon Mbewe, 1 Lutho Mrwata

Maritzburg College

15 Luyanda Kunene 14 Reinhardt Jacobsz, 13 Swelihle Mbatha, 12 Nkululeko Sithole, 11 Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein, 10 James Slevin, 9 Rayke Maartens, 8 Imivuyo Kemke, 7 Naz Isaacs, 6 Struan Ooshuizen, 5 Jake Jansen, 4 Bohlale Maphisa, 3 Aiden Botha, 2 Siya Nyathi, 1 Phiwayinkosi “Rambo” Kubheka

Westville Boys’ High School

15 Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Jade-Will Koopman, 13 Michael Satade, 12 Blake Allbon, 11 Jadrian Afrikaner, 10 Unathi Mlotshwa, 9 Ryan Pistor, 8 Brandon Eke, 7 Seth Gwynn, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Rhys Mitchell, 4 Moustapher Gcina, 3 Bandile Mncwango, 2 Jeshua Ferreira, 1 Akhona Maseko

Kearsney College

15 Cameron Veenstra, 14 Valentino Lenge, 13 Jude Greig, 12 Jarred van Staaden, 11 Daniel Eager, 10 Doan Nel, 9 Murray Weyer, 8 Qhamani Mlalandle, 7 Connor McIntyre, 6 Callum Steer, 5 Ryan Sim, 4 Heinrich Fourie, 3 Anele Cele, 2 Blake Kruger, 1 Kudakwashe Kachambwa

Michaelhouse – unavailable

Hilton College

15 Ivan Jjuuko, 14 Sebastien Gaboreau, 13 Khazimla Makali, 12 Daniel Sweeney, 11 Ricky Adonis, 10 Liyema Nela, 9 Zander Vorster, 8 Hanu Pieterse, 7 Stewart Falconer, 6 Ross Brown, 5 Kieran Hunter, 4 Trent Chubb, 3 Ben le Roux, 2 Josh Grant, 1 Oliver Proudfoot

Glenwood – unavailable

Two teams usually recognised more for their rugged defences than their offences put on a scoring clinic on Gilfillan Field on Saturday as Hilton College fought off an enterprising challenge from Kearsney College to capture an entertaining 55-37 victory.

With the points flowing at more than one a minute, it was a fun contest for the spectators. Maybe, though, the coaches will feel there’s some work to be done after Hilton ran in eight tries and Kearsney five. Sometimes, though, there is no defensive answer to a clinically executed attack.

Kearsney’s decision to move Cameron Veenstra to fullback gave the visitors a sharper cutting edge on the counterattack, but Dan Eager, who moved from the back to the left-wing, joined Veenstra as one of Kearsney’s try scorers.

The visitors struck first through Veenstra, who went over on the left, but that set off a furious response from Hilton, with Daniel Sweeney rounding off a wonderful long-range effort from the home side.

A charge down by Jaque Olivier led to Ricky Adonis going over next to the uprights to give the hosts the lead for the first time in the match. Kearsney replied, though, through hooker Blake Kruger, who provided a strong finish in the right-hand corner from a sharp lineout move.

Hilton’s response was outstanding as they dialled up the intensity and broke open the game. Always well drilled in the rolling maul, the home side used it to good effect to force their way over the Kearsney try line, and a conversion by Liyema Nela, one of five he made in the game, put Hanu Pieterse and company 21-12 in the clear.

Cameron Veenstra slotted a penalty to pull the visitors within six, but Hilton then delivered a decisive passage of play. Nela sliced through Kearsney’s defences with ease by looping around Ben le Roux and running into a gap. When confronted by fullback Veenstra, he flung out a long pass to Adonis, who had an easy run-in to score.

A beautifully weighted kick over a ruck, wide on the left and just outside the Kearsney 22, by scrumhalf Zander Vorster brought Hilton another five-pointer before the break, with the ball falling kindly into the hands of Adonis, who waltzed over the line, and they changed sides 33-15 to the good.

To their credit, Kearsney fought back well in the second stanza and, in fact, edged it 24-22.

Eager went over in the left-hand corner early to bring the One-Stripe within two converted tries. Then, they stopped a Hilton attack on the Kearsney 22, where they forced a turnover.

Kearsney broke away from the ruck, with their captain and tighthead Anele Cele barrelling forward. They were briefly halted on the halfway line, but swiftly moved the ball out to the backline.

Jarred van Staaden spotted space behind the Hilton backs and kicked over the top. The ball sat up invitingly for a flying Valentino Lenge and the right-wing gathered and accelerated away from the cover defence to score beneath the posts. Veenstra converted to make it 33-27. Game on!

Hilton worked their way into Kearsney half, probing left and right, and soon won themselves a penalty when the visitors were caught offsides. Nela had no problem from in front and extended the home side’s lead to nine.

Doan Nel, though, caught Hilton unawares when he snapped off a sweetly struck drop kick from about 28 metres out to make it 36-30.

Then, for the second time in the match, the home side benefitted from a charge down, with some quick hands getting them over the line in the right-hand corner.

A sharp-eyed break from Nela set Hilton on their way for another five-pointer. Sweeney was brought down within metres of the try line, but a quick pick ‘n go put Brad McLeod-Henderson‘s charges over the line and they opened up a comfortable lead.

Kearsney, then, strung multiple phases together to work their way down deep into the Hilton 22, stretching the defensive line out. In the end, though, they crossed from a ruck, and another conversion from Veenstra made it 48-37.

Hilton had the final say and, appropriately, it came from their captain Hanu Pieterse, who picked up off of a five-metre scrum, pinned his ears back and broke wide and to the blind to crash over.

Substitute Xola Makongolo nailed the conversion to put the seal on an enthralling game that was a fine advertisement for schoolboy rugby and for both schools.

In Pietermaritzburg, St Charles College welcomed Clifton College to Old Orchards on their Old Boys’ Weekend.

Saints played an attractive brand of rugby, letting the ball do the work and, with scrumhalf Matthew Fick, who was part of the Sharks’ Craven Week squad in 2023, directing the show, they ran in some thrilling tries in a captivating display, which brought them a 50-15 victory.

Raphael Ajibade led the way, breaking through for a hat-trick, while Okuhle Peti went over for two of his own. Athenkosi Qumo, Matthew Ludick and Christian Allardice made it eight tries in total for St Charles.

It was a tough day for Clifton, but they played to the final whistle and scored the last try of the match through Wandile Ngubane. Matt Hammond also got over the whitewash.

Scores

Hilton College 55 (33) – Tries: Ricky Adonis (2), Dan Sweeney, Josh Grant, Seb Gaboreau, Liyema Nela, Hanu Pieterse, Zander Vorster. Conversions: Liyema Nela (5), Xola Makongolo. Penalties:
Liyema Nela. Kearsney College 37 (15) – Tries: Cameron Veenstra, Blake Kruger, Dan Eager, Valentino Lenge, maul. Conversions: Cameron Veenstra. Conversions: Cameron Veenstra (3). Penalty: Cameron Veenstra. Drop goal: Doan Nel.

St Charles College 50 (31) – Tries: Raphael Ajibade (3), Okuhle Peti (2), Athenkosi Qumo, Matthew Ludick, Christian Allardice. Conversions: Ukhanyo Ntsangani (5) Clifton: 15 (3) – Tries: Matt Hammond, Wandile Ngubane. Conversion: Athabe Mthabela. Penalty: Adam Selikow.

On Bowden’s Field, at Westville, the home team stormed into a 20-3 lead against Glenwood, and it looked as if they would cruise to a straightforward victory. In the end, though, there were only three points in it, with the Griffin securing a 35-32 win over the Green Machine on Saturday.

Jadrian Afrikaner opened the scoring after 10 minutes, rounding the Green Machine’s defences down the left flank and Unathi Mlotshwa knocked over an easy conversion.

In the 20th minute, the visitors replied when Juan Viljoen kicked a penalty to get Glenwood on the board.

Griffin’s captain Chris Cloete then spun out of a tackle to crash over for Westville’s second from close range and Mlotshwa tacked on two.

The Westville flyhalf has been kicking beautifully and he had no trouble landing a penalty from near halfway, 15 metres in from the right-hand touchline. In the 36th minute, he added another from 10 metres out to give the hosts a 20-3 advantage at the break.

Earlier in the second half, Glenwood laid siege to Westville’s try line, hitting it up hard with the forwards running off the rucks. Then, when the home side conceded a penalty five metres out, in the middle of the field, scrumhalf Lian Lochner hastily took the tap and just as quickly laid on a pass for centre Sisipho Dwayi, who was running hard into a gap. He crashed through and was in under the poles. Viljoen converted to reduce the deficit to 10 points.

Westville responded, with some sharp handling putting Afrikaner in the clear on the left and he sped away to score his second try of the contest.

There was no give in Glenwood, and they set up a maul from a lineout inside the Westville 22. When the Griffin gave away a penalty, Lochner again caught them before they could organise their defence. The ball was taken into contact, then quickly released to the blind where a big overlap awaited, and Michael Ize-Iyamu dived over in the left-hand corner.

A penalty from Mlotshwa, then, made it 28-15. Glenwood were undaunted, however, and they again visited the left-hand corner, with a grubber setting up the score for Mvelo Ndwalane after a period of sustained pressure inside the Westville 22.

The excellent Lochner then made a long-striding break, with the Glenwood no. 9 finally being brought down five metres from the Westville try line by Jade-Will Koopman. The referee, however, ruled the tackle to be high and showed Koopman a yellow card while rewarding the Green Machine a penalty try. The visitors trailed 27-28.

The Griffin’s scrumhalf Ryan Pistor delivered a brilliant riposte. After the Westville forwards had knocked dents into Glenwood’s defensive line, they won a scrum near the try line. Pistor, taking the ball out of the back of the scrum, feinted to the right but then broke to the blind side, where he went over unchallenged to give his team the lead again. Mlotshwa converted and Westville led 35-27.

With time up on the clock, Glenwood struck back. Hooker Junior van Wyngaardt burst off the back of a well-controlled maul and dived over for a try. The kick was wide, and the final whistle sounded. Westville had withstood a serious fightback from Glenwood, winning 35-32.

On Meadows, in Balgowan, Michaelhouse made a strong start to force unbeaten Northwood onto the back foot early on.

Two tries from fullback Stefan Moolman, either side of a score by Rourke O’Sullivan, to which Northwood replied with an unstoppable maul for a five-metre lineout, took Carlyle Hawkins and company 21-5 clear, after Luke Davidson converted all three.

The Knights, though, struck back just before the break, with the backs and forwards combining well before the pack shoved their way over the Michaelhouse try line once more, which brought the score to 21-12 at half-time.

A penalty brought the visitors to within striking distance, but Davidson replied with one for ‘House, making it 24-15.

Northwood reacted to that setback with a relentless assault on the Michaelhouse defences. Led by their loose trio, Carlyle Hawkins, Riley Gehren and Robert Combrinck, the home side manfully fronted up, with the aforementioned trio doing a masterful job of turning over possession.

The Knights’ pressure eventually paid off when 8th-man Titus Cesonis burst over from a quick tap ‘n go, but time had run out on the Durban side and they fell just short, losing 22-24 and with that ceding their unbeaten record in 2024.

Westville 35 (20) – Tries: Jadrian Afrikaner (2), Chris Cloete, Ryan Pistor. Conversions: Unathi Mlotshwa (3). Penalties: Unathi Moltshwa (3). Glenwood 32 (3) – Tries: Sisipho Dwayi, Michael Ize-Iyamu, penalty try, Junior Wyngaardt, Mvelo Ndwalane. Conversion: Juan Viljoen. Penalty: Juan Viljoen

Michaelhouse 24 (21) – Tries: Stefan Moolman (2), Rourke O’Sullivan. Conversions: Luke Davidson (3). Penalty: Luke Davidson. Northwood 22 (12) – Tries: Titus Cesonis… TBC

Winter may be approaching, but the temperature was up in the 30s for the visit of Durban High School (DHS) to Goldstone’s in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, and Maritzburg College dialled up the heat in the early going, too.

Last season, DHS withstood a powerful College challenge on Van Heerden’s Field early in the season, before going on to remain unbeaten at home in 2023. College matched that achievement by going unbeaten on Goldstone’s.

Unfortunately for the Red, Black and White, that’s not going to happen in 2024 after the Horseflies fought back from a 12-point deficit at the break, holding College scoreless in the second half, to score a gusty 21-18 win and retain the Skonk Nicholson Trophy. It was 6-18 at half-time.

In front of raucous supporters for both sides, DHS made a bright start and surged onto the attack, but College quickly forced a penalty, kicked downfield, and set up a lineout in the visitors’ territory, before putting a slow squeeze on them.

Mahle Sithole and his team have, however, proven themselves to be a very stubborn defensive unit and it took College until the 13^th minute to get onto the scoreboard, with flyhalf James Slevin kicking a penalty to open the scoring.

Soon, though, it was 3-3, when Allston Cedras nailed a penalty from just outside the hosts’ 22m line.

Cedras, then, rescued DHS, ducking under two attackers near his own try line while on defence to escape a precarious position after College launched a counterattack. The pressure was on, though, and Maritzburg College picked up another three points when Slevin slotted his second penalty after 19 minutes.

With good recycling and use of the width of the field, College exited their 22 after the restart and wound their way up the field with swift movement of the ball. Eventually, they manufactured space out on the right and Nkululeko Sithole ran a good support line to take a short pop-pass and go over for a brilliant first try of the game.

Slevin was unable to convert, but College enjoyed an 11-3 lead and were good value for their eight-point advantage.

After half-an-hour, however, DHS brought themselves to within a try of the home side, when Cedras landed a second penalty.

Just before the half-time whistle, College went to lock Jake Jansen at the back of a five-metre lineout. With a superbly controlled driving maul, they knocked DHS backwards and hooker Siya Nyathi crashed over for another try. Slevin tacked on two further points and Maritzburg College were well in control at the break, leading 18-6.

For the first 10 minutes of the second half, it was also all College, who played the game in the DHS half, but School finally wrestled their way out and a counterattack took them into the home team’s 22. It was, however, a throw-in to College.

In a decisive moment in the contest, the hosts failed to secure the lineout and DHS scrumhalf Marcwin Nero darted through to snaffle the loose ball. He made five metres before picking out a supporting runner. Maritzburg College halted the charge five metres shy of their tryline, but DHS still had control of the ball.

With a strong leg drive, Unaye Mndau broke off the ruck and powered to within two metres of the line. Then, when DHS sent the ball down their backline, good quick passing created an overlap and Zenkosi Mthiyane was over in the left-hand corner.

The conversion kick was off target, but the visitors had drawn to within a converted try of the hosts.

When Cedras landed a third penalty in the 54^th minute, DHS was a try away from taking the lead. The momentum had swung and College, dominant for so long in the game, were determinedly fending off their rivals’ attacks.

A stunning try that swept DHS from their own 22 over the Maritzburg College try line then gave the Durban boys the lead. It began with a decision to run the ball from deep. As College’s defence shifted across, a beautifully judged grubber through the defensive line sat up nicely for right-wing Adriano Jackson, who gathered and raced into the home side’s half.

When he was tackled, he popped up a pass to Cedras and he took the ball down the right touchline and midway into the College 22, before grubbering inside, looking for his support. His halfback partner Nero was there. He slowed down briefly, took possession of the ball and then fell over the line for the five-pointer.

Cedras made it a seven-point score with the simple conversion and DHS led 21-18.

With time up, College had a chance to steal a victory when they won a penalty and kicked to touch, to set up a lineout just five metres from the DHS line. The visitors, though, got a hand in front of the throw-in, took possession of the ball, and then nudged it into touch to secure the win.

DHS Director of Rugby Peter Engeldow was thrilled with how his players had dug deep to turn the game around. “It was massive,” he said. “I noticed our energy levels were very low when College scored, and some of the guys had their hands on their knees already. I said alright today is all about effort, about staying in the fight. We had to keep going. And I needed the guys to keep driving.

“Our heads were gone. We were out. And that’s what I am so proud of.

“That was our topic the whole week. We were very poor in our work-rate and our effort against Northwood [last week]. It was our poorest game ever. This was a hard week. We made some big changes. I’m delighted for the boys. There were a lot of life lessons this week.”

Goldstone’s is a tough fortress, which makes winning on Maritzburg College’s main rugby field very special. “I’m proud of the boys for the effort,” Engeldow said.

“It’s my second time visiting Goldstone’s and it’s a second win here. Fortunately, I’ve had a really good run against College, and may it continue for a long time.

“For me, today, it’s the Blue and Goldstone’s and I am very proud of the boys.”

Scores

Maritzburg College 18 (18) – Tries: Nkululeko Sithole, Siya Nyathi. Conversion: James Slevin, Penalties: James Slevin (2). Durban High School 21 (6) – Tries: Zenkosi Mthiyane, Marcwin Nero. Conversion: Allston Cedras. Penalties: Allston Cedras (3).

Results

u19 – Maritzburg College II 10 DHS II 45; Maritzburg College III 15 DHS III 12; Maritzburg College IV 19 DHS IV 6; Maritzburg College V 49 DHS V 0; Maritzburg College VI 29 DHS VI 0; Maritzburg College VII 24 KZN Development 19; Maritzburg College VIII 0 Michaelhouse VII 35; Maritzburg College IX 5 Michaelhouse VIII 14; Maritzburg College X 52 Michaelhouse IX 7

U16 – Maritzburg College A 14 DHS A 17: Maritzburg College B 10 DHS B 7; Maritzburg College C 31 DHS C 7; Maritzburg College D 43 DHS D 7; Maritzburg College E 14 Michaelhouse 35; Maritzburg College F 25 Michaelhouse 26

u15 – Maritzburg College A 16 DHS A 11; Maritzburg College B 25 DHS B 24; Maritzburg College C 46 DHS C 0; Maritzburg College D 39 DHS D 7; Maritzburg College F 10-32 Northwood

u14 – Maritzburg College A 7 DHS A 33; Maritzburg College B 3 DHS B 27; Maritzburg College C 19 DHS C 12; Maritzburg College D 24 DHS D 7; Maritzburg College E 45 DHS E 5

At the Bishops 175 Festival, Hilton College let slip a 25-7 lead and went down 25-26 to Kingswood College. Since then, however, they’ve been on a roll and recorded four wins in succession, including a fine 34-17 victory over Grey High and a 17-14 defeat of Boland Landbou.

After the farmers comfortably beat Maritzburg College, they were favoured to handle Hilton, too. Brad McLeod-Henderson‘s charges were 3-7 down to Boland at half-time, in their clash at the St John’s Easter Rugby Festival, but Rukudzo Madinga breeched their try line twice in the second half of a morale-boosting victory.

Hilton, as always, is well drilled and well versed in their game plan. They’re a tough out. Their two defeats have come by four points in total.

With success has come stable selection, or it could be stated that with stable selection has come success, and the Hilton lineup is settled.

The same cannot be said for Kearsney College, with some changes and positional switches made for Saturday’s game.

Cameron Veenstra does duty at fullback, which should give the One-Stripe an extra attacking edge, while Doan Nel starts at flyhalf. Daniel Eager, their kicker, takes up position on the left wing.

Nqoba Simo Mnqokoyi and Heinrich Fourie team up in the second row, with Ryan Sim dropping to the bench.

Kearsney went down by one point to Framesby in their opening match at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, but were then comfortably beaten by Rondebosch and EG Jansen, who both went unbeaten. Nonetheless, that makes it four defeats on the trot for the One-Stripe – they were beaten 23-0 by DHS before the festival – and they will be desperate to reverse that trend. It will be a massive challenge on Gilfillan Field.

Westville welcomes Glenwood to Bowden’s. Although it’s the Griffin who enter the match having lost last time out, while the Green Machine won, the home side will take some confidence out of their 24-31 defeat to Jeppe in Johannesburg.

They ran in some spectacular tries and the potential that exists in their backline is now showing itself more consistently.

Flyhalf Unathi Mlotshwa‘s goal-kicking at Jeppe was exceptional and his cross-kick to pick out Evan Moolman and free him for a try late in the game demonstrated excellent vision and decision-making.

Captain Chris Cloete starts at hooker. He’s a dynamic force at ruck time, one of the best over the loose ball, and has already handled lineout throw-ins, so that change is likely to be a good boost for Westville. Will he match Jeshua Ferreira‘s impact in the set scrums? That’s a question that will need to be answered on Saturday.

Glenwood also received an encouraging outing from their flyhalf Kungawo Ncamazane against Clifton, but it’s Juan Viljoen who starts at 10 on Saturday.

The Green Machine did a good job of controlling possession and working their way down the field at the Riverside Sports Club, which allowed their backs time and space to do their thing, and they responded by scoring five of Glenwood’s six tries.

It’s going to be a tougher challenge on Bowden’s, but both teams will feel they made some progress last weekend.

TEAMS

Hilton College

15 Ivan Jjuuko, 14 Rukudzo Madinga 13 Khazimla Makali, 12 Dan Sweeney, 11 Ricky Adonis, 10 Liyema Nela, 9 Zander Vorster, 8 Hanu Pieterse (c), 7 Jaque Olivier, 6 Ross Brown, 5 Kieran Hunter, 4 Stewart Falconer, 3 Ben le Roux, 2 Josh Grant, 1 Oli Proudfoot.

Kearsney College

15 Cameron Veenstra, 14 Valentino Lenge, 13 Lindokuhle Mpungose, 12 Jarred van Staaden, 11 Daniel Eager, 10 Doan Nel, 9 Murray Weyer, 8 Qhamani Mlalandle, 7 Connor McIntyre, 6 Callum Steer, 5 Nqoba Simo Mnqokoyi, 4 Heinrich Fourie, 3 Anele Cele (c), 2 Blake Kruger, 1 Kudakwashe Kachambwa.

Westville Boys’ High School

15 Jade-Will Koopman, 14 Evan Moolman, 13 Michael Satade, 12 Blake Allbon, 11 Jadrian Afrikaner, 10 Unathi Mlotshwa, 9 Ryan Pistor, 8 David Humphreys, 7 Seth Gwynn, 6 Brandon Eke, 5 Rhys Mitchell, 4 Oliver Gcina, 3 Bandile Mncwango, 2 Chris Cloete, 1 Likhona Maseko

Glenwood High School

15 Lesedi Khumalo, 14 Sthabiso Dube, 13 Lize Mtetwa, 12 Sisipho Dwayi, 11 Mvelo Ndwalane, 10 Juan Viljoen, 9 Lian Lochner, 8 Jordan Hargreaves, 7 Tyler Conyngham, 6 Mkhululi Mhlongo, 5 Tylo Madaat, 4 Michael Ize-Iyamu, 3 Uzukhanye Xaba, 2 Martin van Wyngaardt, 1 Lonwabo Nkalitshana

Goldstone’s will host Maritzburg College and Durban High School (DHS) on Saturday, with the schools resuming a rich rugby rivalry that began in 1910. While College won that first match, the Horseflies won the most recent meeting on Van Heerden’s Field in 2023.

In a bruising early season clash, DHS came away with a hard-earned 14-7 victory, although the visitors were very unfortunate to have a try by captain Sasha Kadira disallowed, which could have levelled the scores.

DHS has made a slightly better start to the 2024 season than College, with their defence being their calling card thus far. Only once have they conceded more than single figures.

Last weekend, though, the seven points they gave up to Northwood were not enough to see them to a win and they had to settle for a 7-7 draw on Reece-Edwards Field.

DHS Director of Rugby Peter Engeldow felt his side’s tactical kicking wasn’t up to scratch, so they will have worked hard on that during the week, especially since College’s fullback Luyanda Kunene is a devastating counterattacking weapon.

In a notable change, the Horseflies have made a big call and moved Allston Cedras to flyhalf, with Aka Boqwana dropping to the bench. Cedras has run out at fullback and wing this season, but his move to no.10 is indicative of School’s struggles at Northwood last weekend and their desire to run the ball better.

There is a trade-off, with Boqwana having served as DHS’s first-choice kicker, but the coaching staff, no doubt, weighed that decision carefully.

One factor that must be considered is College’s home ground advantage. Last season, neither DHS nor College lost at home. In fact, College pushed DHS the hardest on Van Heerden’s Field.

This season, College has powered their way to two big wins on Goldstone’s, most recently 43-15 against Pretoria Boys High. It was tight at half-time, but the Red, Black and White tacked on 22 unanswered points in the second half.

Rambo Kubheka and company appear to be picking up steam. That win was their fourth on the trot since a loss to Boland Landbou at the St John’s Easter Rugby Festival. DHS had won four in succession before last weekend’s draw. In seven matches, they have allowed only 35 points.

Both College and DHS are difficult to stop once they find a rhythm, and College clearly found that in the latter stages of their games against Pretoria Boys High. It will be a tougher test against the rabid DHS defence.

Good offence depends a lot on the quality of the ball the backs receive and the battle up front will be a good one to watch. DHS is not a big team, but they scrum very well.

Their loosehead Unaye Mndau is not the biggest of front-rankers, but he’s performed strongly and will present Sharks’ Craven Week tighthead Aiden Botha with a stiff challenge. On the other side of the scrum, big Teddy Dlamini packs down against SA Schools’ loosehead Rambo Kubheka. It should be a fascinating contest.

It’s a big Saturday for St Charles College. They host Clifton College on Saints’ Old Boys’ Weekend.

Saints is an intriguing team. Their early results suggest they have the firepower to make some noise this season.

A 25-19 victory over Milnerton looks a whole lot better now that Milnerton upset Rondebosch, while a 24-28 loss to Bishops is, maybe, a bit of a letdown, considering Bishops’ early season struggles.

It has been a while since Saints played a game, though. They were last in action on 30 March, when they beat St Alban’s College 22-16. It’s one of those things that could go either way. Sometimes time off helps and sometimes it hurts.

St Charles has brought in Craig Dwyer as their Head of Rugby. He spent the past decade plying his trade in New Zealand, so it will be interesting to see if his charges’ approach differs somewhat from other KZN schools.

Clifton put in a strong shift against Glenwood on the past weekend but were punished when they didn’t take good enough care of the ball.

Getting some parity in terms of ball possession will be crucial if they are to challenge Saints. They’re a hard-working team that is looking for a bit of a spark to ignite their season.

Meadows is a tough place to win for visiting teams, but Northwood has displayed real steel this season and they’ll fancy their chances against Michaelhouse in Balgowan on Saturday.

They will, however, be without their captain and SA Schools A representative Vuyo Gwiji, with Titus Cesonis taking over from him at number eight.

In another big change, Siya Nkosi moves from flyhalf to fullback, with Savio Stevens getting the start in the no. 10 jersey. His matchup opposite Michaelhouse’s accomplished Luke Davidson will be one of the pivotal battles within the war.

Coach Jacques Deen‘s Northwood team is uncompromising. They’ve won three and drawn one, with their signature victory so far being a 10-7 win at Hilton College in their season opener.

At the KES Easter Rugby Festival, they also showed that if they build up a little momentum, they’re a handful. There, they blasted Die Brandwag 50-0 and Hudson Park 40-8.

They’ve surrendered only 22 points in four matches and that kind of defence wins matches.

Michaelhouse, meanwhile, has been up and down in 2024, with wins over Westville and Bishops, but narrow losses to Helpmekaar, SACS and St John’s (Harare) by a combined total of only eight points.

Their only match at home thus far was their opener against Helpmekaar which, unfortunately for ‘House, featured first-match drops and inaccuracy. They’ll expect a lot better on Saturday and will take strength from the fact that they’re running out on Meadows.

Captain and 8^th-man Carlyle Hawkins is a lead-from-the-front type who sets the physical tone on attack and defence. He was part of the KZN Academy team last year, which also featured Tom Baguley, Luke Davidson, Aya Mkhokeli and Aphiwe Shelembe.

TEAMS

Maritzburg College vs DHS at 14:30

Maritzburg College

15 Luyanda Kunene, 14 Langelihle Makhathini, 13 Swelihle Mbatha, 12 12 Nkululeko Sithole, 11 Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein, 10 James Slevin, 9 Rayke Maartens, 8 Imivuyo Kemka, 7 Naz Isaacs, 6 Struan Oosthuizen, 5 Jake Jansen, 4 Wasi Vyambwera, 3 Aiden Botha, 2 Siyabonga Nyathi, 1 Phiwayinkhosi Kubheka (c).

Durban High School

15 Jordan van Wyk, 14 Adriano Jackson, 13 Hlumelo Madikane, 12 Duncan Basson, 11 Zenkosi Mthiyane, 10 Allston Cedras, 9 Marcwin Nero, 8 Khanyisa Stamper, 7 Bradley la Grange, 6 Dale Hendrikse, 5 Thando Luthuli, 4 Sibusiso Mahlangu, 3 Bongani Dlamini, 2 Mahle Sithole (c), 1 Unaye Mndau.

St Charles College vs Clifton College at 14:30

St Charles College

15 Salmaan Mohammed, 14 Athenkosi Qumo, 13 Rashied Isaacs, 12 Okuhle Petu, 11 Matthew Ludick, 10 Ukhanyo Ntsangani, 9 Matthew Fick, 8 Stefan Veldsman, 7 Sam Odell, 6 Lazola Makaula, 5 Reece Curtain, 4 Rafael Ajibade, 3 Christian Allardice, 2 Marlon Mbewe, 1 Lutho Mrwata

Clifton College

15 Handré de Bruin, 14 Lwandile Myeni, 13 Nkanyiso Ntshangase, 12 Bryce Beeslaar, 11 Wandile Ngubane, 10 Adam Selikow, 9 Kyle Akal, 8 Andisa Methembu, 7 Jamie Brown, 6 Matt Ropertz, 5 Lukhanyiso Nala, 4 Matt Hammond, 3 Simphiwe Ngcobo, 2 Richard Castle, 1 Njabulo Dlomo (c)

Michaelhouse vs Northwood School at 15:30

Michaelhouse

15 Stefan Moolman, 14 Aya Mkhokeli, 13 Rourke O’Sullivan, 12 Tom Baguley, 11 William Ridl, 10 Luke Davidson, 9 Jack Hughes, 8 Carlyle Hawkins (c), 7 Robert Combrinck, 6 Riley Gehren, 5 Dom Sesink Clee, 4 Alex Arde, 3 Thomas Peach, 2 Oliver Davis, 1 Aphiwe Shelembe

Northwood

15 Siyanda Nkosi, 14 Joshua Thondhlana, 13 Thomas Lindsey, 12 Bongane Khumalo, 11 Aphiwe Buthelezi, 10 Savio Stevens, 9 Graeham de Swardt, 8 Titus Cesonis, 7 Lian Terblanche, 6 Ethan Macey, 5 Chad Howe, 4 Kwezi Kunene, 3 Reuben Vos, 2 Werner van Niewenhuizen, 1 Sphepelo Ntshangase

Maritzburg College hosted Pretoria Boys High on Goldstone’s on Saturday and there was a feeling of déjà vu about the result as the home team put together a powerful second half surge to win 43-15.

Last year, in Pietermaritzburg, College won 42-13, while the score in Pretoria was 47-15.

“It was similar to last year’s result, but Boys High were in the fight at halftime,” Maritzburg College coach Tim Orchard said, after the game.

“They scored just before halftime, from a maul. At halftime, we made a few changes in terms of how we defended it. They ran out of legs in the second half.”

Indeed, at halftime there was not much in it, with the Red, Black and White leading 21-15 after the visitors had forced their way over just before the whistle with a strong driving maul. After the break, however, College put up 22 points without reply.

It took the hosts six minutes to get onto the board and it came from a try by their Craven Week lock, Jake Jansen, who enjoyed a very good day carrying the ball. Flyhalf James Slevin converted from 10 metres to the right of the posts, and it was 7-0.

Eight minutes later, PBHS struck from a lineout 10m from the College line, with a quick transfer of the ball isolating a number of College defenders, who couldn’t contain the maul as it charged over the try line in the right-hand corner, with 8th-man Katlego Shebu dotting down.

College was on the board next, with centre Nkululeko Sithole handing off a defender and powering over the line after strong direct running from the forwards had sucked in the visitors’ defence. Another Slevin conversion further extended the home side’s lead to nine points.

PBHS enjoyed great success with their mauling in the opening stanza and that won them a penalty deep inside the College 22m area, resulting in Tebogo Nchabaleng knocking over an easy kick to make it College 14-10 Pretoria Boys High.

Then, a good run from Imivuyo Kemka took the Maritzburg no.8 to within five metres of the try line, in the left-hand corner. Shifting the attack, College moved the ball quickly through the hands to the opposite side of the field, where they were awarded a penalty. Before Boys High culd organise their defence, Kemka was put into a gap for another five-pointer. Slevin made it 21-8 by slotting the conversion.

With half-time approaching, the visitors set up a maul from a lineout just inside the College 10m line. They marched forward towards the hosts’ try line, exerting force on one side of the maul and then the other. When College gave away a penalty, Boys High kicked the ball into touch and turned back to the maul which had been working so well for them.

Another good drive put Jeffrey Singo over the line and Nchabaleng’s successful conversion made it 21-15 to Maritzburg College at halftime.

Slevin got the scoreboard moving in the second half with a penalty before PBHS was made to pay for a missed lineout throw. College shovelled the ball quickly down the backline out to their left-wing Reinhardt Jacobsz, who crashed over the try line, in a tackle, to score. Slevin’s good day with the boot continued as College moved 18 points clear.

The pressure from the home team was unrelenting, with Boys High playing a lot of rugby deep inside their own half, and it told as Maritzburg skipper Rambo Kubheka forced his way over, with Slevin adding two more points to his team’s total.

The home team had built up momentum. The linking between backs and forwards was smooth and PBHS was now conceding metres at a time as College pounded their defensive line and Jacobsz was, once more, the beneficiary of some slick handling, diving over for his second try in the left-hand corner.

For once, Slevin was unable to make the kick, but the contest had been decided and Maritzburg College had won convincingly.

Coach Orchard praised the performance of Slevin, saying the number 10 had played one of his better games, and had distributed the ball well. He also highlighted the performances of the two men outside of Slevin, the centres, Nkululeko Sithole and Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein, who tore holes in the Pretoria defence throughout the game.

Summarising the match, during which he felt his team had produced its best performance of the season thus far, Orchard said: “In terms of forward play, it was definitely a step up, and there was more cohesion on attack.”

Scorers

Maritzburg College 42 (21) – Reinhardt Jacobsz (2) , Jake Jansen, Nkululeko Sithole, Imivuyo Kemka, Phiwayinkosi Kubheka, Conversions: James Slevin (5). Penalty: James Slevin. Pretoria Boys High 15 (15) – Tries: Katlego Shebu, Jeffrey Singo. Conversion: Tebogo Nchabaleng. Penalty: Tebogo Nchabaleng

Scores

u19 – Maritzburg College II 15 Pretoria Boys High II 7; Maritzburg College III 28 Pretoria Boys High III 7; Maritzburg College IV 15 Pretoria Boys High 0; Maritzburg College V 17 Pretoria Boys High 7; Maritzburg College VI 24 Pretoria Boys High VI 0; Maritzburg College VII 46 Pretoria Boys High VII 7; Maritzburg College VIII 49 Pretoria Boys High VIII 7; Maritzburg College IX 20 Pretoria Boys IX 12; Maritzburg College X 38 Haythorne 0

u16 – Maritzburg College A 13 Pretoria Boys High 8; Maritzburg College B 33 Pretoria Boys High 0; Maritzburg College C 18 Pretoria Boys High 10; Maritzburg College D 31 Pretoria Boys High 14; Maritzburg College E 21 Pretoria Boys High E 22; Maritzburg College F 27 Pretoria Boys High F 22

u15 – Maritzburg College A 31 Pretoria Boys High A 7; Maritzburg College B 35 Pretoria Boys High B 7; Maritzburg College C 36 Pretoria Boys High C 15; Maritzburg College D 20 Pretoria Boys High D 6; Maritzburg College E 19 Pretoria Boys High E 5; Maritzburg College F 34 Pretoria Boys High F 21

u14 – Maritzburg College A 7 Pretoria Boys High A 14; Maritzburg College B 17 Pretoria Boys High B 34; Maritzburg College C 26 Pretoria Boys High C 5; Maritzburg College D Pretoria Boys High D 0; Maritzburg College E 12 Pretoria Boys High E 0; Maritzburg College F 7 Pretoria Boys High F 8; Maritzburg College G 17 Pretoria Boys High G 7

Northwood and DHS had put together remarkably stingy defensive records ahead of their meeting on Saturday on Reece-Edwards Field in Durban. Despite early tries from both sides, they kept those miserly defensive records intact, with the contest ending 7-7.

DHS made the early running but, uncharacteristically, their flyhalf Aka Boqwana missed a sitter and the Knights made the Horseflies pay shortly after that by putting points on the board the first time they visited deep into DHS territory.

From a five-metre lineout, they put together a well-structured maul and got the shove on the visitors to force their way over. Ramatuku Sikhakane neatly added the extras to put Northwood into an early 7-0 lead.

Within three minutes, DHS had levelled, with Zenkhosi Mthiyane going over from a beautifully executed backline move which created a wide gap for the left-wing to run through and score to the right of the uprights. Boqwana’s conversion was on the mark, and it was 7-7.

From then on, though, it was a stalemate.

After the contest, DHS Director of Rugby Peter Engeldow commented: “There was a lot more tactical kicking in the game than in the past, especially from Northwood’s side, and to be fair, tactically they were a bit better than us in the kicking game.

“We didn’t kick very accurately and, when we did kick, we kicked straight to guys in position. It was a bit frustrating. ”

DHS also missed out on a penalty kick at goal when they took too long to bring out a kicking tee. Instead, Northwood received a scrum. Northwood, though, also saw an easy kick miss the target near the end.

Candidly, Engeldow said: “If I’m honest, they deserved to win the game. We were lucky to draw, in the end. We weren’t clinical enough. In key areas, we didn’t execute well enough.”

While it was a draw, it was another step forward for coach Jacques Deen and the Northwood Knights. They were comfortably beaten by DHS in 2023, with School winning 26-7 at home and 27-5 at Northwood.

Some stern tests await Northwood, but with a win against Hilton and a draw against DHS, two of the stronger teams on their schedule, they’ve made a lot of people sit up and take notice already.

At the Riverside Sports Club, Clifton College welcomed Glenwood High School, with both entering the match off the back of hard-fought defeats, with Clifton having gone down by five to St Stithians and Glenwood losing by 11 to Maritzburg College.

The hosts met fire with fire and made the Green Machine fight hard for each and every point, but Glenwood’s control of possession was the telling factor in their 34-7 win.

There is only so much defending a team can do before the dam wall breaks and the visitors managed to cross for three tries in the opening stanza.

In the second half, for a long time there was little to separate the sides as Clifton gave as good as they got.

When the teams turned, it was 17-0 in Glenwood’s favour and they edged further ahead with another try, but Clifton, deservedly got themselves onto the scoreboard through a try from their burly centre Bradley Beeslaar, who was rewarded for his industry when he joined a maul near the visitors’ try line.

Glenwood, though, will be satisfied with the control they exerted over the game and, of course, with scoring a win.

Traditionally, the Green Machine has built its success off of solid set pieces and the forwards delivering quality ball to the backs – it’s a well-known and proven recipe that works – and there was plenty of that to be seen.

Clifton, though, defended manfully and made it a bruising battle for the visitors.

SCORES

Northwood vs DHS

u19 – Northwood I 7 DHS I 7; Northwood II 27 DHS II 33; Northwood III 5 DHS III 19; Northwood IV 26 DHS IV 17; Northwood V 10 DHS V 12; Northwood VI 17 DHS VI 7

u16 – Northwood A 14 DHS A 21; Northwood B 12 DHS B 0; Northwood C 31 DHS C 7; Northwood D 20 DHS D 0

u15 – Northwood A 10 DHS A 23; Northwood B 7 DHS B 10; Northwood C 20 DHS C 5; Northwood D 22 DHS D 14

u14 – Northwood A 12 DHS A 36; Northwood B 0 DHS B 24; Northwood C 10 DHS C 7; Northwood D 10 DHS D 15; Northwood E 17 DHS E 10

Clifton College vs Glenwood

u19 – Clifton I 7Glenwood I 34; Clifton II 0 Glenwood II 56; Clifton III 29 Glenwood 17

u16 – Clifton A 3 Glenwood A 53; Clifton B 10 Glenwood 34

u15 – Clifton A 12 Glenwood A 26; Clifton B 31 Glenwood 24

u14 – Clifton A 0 Glenwood A 12; Clifton B 10 Glenwood 7