Author: cschiwanza

Kearsney College and Hilton College locked horns in an eight-goal humdinger on the Mansergh Astro on Saturday.

Ashley Kemp’s charges arrived at Hilton College fresh after a two-week break. The last time that Kearsney had played competitive hockey was at the KES Easter Festival.

When they picked up their sticks on Monday morning to prepare for their weekend fixture, they focussed on the same aspects they had focussed on in the preseason, fortifying their defence and working from that base in their excursions up the field.

“There is a healthy competition between us and Hilton. This is always a big fixture for us,” Kemp said.

Both sides were frenetic in the early stages of the game, but Hilton got a handle on the contest first and dominated possession in the first chukka, entering the Kearsney D a couple of times. However, they couldn’t do more than apply pressure because of the visitors’ defensive strength, an area of the game in which Kemp takes pride.

Jonty Wiggett‘s goal, scored after he capitalised off a penalty corner rebound, helped Kearsney compose themselves and play themselves into the game in the second chukka. The visitors’ confidence grew as they enjoyed longer spells of possession. But the home side wasn’t going to be kept out of the contest for long and they equalised and then took the lead before the visitors could muster a reply to their opener.

Hilton’s 2-1 advantage set the stage as a thrilling contest unfolded. With both teams launching attacks into their opposition’s territory, momentum swung back and forth.

Kearsney crafted a sensational field goal to level. In the build-up, almost every member of the team had a touched the ball before Liam Johnson executed a sensational reverse stick shot to equalise.

Their continued dominance of possession led to their third goal, with James Peirson providing the finish after another good passage of play.

The visitors’ lead did not last long, however, and Hilton nullified it two minutes later with a penalty corner. Buoyed, the home side launched wave after wave of attack and, with four minutes left on the clock, they took the lead for a second time in the match.

Kearsney captain Matthew Mendes de Oliveira performed superbly, and it was fitting that he had the final say in the contest. The young man made the SA Schools team last year and he showed why when he scored with a minute-and-a-half left in the game with a well-targeted drag flick to the keeper’s stick side from a penalty corner.

“It was a very good game. The boys fought hard to come back twice,” Kemp said afterwards.

“The most impressive part of the match was that it was a complete performance by my team. No individual outshone others. They covered for each other well.

“Our goalkeeper kept us in the game a couple of times with good saves and our defence was solid,” he added.

The Kearsney coach also complimented Hilton, who maintained their defensive structures well, despite Kearsney putting the hosts under pressure in the midfield and restricting go-forward ball.

Kemp also applauded Hilton’s forays that overloaded Kearsney’s left and right channels.

The contest was one of those matches where either side could have bagged a victory but neither deserved to lose.

Elsewhere in the province, Calvin Price’s Clifton College romped to a 3-1 win at St Charles.

Clifton found the back of the net through Ryde Brisset, Zach Williamson and Daniel Hompes and their performance pleased Price.

“The boys stepped up nicely against a well-structured SCC team, under Mathew Coombes. We showed character, took our chances, and pressed really well,” Price said.

The victory bodes well for the young Clifton side. Price, in his first season with the team, has identified an exciting attacking brand of hockey built from the base of good defence as one of his goals for the season. His charges showcased that against St Charles.

Results: Hilton 4-4 Kearsney, St Charles 1 – 3 Clifton

Durban High School produced one of the weekend’s top performances as they chalked up their first win on Maritzburg College’s hallowed Pape’s Astro on Saturday. It was a high-quality, entertaining clash.

Keegan Hezlett’s charges delivered an exhibition of good hockey, giving as good as they got from their hosts in very hot and humid conditions.

College hit the front first when Julian Konigkramer reacted quickly and snapped off a powerful shot into the DHS backboard after a scramble in the circle. It had been back-and-forth up to that point, with both sides posing questions of the other.

Through the first three chukkas, DHS played with bursts of intensity that had the potential to wrestle the game away from their opposition, but they never quite put it all together. However, they found a reply to Konigkramer’s opener when Lethabo Mathebela found the back of the net in the second chukka.

Then, with seconds remaining in the half, Josh Mungherera fired DHS into the lead.

That lead, however, lulled the visitors into cruise control. College coach Kyle Emerson‘s boys took advantage of the reduced pressure and, when Lethabo Bogacwi was sent off for 10 minutes in the third chukka. they seized control.

Once more it was Konigkramer who applied the pressure and latched onto an opportunity to level for College.

However, Hezlett’s DHS team wasn’t prepared to walk away from the match with a draw. Their drive to leave Maritzburg College with full points fuelled another burst of intensity. They took the game to College in the fourth chukka, dominating possession and territory, and the hosts found themselves defending, while DHS did all the attacking.

Pressing hard, DHS forced several penalty corners.

Bogacwi atoned for the earlier misbehaviour that landed him in the sin bin, during which time College equalised, by slotting a third for the Horseflies. This time, though, DHS kept up the intensity.

It was only with a few minutes remaining that they started to watch the clock after an outstanding Sitchaba Siyoyo goal secured the win. He beat goalkeeper Nic Holmes with a cracking reverse stick shot from a narrow angle, wide on the left, to provide a worthy match-winner.

The DHS-College contest was the second high-octane match in the KZN region in two days. On Friday night, Michaelhouse and Northwood shared the spoils in a fiercely contested game that ended in a 1-1 draw.

When Michaelhouse offered Nick Bérichon, a KZN native, an opportunity to return to the province, he jumped at the opportunity.

There was no regret on his part in leaving Garsfontein after a very successful five-year stint up north. The Pretoria side was in good hands under Steve Paulo’s guidance. Michaelhouse’s decision to engage Bérichon was driven by a desire to improve their quality of hockey.

The institute enjoys a strong hockey tradition that dates back to 1928, the year the sport was introduced by WC Hannah. However, they had not performed to their potential in the past few seasons. Northwood, whom they went up against on Friday night, had the wood over them, with coach Justin Collins’ sides dominated their previous meetings.

Bérichon’s revival of Michaelhouse’s hockey programme is built around a structured approach to the game, which is uncomplicated, aggressive and attacking, and rooted in basic principles. And that is how they started against Northwood.

“I thought we were dominant in terms of possession, but we weren’t clinical enough leading up to the circle,” Bérichon summed up.

Despite their shortcomings in the final third, it was a vast improvement from the hockey they played when Bérichon took over. In January they were disjointed, but against Northwood they strung passes together and opened up spaces. However, they trailed for most of the match because of their failure to finish.

‘House was unrelenting, however, launching wave upon wave of attack as time ticked down. Their persistence finally paid off just two minutes from the end when they snaffled an equaliser and a share of the spoils.

Results

Michaelhouse 1-1 Northwood, Maritzburg College 2-4 DHS.

Michaelhouse kicks off the weekend’s KZN hockey action with a mouthwatering encounter against Northwood at 18:30 on Friday.

Justin Collins’ charges have enjoyed their matches against Michaelhouse in recent seasons, coming out on the right side of those contests.

Despite that history, Collins is not taking the fixture lightly. He is expecting a fight from Nick Bérichon’s team. For one thing, with Bérichon now in charge, ‘House has adopted a different style of play.

Bérichon, who took over the reins at Michaelhouse this year, has been hard at work transforming the team, building a new culture, and his language when addressing his team revolves around constant improvement.

After their two matches against Garsfontein this past weekend, the Michaelhouse coach asked his side not to focus on the result, but what they could do better.

“I want them to strive to do better with each game we play. The plan is to take our hockey to a higher level,” he said.

The Mansergh Astro at Hilton College brings together two teams that have performed well this season when the Kearsney College 1st XI takes on Hilton at 10:45 on Saturday.

One of Kearsney’s mottos this season is, “find a way”. And that’s what they’ll be aiming to do against a Hilton side that has, once again, shown that it is one of South Africa’s elite teams. Kearsney appears to be in that conversation, too.

Good defensive play was one of the main objectives for Ashley Kemp and his Kearsney team as they prepared for the 2024 season. “I take massive pride in defence. If you don’t concede, you give your boys the ability to play freely,” he explained.

Glenwood heads to Westville intent on victory after suffering a narrow 0-1 loss to Clifton College last week at the Riverside Sports Club.

Braydon Naidoo has been working to develop his charges’ skills, and drilling the fundamentals into them was a key part of their preparations for the season.

His team boasts the inimitable talents of Kaden Henderson. The 15-year-old Grade 9 pupil was awarded three Player of the Match awards at the Saints Sports Festival. He’ll be ably supported by his captain, Siya Malatjie and Qhama Dyakopou, a dynamic outside half. Up front, Henderson will hunt for goals in the company of Krian Jugoo.

And while that quartet is capable of individual brilliance, Naidoo doesn’t want the rest of his team to sit back and wait for them to do something special. “We focused on playing as a well-rounded team in our preseason preparations and we hope they carry this into matches,” he said.

In the Free State, Jim Fouche’s hockey programme is on the rise. Their performances have been improving year-on-year and earlier this season they played to a 2-2 draw against defending WesGrow and City champions, Fichardtpark.

They also put together a solid showing at the Keith Fairweather Festival in KZN, where they registered three wins, two draws and a single loss.

Part of the reason for Jim Fouché’s uptick in performance was the quality of opposition they faced during the preseason. “We played against a few club teams, and it was good to see how a few of the boys rose to the challenge,” said coach Graham Seeger, who admitted to being impressed by how his team has gelled in the short period he has been with them.

Jim Fouché takes on Diamantveld on Saturday. It should be a hotly contested encounter.

Fixtures

Friday: Michaelhouse vs Northwood

Saturday: Glenwood vs Westville, Hilton vs Kearsney, St Charles College vs Clifton College, Maritzburg College vs DHS Voortrekker (Bethlehem) vs Goudveld, Witteberg vs Trio, Jim Fouché vs Diamantveld

Durban Girls’ College (DGC) hosts St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) on Saturday in a blockbuster KZN clash between two of the country’s best hockey teams.

After winning the St Mary’s Festival in Johannesburg against the crème de la crème of South Africa’s girls’ hockey sides, DGC is riding the crest of the wave, but St Mary’s (Kloof), a perennial powerhouse, presents a serious challenge.

Coach Carla Ann Mackay’s St Mary’s team has played a lot of hockey. The St Mary’s Festival, in Johannesburg, followed a tour of the Netherlands, and before jetting off overseas, St Mary’s had already participated in a festival and the Spar Regional Tournament.

“We also played some local boys’ schools’ teams to train against face-paced and high-intensity hockey,” Mackay said.

After the St Mary’s Festival, where they finished sixth, the Kloof girls took a break to regroup.

One of the areas they have focussed on in preparation for Saturday’s showdown has been their attack. Mackay wants her team to play an attacking brand of hockey, with her forwards stretching the field. “It’s something we have been working really hard on,” she shared.

On Saturday, they’ll be led by Cassandra Forbes, with their captain, Georgia Pollock, the daughter of South African cricket legend, Shaun Pollock, out of the game because of an injury.

Losing the SA u17 star is a big blow and it means St Mary’s will have to shuffle their lineup. But they will be fresh, fast and sharp after taking some time off.

Mackay can count on Elizabeth Anderson’s goal-scoring skills up front, Anna Birt’s ball-carrying abilities and strength in marshalling the midfield, and Sibabalwe Mfaweza’s contributions out wide.  A member of the u16 national squad, she provides both go-forward and solid defence from her position at half.

That trio will need to be at their best when they take on DGC who, understandably, are high in confidence.

“We would like to defend our KZN league championship title and a win at the Spar finals would be amazing, but our main goal is a shot at Top 12 in August,” said Mackay. A win over DGC would be a big boost to their long-term plans, she added.

While they’re expecting a challenging encounter, Cassandra Forbes and company are confident they have the firepower to win. When they met in a league match last year, St Mary’s ran out 4-1 winners. Earlier this year, when they met in a 20-minute match during a festival, DGC claimed a 1-0 win.

Elsewhere in KZN, Our Lady pf Fatima takes on Westville Girls’ High.

Meanwhile, many eyes will be cast towards the Western Cape where Oranje faces Paarl Girls’ High on Friday and Paarl Gim on Saturday.

In their five past encounters against Paarl Gim, Gyster van Schalkwyk’s team has won three, lost one, and drawn one. That draw came in their last clash, which ended 1-1 at the St Mary’s Festival.

Oranje has enjoyed a better run against Paarl Girls’ High, winning four out of their last five games, with the other one ending in a draw at the St Mary’s Festival in 2019.

Fixtures

Thursday: Fichardtpark vs Eunice, Our Lady of Fatima vs Curro Hillcrest, Fichardtpark vs Sentraal, Jim Fouche vs St Michael’s School

Friday: Paarl Girls’ High vs Oranje

Saturday: DGC vs St Mary’s (Kloof), Paarl Gim vs Oranje, Our Lady of Fatima vs Westville Girls’ High, Jim Fouche vs Diamantveld

Both Clifton College and Maritzburg College enjoyed victories in derby clashes over the weekend. Sharpened by competing in two festivals each during the break at the end of the first term, they claimed similar 1-0 wins.

The Saturday encounter between Clifton and Glenwood at the Riverside Sports Club in Durban was the second time the sides have met this year. The first time was in January, when the teams were preparing for the forthcoming season, in a practice match in which the coaches experimented with personnel and structure.

That contest gave Calvin Price, the Clifton coach, insight into his team’s abilities and weaknesses. Pryce, who has taken over as the Director of Hockey from Keegan Pearce this year, is not a stranger to the school, however, He previously served an internship at Clifton.

“I found the team in a good place. They played well and were well organised, but we lacked experience in front of goal,” he shared.

Price’s mission has not been to revolutionise how Clifton plays. Rather, he has focussed the team on making incremental improvements and becoming a better unit. The key is building a culture that reflects the values he espouses.

“It is a respect-based culture, respecting the people around you, your teammates, your opponents, and the umpires. We also want the boys to develop and enjoy the brotherhood of playing and supporting each other. Then, the pride of wearing the Clifton badge,” he explained.

On the Astro, Price wants his team to play an exciting brand of attacking hockey that is built off of a foundation of firm defensive principles. He also wants his players to be engaged and to think outside out of the box.

In his short period with the team, Price has witnessed some of his experienced players taking the lead, with Daniel Hompes, Jared Pearson, Zach Williamson and Ryde Brisset setting a strong example, and the remainder of the team coalescing around them. One of those four, Hompes, was on target in Clifton’s win over Glenwood on Saturday.

Ahead of the derby, Pryce had been preparing for a tough encounter against an opponent that has shown clear improvement this season already, and they got one. The only downside was that Clifton spurned numerous chances in the D.

Those missed chances reflected Clifton’s inexperience in front of goal, but Pryce was not discouraged by them. Rather, he said he was happy to see his charges are creating opportunities and venturing into the opposition’s final third with confidence.

On Pape’s Astro, Maritzburg College drew first blood in their annual two-leg derby against Pretoria Boys High School.

In two of their past four derby encounters, the sides had finished deadlocked, with no outright winner in 2022 and 2023. Saturday’s game was fiercely contested, which was no less than College coach Kyle Emerson expected.

“Boys High arrive with intense energy and always have extra in the tank when they come here,” he told Supersport Schools Plus before the match.

Over recent years, the contests between the two teams were determined by a one-goal difference or ended in draws. Saturday’s clash followed the same script, with College scoring the all-important only goal of the game late in the first chukka.

Meanwhile, at Balgowan, the two-match Michaelhouse–Garsfontein derby games were played as practice matches on Saturday and Sunday, although, for the record Garsfontein enjoyed a clean sweep.

With Michaelhouse coach Nick Bérichon having been in charge of Garsfontein until taking up his position at ‘House this year, it was a matchup of teams playing the game in a similar manner. His successor at Garsies, Steve Paulo, wisely chose not to reinvent the wheel and has largely stuck to Bérichon’s successful methods while adding a few tweaks of his own.

Bérichon, whose Michaelhouse team is still adjusting to the structure the coach believes will serve them best, won’t be too unhappy with his charges’ efforts, despite them losing both encounters.

There have been encouraging signs of his players’ development and they appear to be on the right track after a difficult 2023.

Despite that growth, however, it was Garsfontein who won 3-0 and 1-0 on the Punchbowl Astro.

Results

Saturday: Michaelhouse 0-3 Garsfontein, Maritzburg College 1-0 Pretoria Boys High, Clifton College 1-0 Glenwood High

Sunday: Michaelhouse 0-1 Garsfontein

The race for qualification for the Top 12 Tournament and top honours in provincial leagues began in earnest on the weekend as schools shifted their focus away from festival hockey.

Durban Girls’ College began their local campaign with an easy introduction to the KZN schedule. They faced Danville Park Girls’ High, not the strongest of opposition, and could have fielded a weaker side. But they chose a full-strength team.

One of the traps of schoolboys’ and -girls’ hockey is a tendency for teams to let their guard down and take things easy in the face of lower-ranked opposition. Talented and well-structured teams can rise to the level of stronger rivals, but not all maintain a high-quality performance against weaker opponents.

Danville was not in DGC’s class, but the St Mary’s Festival champions didn’t allow their standards to slide on Saturday.

Coach Chardinay Penniston‘s charges are young and ambitious. They have big dreams that include a successful St Anne’s campaign, making it to the Spar Finals, and making it to the Top 12 Tournament. They diligently prepare for each match and take nothing for granted.

Against Danville, they displayed a penchant for goalscoring, showcasing the same desire that brought them success at the St Mary’s Festival.

Ruby Krause (4), Caprice Bengston (2), Emily Macquet (2), Chelsey Woolf (2), Holly Jansen (1), Sherya Subramoney (1), and Tara Pakendorf (1) were on target as DGC fired 13 goals past Danville and took another step towards realising their ambitions.

Eunice and Oranje drew 2-2 against Garsontein on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Both teams put their best foot forward, throwing everything at the Pretoria-based team, but neither could overcome Charlene Jonsson‘s charges. They rose to the challenge, and it’s rare that a side comes away unscathed from back-to-back matches against the Bloemfontein powerhouses.

Oranje coach Gyster van Schalkwyk and Eunice’s Nika Coertzen would have preferred victories but will take draws over defeats, and both declared themselves satisfied with the performances of their teams.

Oranje produced their regular high standards on both ends of the field, while Eunice, whose players went into their game after participating in the Southern Free State trials earlier in the day, did not display weariness on the turf and delivered a typically solid display.

Kirsten Beneke’s charges, Voortrekker (Bethlehem), have one main goal for the 2024 season, to qualify for the Top 12 Tournament. They took a decisive step towards turning that dream into a reality with a 4-0 win over Fichardtpark.

The victory further enhances their bid for a spot in the prestigious event. “The table has been changing rapidly every week and we hope to keep improving and make the cut,” Beneke said.

Results

DSG 13-0 Danville, Eunice 2-2 Garsfontein, Oranje 2-2 Garsfontein, Voortrekker (Bethlehem) 4-0 Fichardtpark.

Newly crowned St Mary’s Hockey Festival champions, Durban Girls’ College (DGC), return to action this weekend with a short trip to Danville Park Girls’ High, while the runners-up at last week’s festival, Eunice, take on Garsfontein.

It has taken a while for DGC to let it sink in that they lifted the St Mary’s Festival trophy. It felt like a dream at first. Last year, they played their hearts out, only to finish seventh. This year, they had a relatively young team that stood toe-to-toe with the best.

On the eve of the final, they convincingly handed the 2023 champions, Eunice, their first defeat of the event. They met the red-hot Free State team again in the final and proved that their win from the previous day had not been a fluke, with a thrilling 3-2 victory securing them the title of 2024 champions.

After a week of basking in the glory of their accomplishment, coach Chardinay Penniston’s charges now must turn their focus towards the challenge that lies in front of them, Danville. While there might be daylight between Eunice and Danville’s rankings, DGC is not paying attention to the difference. “We have the same mindset we had at St Mary’s. We take things a game at a time and will play our best against each team,” Penniston said.

Rather than put their triumphant campaign behind them, DGC will use the memories of their St Mary’s run as fuel to help them scale new mountains. One of those mountains is their school league. Their goal is to win the title. The girls understand the task won’t be an easy one and are putting in more hours and effort at training.

“We are very motivated because there are three more major goals that we are hoping to succeed in: St Anne’s, the KZN Spar finals, and qualifying for the Top 12 Tournament. We are going to continue to work hard and prepare ourselves for the rest of the year,” explained Penniston.

St Mary’s Festival runners-up, Eunice, take on Garsfontein on Friday. Coach Nika Coertzen’s charges will not let the loss to DGC in the final define them as a unit. Inexperienced and young compared to last season’s 1st XI, they played excellent hockey throughout the festival and will continue their path of growth as Coertzen nurtures the class of 2024 into a force.

Eunice has an ambitious young side and they’re keen to emulate the outstanding 2023 team, which finished the year as the top-ranked school in the country.

After their meeting with Eunice, Garsfontein, dauntingly, heads straight into a contest with Oranje, for so long the pacesetters in South African schoolgirls’ hockey, and the form team heading into the St Mary’s Festival.

Garsfontein is in for a tough test. Gyster van Schalkwyk’s outfit, which finished fifth at St Mary’s, has been strong so far this year and has scored goals in bucketloads. Captained by Anriette Otto, Oranje is one of the best-structured teams to be found anywhere and, as always, they’re gunning for top honours this season.

“I do believe and can say with confidence that we’ve prepared well but preparation never stops as we are always seeking to improve and better ourselves in the game we love so dearly,” said Van Schalkwyk.

In the WesGrow league, Kirsten Beneke‘s charges, Voortrekker (Bethlehem), spring into action with a contest against Hoërskool Fichardtpark. Voortrekker started the year with a successful Balling Festival and followed that up with a collection of good results at the Greg Beling Festival, in East London, and the St Stithians Festival, in Johannesburg.

Beneke’s team shares a common goal with DGC. “This year’s results, thus far, have been exceptional. Our main goal for this year is to attend the Top 12 Tournament,” she said. “The table has been changing rapidly every week, and we hope to keep improving and make the cut.”

With top 12 places a motivating factor, and teams making their intentions to be part of the event clear, this week promises more blockbuster hockey action.

Fixtures

Friday: 18:45 – Eunice vs Garsfontein

Saturday: 10:00 – Fichardtpark vs Voortrekker, 11:00 – Danville vs DGC, 12:00 – Oranje vs Garsfontein.

Michaelhouse will host Garsfontein in the inaugural derby between the two schools this weekend.

In previous years, the teams met only if they attended the same festivals and were placed in the same group. Both will be desperate to land the first punch in the nascent years of what promises to be a fascinating rivalry.

The visitors, Garsfontein, will not want their 615km journey to be all for nothing. They’ll be motivated to return to the capital city as proud victors, with the bragging rights for taking down Michaelhouse at Balgowan at the first time of asking.

Garsfontein kicked off their season with a 2-3 loss to Grey College. Instead of dispiriting them, Steve Paulo’s boys were encouraged by that result. It was their first match under Paulo as head coach, and they had gone up against an in-form, strong outfit.

Wayne Coetzee‘s charges scored early goals in the first half and enjoyed a 3-0 lead until the early minutes of the fourth chukka. Instead of being deflated, Garsfontein launched wave after wave of attack and scored two goals in the last quarter and came close to scoring an equaliser. “I was impressed by their fighting spirit,” said Paulo.

That is the kind of outfit he was hoping to build, one that is unrelenting in its pursuit of goals. Paulo, a former Tuks’ hockey player and a member of the SA men’s indoor team, is a naturally attacking player. His style is rubbing off onto his team.

At the Coastal Cup, they produced mixed results, winning two, drawing one and losing one game, but the signs of better days to come were there. A 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Westville on the final day showed they were heading in the right direction.

“The boys played good hockey, positive hockey, and there were small moments that we did not capitalise on in the draw and loss,” Paulo commented.

After that, Garsfontein went up against Affies, with whom they drew 1-1, in a match full of missed opportunities. They did not make the same mistake when they met Eldoraigne on Wednesday night. They triumphed 4-1 and Paulo is keen to use that momentum in their two matches against Michaelhouse.

The test posed by Michaelhouse will give Paulo a good reading on how far his team has come as they work their way towards their ultimate goal of winning the Hibbert Shield.

“To achieve that, we need to create a winning culture. It will be a tough match; [Michaelhouse coach] Nick [Bérichon]was our coach last year. He knows me and he knows the boys. The tactics will also be somewhat similar,” reckoned Paulo.

Before switching to Michaelhouse, Nick Bérichon spent six years with Garsfontein. He also played with Paulo at Tuks. His tenure at Michaelhouse is in its early days and the results have been mixed, but they’re trending in the right direction.

They went 0-2 down to Westville in their season opener and then lost to Bishops in their first outing at their 175 Festival opener. “Some of the boys play summer sports, so the first seven weeks were a little disjointed,” Bérichon explained.

Michaelhouse followed that loss with two draws and another defeat before they picked up and won two in a row to finish the Bishops Hockey Festival with a 2-2-2 split after six matches. But the important thing is they finished strongly. They held St Benedict’s, who are enjoying a good season, to a draw, then beat the Langa Hockey Club and St Andrew’s College, who had suffered their first loss of the season only a day earlier.

The most evident thing Bérichon noticed as his team gained momentum at the showcase was that his playing philosophy was taking root in his players.

“I prefer a structured approach, one that is easy to read as you watch, one that even a parent can decipher and see what we are trying to accomplish. It makes it easy for us to review after the game as we give the boys feedback,” he said.

That approach makes it easy for Bérichon’s charges to execute set pieces and reduce the chances of leaving goals on the field. However, the Michaelhouse coach does not want the structure to restrict his players’ creativity. Rather, he wants it to be the foundation from which they can express themselves.

He is keen to use the double-header derby as preparation for a tough campaign of KZN derbies, which he knows are going to be tough to navigate. “We are expecting a tough challenge from Garsfontein. They will give us a good run for our money. They won’t be backing down, and neither will we,” he said.

In his quest, Bérichon will have the benefit of the talents of his captain Pat Lambert, a hardworking young man, who enjoys attacking. Lambert will have the support of Murray Hall-Jones, a constant threat from the back, Basti Hofmeyr’s abilities in the midfield, and Michaelhouse’s X-factor player, Gordon Deutscher.

“This match will have the feel of an internal match. It will be a contest of identical philosophies. In a way, it will be Nick vs Nick, and I am just the middleman,” Paulo said.

While Bérichon agrees that the styles will be identical, with two attacking teams going head-to-head, having known Paulo for a long time, the Michaelhouse coach is expecting a few surprises from him. “He will have a couple tricks up his sleeve,” he said.

Surprises or not, the one thing the Michaelhouse-Garsfontein derbies promise is an intense, high-octane encounter.

Fixtures

Saturday, 17:00 – Michaelhouse vs Garsfontein, Sunday, 10:00 – Michaelhouse vs Garsfontein.

Maritzburg College is primed and ready to host Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS) in the first leg of their annual two-leg derby on Saturday.

The College-PBHS derby has been a permanent fixture for the two schools for more than a decade and it seldom fails to deliver pyrotechnics.

“Boys High always seem to find an extra gear when they play against us,” remarked Kyle Emerson, the Maritzburg College head coach.

While the KwaZulu-Natal team has a better head-to-head record overall, PBHS has fought back in the past couple of years. In 2022, Jacques Klopper’s charges completed a double over College, beating them home and away. Last year, they shared the spoils, playing to two draws.

PBHS has had a slow start to the 2024 season. They lost 0-1 to Jeppe in their first pre-season match, and that set the tone for a few games that followed, in which they suffered narrow defeats.

“It has taken the boys a little bit of time to find themselves. We have a few new guys in the side, and the unit has taken a while to gel,” said Klopper.

In their most recent encounter, PHBS triumphed 2-1 over St Alban’s. In that match, the Ruard Booysen-captained side played in line with Klopper’s fundamentals. Booysen was part of the SA u17 side that toured Malaysia last year and is one of the mainstays of the team.

Their goalkeeper, Owen McMenamin, was named in the SA u16 squad in 2023, while Marco Upton represented the Northerns U18 side.

While those three had good outings against St Alban’s, the team did not show a heavy reliance on their individual skills. They produced an all-round performance, executing a well-structured pressing game. Klopper hopes they can keep reproduce that in their clash with Maritzburg College.

“College has created a fortress at home. The goal is to breach it,” reckoned Klopper. The best-case scenario would be a repeat of 2022. If not, they would settle for another draw.

However, Emerson’s boys will not make it easy for PBHS. The same intense drive that the Pretoria side brings to the contest is what the College boys will bring. “We know what they bring as a team. We watched them last month during the Nomads Festival. We will be ready for them,” said Emerson.

His young team has been on a building path since the start of the year. They showed progress and growth at the Nomads Festival and took a few more steps forward at the KES Easter Festival.

Their 5-0 win over Glenwood last week was another indicator of how far they have come this season. The Ipeleng Mosupye-led unit will also be buoyed by the return of two players who were sidelined by injury.

However, despite these positives, Emerson remains cautious. “There is never a favourite when we play Boys High,” he opined. “Most of the time, it’s about who arrives with more in the tank on the day.”

His duty, Emerson said, is to ensure that, as the derby day approaches, he gets his team into the best position to be the ones that turn up on matchday.

College and PBHS have a rich shared history, a similar ethos and passion for hockey. They enjoy a great friendship. However, before they share post-match drinks, they’re aiming for fireworks on Pape’s Astro.

Saturday, 11:15 am – Maritzburg College vs PBHS

Teams

Pretoria Boys High School

Owen McMenamin, Cameron Davids, Reatlegile Moloisane, Jayden Boshoff, Robert Hassenkamp, Shaun Riekert, Ruard Booysen, Marco Upton, Jack Funston, Jeron Hugo, Rein Arndt, Brighton Sibiya, Heinke Meijer, Ethan Rademeyer, Takalani Mulaudzi, Neil Ehlers

Maritzburg College

Nicholas Holmes, Greg Askew, Siwa Sithembu, Ipeleng Mosupye (c), Julian Konigkramer, Ryan McKean, Kadin Jenkins, Banele Dlamini, Ethan Maynard, Michael Gibson, Rory Schirge, Matthew Smith, Ethan Fabre, Tai Fulton, Andile Mthalane, Brett Hosking.

Durban Girls’ College (DGC) played exceptionally well to defeat Eunice 3-2 in a thrilling final of the St Mary’s Hockey Festival in Johannesburg on Sunday. It was a fitting humdinger after four days of absorbing, unpredictable action.

With the win, DGC joins St Mary’s Waverley and Oranje in a very small class of teams that have won the title three or more times. The Durban school, which finished seventh last year, previously lifted the trophy in 2006 and 2009.

Relive the final on SuperSport Schools

DGC’s St Mary’s campaign was defined by their discipline, their ability to connect well in all phases of the game, and their understanding of each player’s role. However, those parameters did not turn them into a rigid outfit.

“They have also been agile whenever the situation has needed them to adapt. They have not been unwilling or shy to play outside of their comfort zones. They have tried new systems and have been willing to change our press. They have been dynamic,” DGC coach Chardinay Penniston told Supersport Schools Plus.

While Penniston’s team was ambitious and hungry for success, they headed into the St Mary’s Festival not quite where they wanted to be after a difficult run of games in which they did not tick all the boxes.

“Our progression has been a little slower than in previous years, but it has been more meaningful,” Penniston said.

The KZN side focussed on taking it one game at a time, choosing not to look beyond that. However, that changed on Saturday evening when they walloped Eunice 4-0 in their final pool match to book a semi-final spot. That allowed them to dream for a moment.

The victory convinced them that they could go all the way and lift the title. Up until that point, Eunice had enjoyed an unbeaten run at the festival.

Though young, coach Nika Coertzen’s team had shown that they were worthy successors to their predecessors, the dominant, all-conquering Eunice team of 2023.

The majority of the 2024 unit was far less experienced, with fewer than 20 caps per player. That was counter-balanced by five matric learners, each with more than 100 caps. Eunice was led by the reliable Trusten Barnard and inspired by the prolific Bianca Rees-Gibbs, who scored an outstanding hat-trick on Saturday, in a gripping 3-2 win over St Anne’s.

Penniston also drafted a young side for the tournament. Like Coertzen, she had five players in matric, four grade 11s and a few grade nine learners.

Their Saturday evening win over Eunice had shown DGC that although they were exceptionally talented, the Bloemfontein side was not indomitable. They identified Eunice’s weaknesses and exploited them, firing four goals into the net while keeping a clean sheet. Memories of that encounter spurred them on in the final.

Only two minutes into the title-decider, DGC breached Eunice’s defences with a brilliant reverse stick shot from Ruby Kraus lifting them into a 1-0 lead.

The match was already moving at a high pace, but the tempo picked up as Eunice went on the hunt for an equaliser and they got it shortly afterwards through Megan Joubert. She was on the far post to direct the ball into the backboard after a bumbled penalty corner push out was neatly cleaned up.

However, Barnard and her teammates’ joy was short-lived as Kraus again produced some reverse stick magic to put DGC ahead for a second time.

Against a dangerous opponent like Eunice, DGC knew that the job was far from done, and a one-goal difference was a distinctly uncomfortable advantage. The Bloemfontein school took the game to their Durban opposition, but Emily Macquet, the DGC captain, marshalled her players with authority, to repel wave after wave of Eunice’s attacks.

However, the pressure told and one of those attacks earned Eunice a penalty stroke. They turned to their leading goal scorer, Bianca Rees-Gibbs. She stepped up and calmly converted.

Based on their results over the past two years, DGC was the underdog in the tie, and in true underdog fashion, they were not disheartened by Eunice twice fighting back to level the scores. They responded by going on the offensive again.

They made up for their lack of experience by employing a high work rate and boundless belief that they had what it takes to win. That unrelenting positivity was rewarded four minutes from time when they scored a brilliant second-phase short corner goal through Tara Pakendorf.

Over the four days of the festival, DGC coach Penniston had kept her message consistent: the big things for her team were consistency, trust, and pulling together as a unit.

In the final minutes of the title-decider, they were consistent in their defensive structure. they trusted one another when it mattered most, and they pulled together as one until the final whistle blew to end the match.