Author: zlouw

This weekend sees some of the top KwaZulu-Natal rugby schools coming together, one of the most notable games being Glenwood versus Maritzburg College.

Glenwood have not lost against Maritzburg College since 2010 and therefore a lot of pride will be at stake for the home side at Goldstones.

Maritzburg’s reputation precedes them and are known for playing top rugby season after season.

This year is no exception, and they are coming into this game with seven wins.

It seems they have been on a nation-wide victory tour, beating contenders in every province. They have defeated Nelspruit this season at 43-19. They beat their provincial peers, Clifton, 35-5.

They then decided that they need to send a message to Gauteng and took a 47-15 victory over Pretoria Boys’ High. 

Glenwood is no stranger to triumphant outcomes this season, though. Earlier in the year, Glenwood also managed a victory over Nelspruit, winning the game at 39-33.

At the 2022-edition of Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, Glenwood managed to win two of their three games.

This year they wouldn’t settle for anything short of the hat-trick and won all three of their games.

This was no small feat considering the competition. Their third game was against Worcester Gimnasium, who were having a strong season, and Glenwood managed to defeat them with a very respectable 57-8. 

This game will be a competitive one to say the least. 

Maritzburg and Glenwood will not be the only schools competing this weekend. 

Michaelhouse and Kearsney College will take the field together this Saturday. Michaelhouse was undefeated until there match up with Hilton last week. Michaelhouse has played excellently so far, even when Hilton took the win, it was a fight to the end.

Michaelhouse fought at the try line and did not stop pushing forward until the last moments.

In previous games this year, Michaelhouse has dominated, beating Glenwood 36-10 and Maritzburg 27-20. Kearsney has also earned some decent wins, their most recent victory being over EG Jansen at 17-12. This should make for some interesting rugby. 

Hilton College goes up against Durban High School this weekend.

Both schools are going strong.

Hilton just defeated Michaelhouse 20-17, the first to do so this season, and Durban played with full force to end up beating Drostdy 64-17, their tenth win so far.

Hilton and Durban High School have great track records this season and this game could go either way. 

St Charles College will play against Clifton College.

Clifton started their season off really well, beating Richards Bay 73-0. They managed to secure a great outcome when they played St Andrews School two weeks ago and took the win at 47-7.

St Charles took an excellent 31-0 victory over St Benedicts. Only time will tell which institution will take the win.

Westville Boys’ High will take on Jeppe High School for Boys. Westville has managed to rack up four wins so far, most recently defeating Voortrekker 28-5. Jeppe, too, has four wins so far, making this very interesting.

Jeppe has beaten some big names this season, including their 30-24 victory against Monument and their 51-5 victory over Queens College. 

The teams: 

Maritzburg College: 15 Luyanda Kunene, 14 Langelihle Makhathini, 13 Ayrton van der Linde, 12 Nkululeko Sithole, 11 Colm Reardon, 10 Luc du Toit, 9 Rhett Quinn, 8 Sasha Kadira, 7 Kevin Ayliffe, 6 Travis Walton, 5 Kuhle Mthimkhulu, 4 Bohlale Maphisa, 3 Aiden Botha, 2 Elbie Mouton, 1 Phiwayinkosi Kubheka.

Glenwood High School: 15 Jaco Williams, 14 Tawanda Mashoni, 13 Okanta Chijindu, 12 MJ Schoeman, 11 Bukhosibakhe Gamede, 10 Andrew Martins, 9 Tyrique Hartnick, 8 Zukisani Tom, 7 Kane Plasket-Burne, 6 Tumisho Mofidikoane, 5 Laython Sheahan, 4 Jesse Venter, 3 William van Vuuren, 2 Keegan Goosen, 1 Lithemba Mfupi.

Other fixtures (home sides mentioned first): 

13:00 – Westville Boys’ High vs Jeppe High School for Boys’; 14:55 – St Charles College vs Clifton; 15:00 – Hilton College vs Durban High School; 15:05 – Maritzburg College vs Glenwood; 15:30 – Kearsney College vs Michaelhouse.

Menlopark is not missing out on the action this weekend, as they have their very own festival lined up. There will be no shortage of heavyweight matchups as they celebrate their 60th birthday.

Waterkloof and Transvalia kick off for the opening first team game on Saturday. Waterkloof is surely still buzzing after their Noord-Suid performance, where they bagged two victories and managed to remain undefeated this season.

After beating HTS Drostdy 22-19 and Glenwood 32-28, their focus will be not only on more victories, but more sizeable and distant victories.

Transvalia also has some wins to their name this year, most notably, beating Klerksdorp (26-15) this month and Nelspruit (32-27) in March. Both schools should bring their A-game if they want to come out on top.

Höerskool Trio and Heidelberg Volkskool take the field for the second game of day one. Höerskool Trio may be a young school, but a legacy needs to start somewhere. Trio showed their dominance when they defeated Hentie Cilliers (38-7) just last week.

Trio also came out on top against Potch Gim and ended the game at 38-20 in their favour.

Heidelberg has managed to rack up six wins so far, also defeating Potch Gim recently at 38-8 in Heidelberg’s favour. This pairing has the makings of some very interesting rugby. 

The final game of day one sees the hosts, Menlopark, take on Noord-Kaap. A mammoth win always unifies a team and usually propels them forward. This should be the case for Menlopark, after earning an excellent victory over Nelspruit, finishing the game at 64-0 in favour of Menlopark.

They now have the extra edge of playing on their home turf, which makes this even more interesting. Noord-Kaap has earned some strong wins of their own this season, most recently, beating Louis Botha (38-0).

Both schools will be fighting to increase their successful outcomes for the year, and it may well be a very competitive game of rugby. 

Fixtures:

Saturday, 29th April 2023

08:00 – u14 – Menlopark vs Noord-Kaap
09:00 – u14 – Waterkloof vs Transvalia
10:00 – u14 – Höerskool Trio vs Heidelberg Volkskool
11:00 – u15 – Menlopark vs Höerskool Noord-Kaap
12:00 – u15 – Transvalia vs Waterkloof
13:00 – u15 -Heidelberg Volkskool vs Höerskool Trio
14:00 – u16 – Menlopark vs Noord-Kaap
15:00 – u16 – Transvalia vs Waterkloof
16:00 – u16 – Heidelberg Volkskool vs Höerskool Trio
17:00 u19 – Transvalia vs Waterkloof
18:15 – u19 – Heidelberg Volkskool vs Höerskool Trio
19:30 u19 – Menlopark vs Noord-Kaap 

Monday, 1st May 2023

08:00 – u14 – Noord-Kaap vs Waterkloof
09:00 – u15 – Noord-Kaap vs Waterkloof
10:00 – u16 – Noord-Kaap vs Waterkloof
11:00 – u19 – Noord-Kaap vs Waterkloof
12:15 – u14 – Transvalia vs Höerskool Trio
13:15 – u15 – Transvalia vs Höerskool Trio
14:15 – u16 – Transvalia vs Höerskool Trio
15:15 – u19 – Transvalia vs Höerskool Trio
16:30 – u14 – Menlopark vs Heidelberg Volkskool
17:30 – u15 – Menlopark vs Heidelberg Volkskool
18:30 – u16 – Menlopark vs Heidelberg Volkskool
19:30 – u19 – Menlopark vs Heidelberg Volkskool

Northwood and Durban High School both had a victory this past weekend, but now its time for the champions to battle it out.

It was a historical first when Northwood defeated Glenwood on their home ground this past Saturday.

With such strong efforts coming from both sides, the half time score was 12-7 and it could have gone either way.

Cade Latham managed to put another try on the board for Northwood with just minutes left to go, this combined with their strong defensive effort which kept Glenwood at bay, made sure they would secure the victory.

A victory that would go down in the history books. The full time tally was 29-22 in The Knights favour, a very well deserved outcome and one that would surely fuel their energy for the games to come.

Durban High School is entering the battlefield with accolades of their own. Durban also took a victory on the previous Saturday, when they went up against Westville Boys’ High. They got to work and did what was necessary to defeat Westville by 24-20.

DHS is on quite the winning streak, taking the upper hand in all three of their last games, and seven wins in total this season. Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival provided one of these successes, when Durban beat Framesby at 31-10, showing that they have come to play this season.

It should provide some excellent, competitive rugby when these schools go head-to-head.

Glenwood and Michaelhouse are paired together this weekend. Michaelhouse has shown that they are playing truly respectable rugby this season, they are absolutely dominating their competition and taking down whoever gets in their way.

At the Saints Sports Fest, Michaelhouse bagged three victories and did so with style. Their game was aggressive yet joyful, they were very tactical and skilled but had great fun doing it. You can expect players such as Leo Muziva, Campbell Ridl and Luke Davidson to have a big impact on the scoreboard.

Glenwood has all-in-all played really decent rugby this year as well, their backline is bringing incredible pace and they are placing their squad exactly as they should. Unfortunately, you can’t win every game, but the Green Machines have managed to secure five victories this year. One thing is for sure, they will be looking for a sixth this Saturday.

Hilton College is up against St Charles College, and Hilton’s spirit should be high as they just succeeded in earning two victories at the St John’s Easter Festival. St Charles are also taking the field as victors, after defeating St Benedict’s College 31-9 on the 8^th of April, also at the St John’s Easter Festival. On Saturday, one institution will earn another victory.

Kearsney College and Westville Boys’ High will be taking the field together.

Kearsney defeated Clifton 19-10 for their first match of the year, and, although a rematch could have made for great entertainment, their game versus Westville should be just as exciting. Westville recently took an excellent 22-10 victory over EG Jansen.

Both Westville and Kearsney have four victories so far, which makes this game even more interesting.

Clifton School and St Andrew’s College of Grahamstown will also be playing this weekend. Clifton will be fighting for a redemptive win.

Although Clifton has had some great tactical play this year, the competition has put up a great fight. It is still early, and there is still time to turn things around. This may be that very turning point.

St Andrew’s did earn a respectable 43-21 victory over St John’s Harare on the second day of the Saints Sports Fest, but they will definitely be looking to add another win to their collection come game day.

Gelofte Skool will also be hosting and competing against Kuswag Skool this Saturday, in case there was not enough action for you to choose from already.

The teams: 

Durban High School: 15 Hopewell Ntsangase, 14 Zenkosi Mthiyane, 13 Amahle Mazibuko, 12 Zingce Simka, 11 Maurice Willemse, 10 Deano Boesak, 9 Florensen Ockhuis, 8 Dale Hendrikse, 7 Siseko Mani, 6 Daniel Ikotela, 5 Weihrich Basson, 4 Sima Hlabisa, 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Christian Everitt, 1 Siyanda Dlamini.

Northwood: 15 TK Ramatuku, 14 Kwenzo Dlamini, 13 Siyanda Nkosi, 12 Siyanda Mabuza, 11 Nokutenda Gunda, 10 Cade Latham, 9 Graham de Swart, 8 Enzo van Niekerk, 7 Vuyo Gwiji 6 Alu Nte, 5 Titas Ceonis, 4 Ethan Macey, 3 Phiko Zuka, 2 Luthando Makula, 1 Reuben Vos..

Fixtures (home sides mentioned first):

10:45 – Gelofte vs Kuswag
12:15 – Clifton School vs St Andrew’s College
14:00 – St Charles College vs Hilton College 
14:20 – Durban High School vs Northwood
15:00 – Michaelhouse vs Glenwood High School
15:10 – Westville Boys’ High vs Kearsney College

 

 

There’s a storm brewing in Eastern Cape as Selborne College and Queen’s College prepare for battle at Queen’s 165th Reunion.

Queen’s College have had a near perfect season thus far, taking six wins out of their seven total games.

They are surely still buzzing after last weekend’s victory over Stirling, where they took a memorable win of 75-14 over their opponents.

This was one of many as Queen’s defeated Kempton Park by 31-12 during the King Edward VII Easter Festival, they showed their determination this game, scoring their first try at under eight minutes into the first half by means of their eighth man, while making it look incredibly easy. 

Selborne is not going to give up an easy win to Queen’s this Saturday, as they have played exceptional rugby this season with some great wins to their name. They too, defeated Stirling, earlier this year, with their final score reaching 29-0.

When Selborne took on Nico Malan of Humansdorp, it was some of the most captivating rugby to watch. Each play brought them closer to the victory and the team grew more united in each minute.

The outcome was 34-17 in Selborne’s favour.

Jordan Luck, hooker of Selborne, scored two tries within minutes of each other. Daniel Larkan (flyhalf), Amani Somana (scrumhalf) and James Bowles banded together to score a textbook try for Selborne.

This is the level of skill and determination they will bring on Saturday. This will be a phenomenal clash with an outcome to match.

Grey High School and Dale College are going to be an interesting match-up; with their records being pretty even for this season. Grey has three wins and a draw, Dale has four wins.

Dale did just defeat Hoërskool Grens (46-17), and they would surely love to turn this into a streak. Grey did take a 40-7 win over the Golden Lions Invitational XV recently, so they are ready to put up a fight.

There is no shortage of great games this weekend, Nico Malan is up against Despatch. Nico Malan currently has two back-to-back wins and are hunting for the hat trick.

Marlow Landbou is set to battle Hoërskool Grens.

The Grens first team recently won all three of their games during the Mossel Bay tour, with their final game against Hoërskool Douglas granting them a 22-12 win. Four players from Grens, namely Ruan Potgieter, Willem Kloppers, Jaco Muller and De Wet Nel, were also invited to be part of the Travel and Sports tour. 

Cambridge will take on Graeme College this Saurday.

Cambridge took a close victory over Winterberg earlier in April, ending the game at 20-18. Graeme is playing great rugby this season, taking some notable wins, most recently their 57-5 victory over Port Rex.

Stirling will battle it out against Pearson, as Stirling will try to gain some solid momentum for the rest of their season, while Pearson recently made a notable triumph over Selborne.

Die Brandwag and Muir College will take the field against each other, after Muir College’s recent victory over Stirling, they should be keen for the game.

Die Brandwag took a near victory over Kempton Park in early April, and would surely love their next victory to have a bit more distance.

Hangklip and Winterberg Landbou will also be partaking in this weekends action, with both institutions hoping to earn champion status.

The teams: 

Queen’s College: 15 Mveli Mqulo, 14 Siya Konki, 16 Thina Fenako, 12 Lwanele Gaba, 11 Jameel Fleshman, 10 Itha Mbulana, 9 Jade Zindlu, 8 Axola Khatshwa (captain), 7 Uyanda Mlungwana, 6 Sisipho Mpaka, 5 Sambesiwe Timla, 4 Emihle Jaxa, 3 Abulele Bolotini, 2 Sbonga Mfeya, 1 Kyle Aylwin.

Selborne College: 15 Siya Sakhela, 14 Luke Hosking, 13 Cole Schonknecht, 12 Chad de Beyer, 11 Hayden McKay, 10 Daniel Larkan, 9 Amani Somana, 8 Dewan du Preez, 7 Grant Day (captain), 6 Gcina Puzi, 5 Josh Carr, 4 Zuko Poswa, 3 Nathi Nthuli, 2 Jordan Luck, 1 Sandi Msengana.

Eastern Cape Fixtures (home sides mentioned first):

13:15 – Marlow Landbou vs Hoërskool Grens
13:20 – Hangklip vs Winterberg Landbou
13:20 – Nico Malan vs Despatch
13:30 – Die Brandwag (Uitenhage) vs Muir College
13:40 – Cambridge vs Grame College
13:40 – Stirling vs Pearson
15:00 – Queen’s College vs Selborne College
15:20 – Grey High School vs Dale College

 

 

 

 

 

King Edward VII School just hosted their Easter Festival and are wasting no time to take the field again battling Pretoria Boys’ High School this Saturday.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

KES defeated Selborne College (20-0) and Hudson Park  (55-12) at their Easter Festival but they show no signs of fatigue.

KES will once again be hosting a sporting spectacle this weekend, although this time around it will be a two-sided rivalry between them and Pretoria Boys’ High School.

Pretoria Boys’ High recently faced off against Grey High School and came out on top by 26-19.

The Noord/Suid tournament also granted Pretoria a victory. Their first team beat Durbanville 35-31, having Josh Naude named Man of the Match. Although they lost to Paul Roos Gimnasium, they improved the score of zero at half time to a respectable nineteen, ending the game 19-29.

With these institutions bringing their different approaches to the field, it should make for a great match-up. Although the first team game will definitely be the highlight for most fans, there will be much more rugby taking place.

The teams: 

King Edward VII: 15 Tristan Maugeri, 14 Bryce Bennet, 13 Olunje Mehlomakulu, 12 M Methula, 11 Timi Oluwole, 10 Simphiwe Moyo, 9 Ruan van Rensburg, 8 Kebotile Maake, 7 Olwethu Biyela, 5 T Smith, 4 Thomas Beiling, 3 Joshua Aube, 2 Esethu Mnebelele, 1 Lesedi Moloi.

Pretoria Boys’ High: 15 Kyle Hezlett, 14 Itumeleng Baloyi, 13 Reice Kruger, 12 Rickus Wessels, 11 Ntsako Ndhlovu, 10 Justin Tattersall, 9 Joshua Naude, 8 Jason van der Merwe, 7 Katlego Shebu, 6 Ernest van Rooyen, 5 Tshepiso Shikibana, 4 Stephen Adams, 3 Kitso Mokoena, 2 Shaun Schurmann, 1 Randy Muzungu.

Fixtures:

REDS FIELD

08:00 –  KES 5th XV vs PBHS 5th XV
09:00 – KES 4th XV vs PBHS 4th XV
10:00 – KES 3rd XV vs PBHS 3rd XV
11:00 – KES u16A vs PBHS u16A
12:15 – KES 2nd XV vs PBHS 2nd XV
13:15 – KES 1st XV vs PBHS 1st XV

Glenwood and Northwood are both riding high from Easter Festival victories, now it’s time for a faceoff.

Glenwood recently defeated Dale College (19-7) at the Standard Bank Kearsney College Easter Festival.

Their team is looking formidable this season, they also put up a great fight at the annual NMI Toyota Menlyn Noord-Suid tournament in Pretoria.

Catch all this weekend’s matches on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com). The direct link to the first team matches are below this article.

Northwood also recently bagged themselves a couple victories, beating Hudson Park (31-13) and Ben Vorster of Tzaneen 30-15 at the Standard Bank King Edward VII Easter Festival.

Glenwood are playing quick and aggressive rugby this season, giving anyone who opposes them a challenge. This should be a great game of rugby as both sides bring their best. The Grasshoppers’ fullback, Jaco Williams, has had an impressive season so far.

If this is not enough excitement for the rugby fans, Clifton is hosting Maritzburg College at a Saturday Derby; a first in their school’s history.

Maritzburg just won all three of their games at the St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival, and you can rest assured they are hoping to continue this streak. Clifton will need to bring their A-game from start to finish if they want to defeat Maritzburg, whose reputation precedes them.

They say good things come in threes, and that holds true this weekend.

Westville Boys’ High will be contending with Durban High School in another great match up this Saturday. Westville did defeat EG Jansen (22-10) on Monday showing their dominance.

DHS is not going into this game without their own accolades, as they just beat Marlow Landbou (32-25). They played hard until the very end for the victory, and that is what both these schools will need to do if they want to be named champions come game day.

The teams: 

Glenwood vs Northwood at 14:45 on Dixons:

Watch Live – www.supersportschools.com 

Glenwood: 15 Jaco Williams, 14 Renaldo le Fleur, 13 Johandre van Rooyen, 12 Sisiphiwo Dwayi, 11 Okonta Chijundu, 10 Andrew Martins, 9 Tyrique Hartnick, 8 Zukisani Tom, 7 Kane Plasket-Burne, 6 Tumisho Mofidokane, 5 Likhona Mfupi, 4 Liam Terblanche, 3 Bongani Dlamini, 2 Keagan Goosen, 1 Lithemba Mfupi.

Northwood: 15 G de Swardt, 14 Kwenzokuhle Dlamini, 13 Siyanda Nkosi, 12 Juan van Heerden, 11 Ramutuku Sikhakhane, 10 Cade Latham, 9 Casey Calitz, 8 Siyanda Mabuza, 7 Enzo van Niekerk, 6 Alulutho Nte, 5 Vuyo Gwiji, 4 Titas Cesonis, 3 Phikolomzi Zuka, 2 Luthando Makula, 1 Reuben Vos.

Clifton vs Maritzburg College at 14:30 at the Riverside Sports Club:

Watch Live – www.supersportschools.com

Clifton School: 15 Camden Riley, 14 Ebenezer Mangue, 13 Sam Selikow, 12 Joshua Kennedy, 11 Mackenzie Haygarth, 10 Joe Rey, 9 Michael Langston, 8 Bryce Beeslaar, 7 Adam Zolo, 6 Nathan Shotland, 5 Ben van der Merwe, 4 Ben McElligot, 3 Njabulo Dlomo, 2 Levi Anastasis-Lan, 1 Simphiwe Ngcobo.

Maritzburg College: 15 Swelihle Mbatha, 14 Colm Reardon, 13 Luyanda Kunene, 12 Ayrton van der Linde, 11 Langelihle Makhathini, 10 Luc du Toit, 9 Rhett Quinn, 8 Sasha Kadira, 7 Kevin Ayliffe, 6 Travis Walton, 5 Kuhle Mthimkulu, 4 Jake Jansen, 3 Aiden Botha, 2 Elbie Mouton, 1 Phiwayinkosi Kubheka.

Durban High School vs Westville Boys’ High at 15:20 on Van Heerdens: 

Watch Live – www.supersportschools.com

Durban High School: 15 Hopewell Ntshangase, 14 Ntando Mavuso, 13 Amahle Mazibuko, 12 Zingce Simka, 11 Maurice Willemse, 10 Deano Boesak, 9 Florensen Ockhuis, 8 Dale Hendrikse, 7 Siseko Mani, 6 Nkululeko Masondo, 5 Weihrich Basson, 4 Sima Hlabisa, 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Christian Everitt, 1 Siyanda Dlamini.

Westville Boys’ High: 15 Tshegofatso Ramaloko, 14 Michael Satade, 13 Siyabonga Ndlozi, 12 Likhona Finca, 11 Karabo Maimane, 10 Unathi Mlotshwa, 9 Rylan Jones, 8 Caleb Dreyden, 7 Avethandwa Tukwayo, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Daniel Mayo, 4 Tebogo M’Khomazi, 3 Bryce Stockton, 2 Ross Calvert, 1 Akhona Maseko.

Diocesan College and Clifton started us off for the first game of day three at the Standard Bank St Stithians Easter Festival, with Bishops taking their third win of the festival in a phenomenal fashion.

The coaching personnel for Bishops flexed their tactical muscles today and showed what you can achieve when you utilize everything at your disposal.

The talent in Bishops first team is not only palpable, but perfectly positioned and timed.

Gilermo Mentoe was once again on fire this morning, booting four conversions alongside scoring a try for his side. Kashief Joseph played brilliantly as flyhalf in the first half, when he succeeded in landing a try for Bishops.

Haashim Pead, however, was swapped in as flyhalf for the next thirty minutes and also succeeded in scoring a try. Winger Lucca Mynhardt obviously put five points on the board with a try, and Wakeem Fortuin managed two tries as well. The sheer brilliance really showed when Bishops scored their final twelve points in the last minute and a half of the game.

Even with Clifton’s fight and grit, Bishops came out on top today.

Wynberg Boys’ High played Northcliff in the second game and gave them an absolute hiding; beating them 41-0. Unfortunately for Northcliff, there is no chance for redemption, with today being the last day of the festival.

Wynberg played with great unity; they also played a truly unselfish game as a whole. The backline were really showing off their pace and coordination; with Ethan Thomas (outside centre) earning a hat trick of tries.

We also got to experience some lovely tries from Amier Adams (inside centre), Bibo Mawkendi (prop) and Nicholas van Schalkwyk (hooker).

All players with different strengths. That was the secret to their success. They did not care how the points got on the board or who played the final role in putting them there, they all supported each other in each play and helped their brothers to succeed for the good of the team. That is what rugby’s all about.

One does still need to mention the flyhalf, Yaqeen Ahmed’s kicking game. Getting three conversions and a penalty through the poles is no small feat.

The third game went exactly as you’d expect if you’ve been following Michaelhouse this season. We already know they will not allow any losses this season, and they certainly did not when they defeated St Alban’s College by 40-10 today.

Sometimes there are intangible qualities of a team that make them exceptional to watch; and oh boy does Michaelhouse have just that.

They are just so entertaining on the field. We already know we would get some great tries from Leo Muziva (winger) and Campbell Ridl (outside centre), with some big forwards, Luthando Buthelezi (prop) and Wandile Mlaba (eighthman), also earning one and two tries respectively.

In an exceptional play; Michaelhouse’s flyhalf, Josh Aissing, used magician-like slight of hand to perform a behind the back pass to their eighthman, Mlaba, leading to a highlight reel worthy try.

It brought a smile to their faces and ours.

It was one of those moments that could make anyone love the art of rugby. Michaelhouse is playing a witty, fantastically tactical game; and best of all, they’re having a great time doing it.

Helpmekaar made the highveld proud today when they defeated Kingswood College 31-5. Everyone has been looking forward to the moment when Helpmekaar really shows what they can do, and today was that day.

This may be a turning point for them this season; as a great victory can be a truly unifying experience for a team. Inside centre, Michael Benzien’s kicking was on point, as per usual. His performance was flawless as he converted every try.

What was fascinating, was the role that the forwards played in putting tries on the board. Every single one was touched down by a forward. The team really seemed to find their stride today and come together for an excellent game of rugby.

If they can keep this up and use today as a frame of reference going forward, this could be a very strong season for the Helpies.

Although Kingswood College has been a great squad to watch at this festival and are playing really effectively, the victory simply did not go their way today.

The final game between St Stithians College and St John’s Harare had much riding on it, it was the last game of the festival and St Stithians were surely hoping for a comeback.

Unfortunately for the hosts, the boys from up north took the win as the game ended at 15-7 is St John’s favour.

At least the long trip was not for nothing, as St John’s can return home proudly with two wins. The game was interrupted by lightning and bad weather, but that would not stop either team from giving it their all or break their spirit. St John’s number eight, Joshua Galant, showed his brute force when he scored them two tries.

Outside centre, Stefan Kruger, took a different approach as he ran full throttle, flaunted his pace and scored a try for his side. St Stithians did fight back, with their lock Francois Botes landing them a try which was easily converted by none other than captain and flyhalf, Chris Anderson.

The final day of the festival provided some excellent matchups and was really great to watch. This is looking like a really competitive season coming up with some really strong, combatant squads.

Who knows what the future holds, but man are we excited to find out.

Scorers: 

St John’s College (Harare) 15 (5) – Tries: Joshua Galant (2), Stefan Kruger. St Stithians College 7 (7) – Try: Francois Botes. Conversion: Chris Anderson.

Michaelhouse 40 (26) – Tries: Campbell Ridl (2), Wandile Mlaba (2), Luthando Buthulezi, Leo Muziva. Conversions: Luke Davidson (5). St Alban’s College 10 (3) – Tries: John-Joshua Steenkamp. Conversion: Josh Verster. Penalty: Josh Verster.

Helpmekaar 31 (10) – Tries: Ruan Welman (2), Pedri de Wet, Jandre Labuschagne. Conversions: Michael Benzien (4). Penalty: Michael Benzien. Kingswood College 5 (0) – Try: Shingi Manyarara.

Wynberg Boys’ High 41 (3) – Tries: Ethan Thomas (3), Amier Adams, Bibo Makwendi, Nicholas van Schalkwyk. Conversions: Yaqeen Ahmed (3), Sange Mbuto. Penalty: Yaqeen Ahmed. Northcliff 0.

Diocesan College 43 (19) – Tries: Wa-keem Fortuin (2), Kashief Joseph, Matthew French, Lucca Mynhardt, Haashim Pead, Gilermo Mentoe. Conversions: Mentoe (4). Clifton 10 (10) – Try: Michael Langston. Conversion: Joshua Kennedy. Penalty: Joshua Kennedy.

The boys showed no sign of fatigue and gave it their all at the second day of the Standard Bank St Stithians Easter Festival of 2023, with some teams looking to earn a hat-trick of victories by Monday.

Kingswood College, Diocesan College (Bishops), Wynberg Boys’ High and Michaelhouse will enter the final day with their unbeaten records intact during the festival.

Catch all the action on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

St Alban’s College and Wynberg Boys’ High started us off, with the former unfortunately coming up second best once again with a final score of 56-0.

St Albans would have loved a win after their game with St John’s College of Harare on Thursday, but there is still one day of the festival remaining to make things right. Wynberg, on the other hand, is having a very different experience with their second win of the tournament.

They played exceptionally well today, with their inside centre, Amier Adams, scoring their first try at around thirty seconds into the game.

St John’s College weren’t able to pull off a win today, as St Andrew’s College of Makhanda defeated the boys in green 43-21. The team from up north did have a much stronger game in the second half, really utilizing their pace and showing they are contenders in this game.

At half-time, St Johns tally sat at zero, they boosted that to 21 at full time.

St Andrew’s were simply too unified to be defeated today and played a really well-rounded game of rugby. St Andrew’s full-back, Jacques Cloete, not only had a near perfect kicking game, but converted his own try.

This is emblematic of their triple threat performance as a whole today.

It was KwaZulu-Natal vs KwaZulu-Natal in today’s sharky battle between Michaelhouse and Clifton.

Unfortunately for Clifton, they did not hear Michaelhouse’s plan for the season, no losses will be allowed. Michaelhouse took a 37-21 victory of their provincial peers and secured their second win for the festival.

Clifton played a beautiful game of rugby, with phenomenal kicking from Joshua Kennedy (inside centre) and some incredible running for the line from Michael Langston (scrumhalf) who managed two tries, so it is no indication of any poor efforts, Michaelhouse was simply more consistent throughout today’s game.

The name Leo Muziva should sound familiar to you by now, and if it doesn’t, he scored two tries for Michaelhouse today and will probably add points to the scoreboard all season.

Luke Davidson came in strong today, earning a try, three conversions and two penalties for his side! Watch out for Michaelhouse this season.

There always needs to be a really close game to keep everyone on the edge of their seats; today that was Helpmekaar and Bishops, with Bishops taking a 31-30 victory over the boys from the Highveld. Just after half-time, we were looking at 12-11 on the board, in Bishops favour.

Bishops was not enjoying this and decided to add a bit more distance, with their flanker Tapiwa Nkumanda scoring a try at under thirty seconds into the second half. The Helpies responded by banding together, and using great team effort to assist their lock in getting close to the line, allowing Jandre Labuschagne the opportunity to put a try on the board.

Both schools played with heart and grit, but ultimately Bishops were the top contenders and, like Michaelhouse, also managed to earn their second win.

Kingswood College can honestly give themselves a pat on the back for the rugby they’ve played at this festival; taking another victory today over the hosts, St Stithians College, at 36-17.

Their teamwork has been great, their pace and aggression towards the try line is second to none. They have probably been the most entertaining team to watch over both days. Flyhalf, Praise Matsela, managed three conversions, a penalty, and absolutely sprinted his way to a try.

The forwards also showed their speed and skill, as the eightman, Shingi Manyarara, scored two tries, and their lock Sipho Nonyalela scored a try as well.

Saints did play good rugby today, banding together for some impressive plays, and ultimately putting the final points on the board by means of a converted try, touched down by Francois Botes (lock) and put through the poles by fullback, Josh Meyer.

Kingswood did earn their exceptional victory today and played like pro’s, joining the league of schools looking to earn their third victory on Monday.

Scorers:

Kingswood 36 (15) – Tries: Shingi Manyarara (2), Sipho Nonyalela, Praise Matsela, Penalty Try. Conversions: Matsela (3). Penalty: Matsela. St Stithians College 17 (3) – Tries: Chris Anderson, Francois Botes. Conversions: Anderson, Josh Meyer. Penalty: Anderson.

St Andrew’s College 43 (26) – Tries: Jason Dovey, Andrew Baisley (2), Azaphukoyo Nonxub, Joe Wostenham, Jacques Cloete, Joe Bennie. Conversions: Cloete (4). St John’s College Harare 21 (0) – Tries: Wayne Kuraimunashe, Stefan Kruger, Joshua Covill. Conversions: Rory Honey (3).

Helpmekaar 30 (8) – Tries: Zack Smit, Jandre Labuschagne, Pieter Moller, Ruan Welman. Conversions: Michael Benzien (2). Penalties: Benzien (2). Bishops 31 (12) – Tries: Olo Sopotela, Gilermo Mentoe, Tapiwa Nkumanda, Alex Newton, Lucca Mynhardt. Conversions: Shaywan Blakenberg (2), Gilermo Mentoe.

Michaelhouse 37 (18) – Tries: Leo Muziva (2), Murray Baker, Luke Davidson, Wandile Mlaba. Conversions: Davidson (3). Penalties: Davidson (2). Clifton 21 (7) – Tries: Michael Langston (2), Njabulo Dlomo. Conversions: Joshua Kennedy (3).

Wynberg Boys’ High 56 (28) – Tries: Amier Adams, Euwyn Liberty, Yaqeen Ahmed, Matthew Ould, Xola Nyali, Ethan Thomas, Ezra Antonio, Jarryd Jackson. Conversions: Ahmed (5), Joel Kirby (3). St Alban’s College 0 (0).

Scorers:

Kingswood 36 (15) – Tries: Shingi Manyarara (2), Sipho Nonyalela, Praise Matsela, Penalty Try. Conversions: Matsela (3). Penalty: Matsela. St Stithians College 17 (3) – Tries: Chris Anderson, Francois Botes. Conversions: Anderson, Josh Meyer. Penalty: Anderson.

St Andrew’s College 43 (26) – Tries: Jason Dovey, Andrew Baisley (2), Azaphukoyo Nonxub, Joe Wostenham, Jacques Cloete, Joe Bennie. Conversions: Cloete (4). St John’s College Harare 21 (0) – Tries: Wayne Kuraimunashe, Stefan Kruger, Joshua Covill. Conversions: Rory Honey (3).

Helpmekaar 30 (8) – Tries: Zack Smit, Jandre Labuschagne, Pieter Moller, Ruan Welman. Conversions: Michael Benzien (2). Penalties: Benzien (2). Bishops 31 (12) – Tries: Olo Sopotela, Gilermo Mentoe, Tapiwa Nkumanda, Alex Newton, Lucca Mynhardt. Conversions: Shaywan Blakenberg (2), Gilermo Mentoe.

Michaelhouse 37 (18) – Tries: Leo Muziva (2), Murray Baker, Luke Davidson, Wandile Mlaba. Conversions: Davidson (3). Penalties: Davidson (2). Clifton 21 (7) – Tries: Michael Langston (2), Njabulo Dlomo. Conversions: Joshua Kennedy (3).

Wynberg Boys’ High 56 (28) – Tries: Amier Adams, Euwyn Liberty, Yaqeen Ahmed, Matthew Ould, Xola Nyali, Ethan Thomas, Ezra Antonio, Jarryd Jackson. Conversions: Ahmed (5), Joel Kirby (3). St Alban’s College 0 (0).

Kingswood College was playing chess and Clifton was playing checkers in today’s match up as Kingswood pulled off a well-coordinated 45-12 victory.

You can tell when a team is just having fun and that is when things usually go their way.

This was clearly the case for Kingswood today, as they had already put in the work and today was simply time to get creative with it and play around with strategy.

Watch all the matches again on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

The way the boys played in unison was like poetry, the ball wouldn’t leave someone’s hands without someone else there to catch it.

Their left wing, Vizi Labase, scored a hat trick. Flyhalf, Praise Matsila, got five conversions through and made it look easier than saying Happy Easter. Their right wing, Sine Brawen, had the most entertaining play of the day when he scored them a try with a chip and chase off the boot.

Sometimes things just come together perfectly, and that’s exactly what happened for Kingswood College today.

Clifton did have some decent defence, with their left wing, Mackenzie Haygarth, notably holding the line shortly before and after the half-time mark.

Josh Kennedy, their inside centre, did also succeed in both conversions. Perhaps his kicking would have stayed at one hundred percent if more chances were provided. Clifton’s gameplay seemed to come together for brief moments of brilliance, however, it was just not enough to contend with a spectacular, polished performance from Kingswood.

Diocesan College turned in a polished ten-try performance against hosts, St Stithians College, to kick-start their Saints Sports Festival with a convincing victory of 66-3.

All areas of play were dominated by the visitors in the opening game of this long-standing annual Festival, with the first try through Western Province XV Craven Week scrumhalf, Hashim Pead,  coming after only thirty seconds on the clock.

As in the first two games of the winter, the coaches introduced a raft of substitutions in the second half of proceedings, thus ensuring that all on the bench had a run at altitude.

Winger Lucca Mynhardt scored a hat-trick of tries. With this resounding win behind them, the players now look ahead to Saturday afternoon’s exciting fixture against Helpmekaar.

Mention must be made of the local ground-staff who ensured that the Baytopp Field was in immaculate condition after all of the recent rain up on the Highveld.

Article written by Zane Louw and Alex Ralston

Scorers: 

Wynberg Boys’ High School 20 (10) – Tries: Amier Adams, Xola Nyali. Conversions: Yaqeen Amed (2)  Penalties: Amed (2). Helpmekaar Kollege 12 (2) – Tries: Junayden Seffeir, Jandre Labuschagne. Conversions: Michael Benzien.

Michaelhouse 29 (7) – Tries: Murray Baker, Luthando Buthelezi, Campbell Ridl, Penalty Try. Conversions: Luke Davidson (2) Penalty: Davidson. St Andrew’s College 22 (8) – Tries: Oliver Myatt-Taylor (2), Joe Wostenholm. Conversions: Jacques Cloete (2). Penalty: Cloete. 

St John’s College (Harare) 29 (21) – Tries: Stefan Kruger, PK Manyakara, Joshua Galant, Thomas Judson, Penalty Try. Conversions: Rory Honey (2) Penalties: Honey. St Alban’s College 26 (15) – Tries: John-Joshua Steenkamp, Alex Yeatman, Ross Van Noordwyk, Luke Sass, Patrick Weir. Conversions: John Verster (3).

Kingswood College 45 (28) – Tries: Vizi Lebase (3), Shingi Manyara, Amazing Verhiwa, Sine Brawn, Appiah Nedzengu. Conversions: Praise Matsila (5). Clifton 12 (7) – Tries: Nathan Shotland, Levi Anastia. Conversion: Jonathan Kennedy.

Diocesan College 66 (38) – Tries: Lucca Mynhardt (3), Merlin Fransman, Hashim Pead, Aidan Norris, Olo Sopotela, Nic Allison, Christian Steward, Kashief Joseph. Conversions: Gilermo Mentoe (5), Shaywan Blankenberg (2), Mynhardt. St Stithians College 3 (3) – Penalty: Chris Anderson.