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Wynberg Boys’ High defeated Grey High for the second year in a row on Saturday in Cape Town. With a couple of draws sprinkled in, the Gqeberha boys’ winless streak against Wynberg extends back to 2017.

Once the southern suburbs’ side took the lead, they steadily increased it. They led 17-10 at halftime. By the final whistle, though, they had stretched their advantage to 24 points, scoring a convincing 41-17 victory.

Wynberg scrumhalf Rauf Ahmed used his vision to find holes around the fringes of the rucks, which he then exploited with his speed to bag two tries.

Flyhalf Achmat Behardien showed why he was selected for the Western Province Craven Week outfit last year, slotting all five conversion attempts, along with two penalties, for a contribution of 16 points.

Grey High produced some good moments. Their hooker, Micah Wessels, scored off the back of a rolling maul, while flyhalf Likhona Nakani weaved his way past a couple of opposition defenders for an impressive try.

Nonetheless, the hosts were the more clinical side. They turned their possession into territory and slowly wore down Grey’s defence over time.

That delivered the fruits of their labour in the second half, when they converted more chances inside the opposition’s 22-metre area.

Paarl Gimnasium will take note of Wynberg’s offensive capabilities and will prepare accordingly this week before the teams meet at Wynberg next Saturday.

Scorers

Wynberg Boys’ High 41 (17) – Tries: Rauf Ahmed (2), Esa van der Schyff, Ithandile Nkohla, Laeeq Davids. Conversions: Achmat Behardien (5). Penalties: Behardien (2). Grey High 17 (10) – Tries: Likhona Nakani, Micah Wessels, Daniel Naudé. Conversion: Nathan Trytsman.

Other Results

U19 – Wynberg I 41 Grey High I 17, Wynberg II 24 Grey High II 27, Wynberg III 10 Grey High III 24, Wynberg IV 17 Grey High IV 33, Wynberg V 12 Grey High V 40, Wynberg VI 0 Grey High VI 12, Wynberg VII 47 Grey High VII 5.

U16 – Wynberg A 26 Grey High A 10, Wynberg B 28 Grey High B 27, Wynberg C 26 Grey High C 7, Wynberg D 19 Grey High D 19.

U15 – Wynberg A 25 Grey High A 15, Wynberg B 10 Grey High B 12, Wynberg C 19 Grey High C 27, Wynberg D 17 Grey High D 15, Wynberg E 17 Grey High E 24.

U14 – Wynberg A 12 Grey High A 5, Wynberg B 11 Grey High B 10, Wynberg C 7 Grey High C 7, Wynberg D 0 Grey High D 40, Wynberg E 10 Grey High E 10.

Paarl Gimnasium enjoyed a field day at home on Saturday, defeating Bishops 66-14 while running in 10 tries.

Gimmies’ captain and inside centre Ethan Barker dotted down twice, while last week’s hat-trick hero, Corné Niemand, matched him.

The visitors acquired 14 points, all in the first half. Hooker Joe Lanning forced his way over the try line, followed by a score from outside centre Danny Newton, and flyhalf Caleb Clark converted both.

The hosts were dominant in all aspects of the game. They secured and stole possession from the scrums, lineouts, and breakdowns.

With a surfeit of possession, they had numerous opportunities to express themselves, and that resulted in some exciting tries. Their creativity and skillful hands proved to be too much for the Bishops’ defence.

At halftime, the hosts were already 40-14 up. They added another four tries in the second stanza.

Paarl Gim will aim to continue their try-scoring form at Wynberg Boys’ High next Saturday, while Bishops will be focused on picking up their first win in five games against Hoërskool Durbanville.

Boland Landbou outside centre Louis du Plessis crossed the try line twice as the visitors scored a hard-fought 26-22 win at SACS on Saturday.

The Farmers‘ lock, RW van Deventer, and blindside flank, Juan Visagie, captain and vice-captain, respectively, were excellent and led by example. In addition to their robust defensive work rate and leadership efforts, they scored a try each.

The visitors’ fullback, Divan Meyer, played his part by keeping cool under pressure and slotting three conversions that delivered crucial points in a narrow victory.

SACS took the Farmers head-on, bagging tries through carries from lock Cameron Hirst and eighthman Stephan Kruger. Their flyhalf, Jake Dave, kept the Newlands outfit within scoring distance for much of the game, landing two conversions and a penalty.

SACS, though, didn’t do enough with their possession. They’ll need to look for new avenues of attack if they are to impress their home crowd against Hoërskool Parel Vallei next weekend.

Playing in Mossel Bay on Saturday, Hoërskool Bellville won a fourth successive match after opening their season with five losses. In a high-scoring affair, they beat Hoërskool Punt 45-29.

Centre Caylem du Plessis and Xandru Büter were once again on the scoresheet, with both crossing for tries.

Blindside flank Zandro Stramrood also got himself over the try line. He’s impressed with his defensive work of late, but his hard running and carrying brought Stramrood a five-pointer on Saturday.

Scrumhalf Juvan Rousseau also made it onto the scorers’ sheet, but more importantly, he distributed with haste from the breakdown in a match that was won by the side that set the faster tempo.

While Punt scored their fair share of points, they were done in by their defence. Against centres like Du Plessis and Büter, missed tackles quickly turned into try-scoring opportunities.

Bellville will be hoping to deliver more of the same when they take on Hoërskool Melkbosstrand next weekend.

Scorers

Paarl Gimnasium 66 (40) – Tries: Ethan Barker (2) Corné Niemand (2), Corné de Beer, Derick Cloete, Dirk Hugo, Bernhardt Schulze, Ruan Lindeque, Hannes de Kock. Conversions: Louis Koen (7), Adrian Conradie. Diocesan College 14 (14) – Tries: Joe Lanning, Danny Newton. Conversions: Caleb Clark (2).

Boland Landbou 26 – Tries: Louis du Plessis (2), Juan Visagie, RW van Deventer. Conversions: Divan Meyer (3). SACS 22 – Tries: Cameron Hirst, Stephan Kruger, Dayaan Conrad. Conversions: Jake Dave (2). Penalty: Dave.

Hoërskool Bellville 45 – Tries: Zandro Stramrood, Liam Kuyk, Steven Steyl, Caylem du Plessis, Juvan Rousseau, Xandru Büter. Conversions: Marno Botes (5). Hoërskool Punt 29 – N/A.

Results

U19 – SACS I 22 Boland Landbou I 26, SACS II 12 Boland Landbou II 22, SACS III 45 Boland Landbou III 33, SACS IV 22 Boland Landbou IV 21, SACS V 30 Boland Landbou V 22, SACS VI 31 Boland Landbou VI 14.

U16 – SACS A 41 Boland Landbou A 41, SACS B 7 Boland Landbou B 12, SACS C 8 Boland Landbou C 16, SACS D 0 Boland Landbou D 19.

U15 – SACS A 13 Boland Landbou A 24, SACS B 3 Boland Landbou B 10, SACS C 14 Boland Landbou C 13, SACS D 10 Boland Landbou D 17.

U14 – SACS A 21 Boland Landbou A 17, SACS B 14 Boland Landbou B 14, SACS C 21 Boland Landbou C 7, SACS D 45 Boland Landbou D 14.

Ryan Herselman helped Northwood to celebrate their Old Boys’ Day in style by scoring a brace in a 4-2 win over Maritzburg College on the Jones Astro on Saturday.

Luc Boyall and Jordan Hatcher added the Knights’ other goals.

In Pietermaritzburg, Glenwood romped to a 4-1 win over St Charles on the Beckett Astro, while Hilton College secured a 3-2 win over Pretoria Boys’ High (PBHS) in Pretoria. King Edward VII (KES) enjoyed a fruitful trip to KwaZulu-Natal, edging out Westville Boys’ High 1-0.

“It’s always nice to celebrate on our Old Boys’ Day with a victory,” Justin Collins, the Northwood coach, told SuperSport Schools News.

“It gives us a little more momentum for next weekend. But big respect to College. They really played a good shape and a good system. They came out and put us under pressure for long periods.”

Maritzburg College seemed unfazed by the overwhelming support that had turned up to back Northwood and applied pressure in the early moments of the match. However, the hosts, buoyed by their home support, were in no mood to squander chances.

They created a single opportunity against the run of play three minutes into the encounter and converted it. That goal injected a sense of purpose into the Knights, who found the back of the net again with just over six minutes remaining in the chukka.

At halftime, Northwood made a couple of tweaks to their approach, and they paid off. They scored their third goal seven minutes into the third chukka, but College, who were down but are never out, pulled a goal back four minutes later.

“I thought the boys were nice and calm and connected well in the second half. It helped to put us in a really good space to win the game,” Collins said.

While Northwood reestablished a three-goal cushion shortly before the end of the third chukka, Maritzburg College had the final say, collecting their second goal in the last chukka, but it wasn’t enough.

Glenwood High vs St Charles College

Glenwood arrived at the Beckett Astro smarting from a home loss at the hands of Hilton College, in which they squandered a 2-0 lead and succumbed to a 3-5 defeat. Unlike their outing against Hilton, Glenwood started on the back foot against St Charles.

“We struggled to get the momentum in that first half. It just felt like the boys were flat,” Braydon Naidoo, the Glenwood Director of Hockey, reflected. After an uninspiring first half, it was goalless midway through the match.

During their halftime talk, the coaching staff exhorted the Glenwood players to pick up the tempo. They responded with a flurry of goals in the third chukka.

Xaydon Kariko, the star of the show, started the ball rolling by locating Daniel Ruiters at the back post, and he flipped it home as the goalkeeper tried to close him down. Kariko then doubled the lead with a cool finish before St Charles could formulate a response.

The double-strike swung the momentum in Glenwood’s favour, and they happily rode the wave.

“I think as the game went on, we just wore them down a little bit, and the game opened up for us. And with our style of hockey, moving the ball and going for it quickly, it helped us,” Naidoo said.

It didn’t take long before Kariko registered his brace, again showing composure before picking his spot and scoring. Ithani Doyi, who was celebrating his birthday, put the cherry on top by scoring Glenwood’s fourth goal.

Blake Francis netted a consolation penalty stroke for Saints on the final whistle.

Results

Northwood 4-2 Maritzburg College
KES 1-0 Westville
Glenwood 4-1 St Charles
Hilton 3-2 Pretoria Boys High

On Friday, Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal High Schools Football Association (KZNHSFA) matches were played in the Coastal C- and Inland B-Leagues. With the season nearing its conclusion, some teams are fighting for the right to play for titles. For others, their goal is to escape relegation.

In the Coastal C-League, Durban Academy has been in impressive form. They headed into Friday’s game against George Academy with a perfect record of four wins from four games, and they maintained their winning ways, coming away with a 3-1 victory.

With three games still to play in the regular season, they’re poised to secure a place in the final where the title and promotion to the Coastal B-League will be up for grabs.

Canaan College, in second place, is some way back, with seven points, while George Academy and Kloof High School also have seven points, but occupy third and fourth places, respectively, based on goal difference.

While Durban Academy is in a strong position to claim the top spot and a place in the final, the battle to earn the right to face them for the title is wide open. Not only are the next three teams tied on seven points, but Durban North College, in fifth place, is only one point behind them, with six.

With three matches to play and nine points available, an intriguing run-in awaits.

On Friday, Canaan College boosted its case with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Kloof High, Durban North College edged out Rossburgh 1-0, and Ashton Ballito drew 2-2 with Queensburgh High B

In the Inland B-league, the competition is extremely close, with only two points separating Michaelhouse, in first, from Maritzburg College B, in fifth.

‘House has nine points and College B seven. The Red, Black, and White trails fourth-placed Heritage Academy on goal difference. Just one point ahead of them, both Alexandra High B and Northbury have eight points, with Alex in second thanks to their superior goal difference.

At the lower end of the Inland B-League, Thornhill props up the table. After four matches, they have not yet picked up a point.

Riverwood College is only one point ahead of Thornhill and in seventh place. Maritzburg Christian School (MCS), with four points, is in sixth.

On Friday, Alexandra B and Northbury, two of the contenders for a place in the final, drew 2-2, while Heritage Academy and Riverwood College shared a goalless draw.

Maritzburg College B and Michaelhouse both secured three points. ‘House outplayed MCS 3-0, and College won 3-1 against Thornhill.

RESULTS 

Friday, 15 May

Coastal C-League
Durban North College 1-0 Rossburgh
Durban Academy 3-1 George Academy
Canaan College 3-2 Kloof High
Ashton Ballito 2-2 Queensburgh B

Inland B-League
Alexandra High B 2-2 Northbury
Maritzburg College B 3-1 Thornhill
Heritage Academy 0-0 Riverwood
Michaelhouse 3-0 MCS

Jeppe High School for Boys and St Stithians College will meet in the Aitken Cup final on Sunday. It’s a repeat of last year’s title game.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

They booked their places in the clash for the silverware on Saturday, the third day of the tournament, which is being hosted at St Stithians, in Johannesburg.

The road to the final was similar for both sides. Jeppe finished atop Pool A after beating Monument, Northcliff, and Trinityhouse Rand Park Ridge.

In the last eight, coach Gareth Heyns‘s side brushed aside Parktown Boys’ High 3-0 to book a final four date with St John’s College.

St John’s dominated their pool, too, and cruised to a 4-0 win over St Benedict’s College in the quarterfinals.

Jeppe dominated the early exchanges of their semifinal showdown, rushing into a 2-0 lead, courtesy of goals by Kade Lottering and Jadon Havinga.

St John’s, despite being forced to play on the back foot, showed fight and grit, and that brought them rewards in the second half.

Motheo Mparutsa found the back of the net, tapping in at the far post, before Connor Cooper converted a penalty stroke to make it 2-2.

The final chukka was fiercely contested, and both sides created opportunities to grab the lead late on. By the end of regulation time, however, the game was deadlocked. A penalty shootout was needed to decide the winner.

Both outfits missed their first three takes, with the goalkeepers rescuing their teams. It took a strike by Lottering during sudden death to seal the win for Jeppe.

In the second semifinal, St Stithians College went about their business effectively and beat St David’s Marist Inanda 2-1.

Saints, playing in front of their home supporters, produced a classy performance and survived a late scare to take the win.

Jason Joiner, who has found the back of the net with relative ease throughout the tournament, scored again, and Didier le Roux struck, too.

By winning, St Stithians has a chance to reverse last year’s final result, which finished with Jeppe winning 4-2. When the sides met earlier this season, it was goalless through three chukkas, but it ended 2-2 after a frantic final quarter.

In other matches, Noordheuwel picked up wins against Randpark High and HeronBridge College, while Monument bounced back with wins against Redhill and Beaulieu College.

Linden defeated Redhill 2-1, while Northcliff posted a 3-1 win over HeronBridge.

The final day’s action kicks off bright and early at 07:30 with the final scheduled for 12:30.

RESULTS

Quarterfinals 

Jeppe 3-0 Parktown
St John’s College 4-0 St Benedict’s College
St Stithians College 3-0 Helpmekaar
St David’s 2-0 Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge

Semifinals 

Jeppe (1) 2-2 (0) St John’s College
St Stithians College 2-1 St David’s

Playoffs 

Monument 2-0 Redhill
Beaulieu 1-0 Linden
Noordheuwel 2-0 HeronBridge
Randpark 4-2 Northcliff
Linden 2-1 Redhill
Monument 4-2 Beaulieu
Northcliff 3-1 HeronBridge
Noordheuwel 5-0 Randpark

FIXTURES

@Saints Red Astro

11:00 – St John’s College vs St David’s  – 3rd/4th playoff
12:30 – Jeppe vs St Stithians College – Final

@Parktown Boys’ High 

07:30 – Parktown vs Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge
09:00 – St Benedict’s College vs Helpmekaar
10:30 – Monument vs Noordheuwel
12:00 – Beaulieu College vs Randpark
13:30 – Linden vs Northcliff
15:00 – Redhill vs HeronBridge

A defensive masterclass, coupled with grit and a never-say-die attitude, propelled Wynberg Boys’ High to a 1-0 victory over Grey High in Cape Town in a Friday Nite Lights showdown.

The sides delivered a spectacle that will be remembered for years by the jovial crowd that gathered at the Astro of Dreams.

Wynberg headed into the clash on the back of a 0-4 loss to rivals Bishops last week, while Grey’s Reunion match with Queen’s College was abandoned due to bad weather in the Eastern Cape.

The atmosphere around the AstroTurf was second to none, and both sets of schools came out in large numbers, filling the stands to the rafters.

On the field, it was a fiercely contested battle, and it took a strike by Wynberg’s talisman, Mustapha Kajee, to break the deadlock.

Grey responded by upping the ante and subjected the hosts to heavy pressure.

They created more than a handful of goalscoring opportunities, including several short corners, but Wynberg’s defence held firm.

The latter parts of the game were nervy for the home side, but they showed composure inside the circle to prevent Grey from levelling the scores.

“The game was a special one for both schools, as it was the 30th anniversary of this schoolboy derby,” Wynberg’s head coach Devin Stanton told SuperSport Schools News.

“Besides us scoring, I believe the biggest turning point in the game was our penalty corner defence. Grey had 10 or more PCs, but we didn’t concede a goal.

“My main message to the players was simple: we have come so far, so let’s just keep pushing hard through the tough phases of play.

“When you are playing a top team, it doesn’t just come down to the skill and tactical level. It’s the mentality to believe you can win and, when you are winning, to control that belief until the end.”

The victory for coach Stanton and his side comes at a crucial time in the season. Besides the loss to Bishops a week ago, they also suffered a 2-3 defeat at the hands of Fairmont High in a league fixture earlier this month.

Stanton said they made some adjustments ahead of the Grey clash. “We changed player positions and worked hard throughout the week on making better decisions on the ball.”

Wynberg next faces Paarl Gimnasium, a side that will be eager to bounce back after going down 1-2 to Bishops on Friday night.

Stanton believes the Grey victory will give his side confidence and belief, but acknowledged that there’s still plenty of work to be done.

“We hadn’t beaten Grey in eight years, so a result of this nature will definitely increase the belief that, on the day, no matter what, we have a chance to win.

“We have been on the receiving end of this type of result, so we will stay humble and prepare for our next game against Paarl Gim in the correct manner.”

Result

Wynberg Boys’ High 1-0 Grey High

Al die uitslae van die reeks soos wat ons dit ontvang sal hier opgedateer word.

Indien u uitslag of wedstryd nie op die lys is nie – tree gerus met ons in kontak deur ‘n e-pos te stuur aan rugby@ssschoolsplus.co.za of per WhatsApp na 072 172 5455.

Al die uitslae:

GROEP 1 

NOORDVAAL BEKER

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Ander spanne: 

o.16: Menlopark 39, Waterkloof 24; Rustenburg 30, Middelburg 22; Helpmekaar 35, EG Jansen 17; Garsfontein 38, Noordheuwel 13.

o.15: Waterkloof 26, Menlopark 12; Middelburg 27, Rustenburg 17; Helpmekaar 38, EG Jansen 7; Garsfontein 22, Noordheuwel 20.

o.14: Menlopark 22, Waterkloof 17; Rustenburg 12, Middelburg 10; Helpmekaar 29, EG Jansen 14; Noordheuwel 12, Garsfontein 10.

NOORDVAAL PLAAT

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Ander spanne:

o.16: HTS Middelburg 31, Montana 7; Klerksdorp 23, Nelspruit 14; Oos-Moot 47, Wesvalia 37; Transvalia 40, Kempton Park 14.

o.15: Montana 26, HTS Middelburg 0; Nelspruit 42, Klerksdorp 19; Wesvalia 21, Oos-Moot 8; Kempton Park 26, Transvalia 7.

o.14: Montana 15, HTS Middelburg 5; Klerksdorp 17, Nelspruit 12; Wesvalia 22, Oos-Moot 11; Transvalia 29, Kempton Park 0.

NOORDVAAL SKILD

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Ander spanne:

o.16: Ben Vorster 17, Lichtenburg 7; Marais Viljoen 28, Secunda 17; Pietersburg 61, Heidelberg Volkies 7.

o.15: Ben Vorster 62, Lichtenburg 10; Secunda 19, Marais Viljoen 10; Heidelberg Volkies 19, Pietersburg 12.

o.14: Ben Vorster 29, Lichtenburg 0; Secunda 7, Marais Viljoen 0; Heidelberg Volkies 13, Pietersburg 10.

NOORDVAAL BOWL

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Ander spanne:

o.16: Brandwag 31, Dinamika 23; Die Anker 31, Ermelo 31; Merensky 22, Hugenote 17; Potch Volkies 19, Jeugland 17; Centurion 36, Potch Gimmies 7; Bergsig 21, Midstream College 17.

o.15: Dinamika 20, Brandwag 10; Ermelo 13, Die Anker 8; Hugenote 14, Merensky 8; Jeugland 19, Potch Volkies 9; Potch Gimmies 27, Centurion 12; Midstream College 38, Bergsig 5.

o.14: Brandwag 15, Dinamika 0; Ermelo 29, Die Anker 12; Merensky 12, Hugenote 7; Jeugland 19, Potch Volkies 19; Potch Gimmies 14, Centurion 12; Midstream College 13, Bergsig 12.

GROEP 2

GROEP 3

GROEP 4

GROEP 5

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

The results from around South Africa will be updated here as we receive the results from the various schools. For results of the Virseker Noordvaal Cup – click on the following link – Virseker Noordvaal Cup Results.

If your school’s match is not listed below or you would like to send in your team’s results, please email us via e-mail at rugby@ssschoolsplus.co.za or via WhatsApp at 072 172 5455.

You can also submit a result via our website – Submit Result.

All the results: 

EASTERN CAPE

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FREE STATE/GRIQUALAND WEST

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KWAZULU-NATAL

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NOORDVAAL

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WESTERN CAPE

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Dylan Forbes scored a brace to inspire Kearsney College to a 3-0 win over Durban High School (DHS) in their Friday Nite Lights contest on the Mason Astro, in Botha’s Hill.

“It was a great result for us, considering that DHS is perceived to be better than us.

“If you compare, we’re a team that has one KZN Coastal u18A representative, Keegan de Jager, and they have six players in the u18A side. So, man for man, they certainly are perceived to be better than us,” Keegan Pearce, the Kearsney coach, told SuperSport Schools News.

Kearsney went into the contest with a plan. They were acutely aware of DHS’s attacking threats in one-on-one duels. They also understood the danger posed by Chris Abrahams, the visitors’ captain, in the left pocket, coupled with his ability to play all the way across to the right and stretch teams

“One of our key themes defensively was to make sure that we nullify their attacking threat. Our plan was not to win the ball,” Pearce revealed. “We planned to keep the ball on the outside if it came into that channel, and not be beaten on the inside. And I think we did that extremely well.”

Kearsney began the contest on the front foot, courtesy of a goal by Dylan Forbes four minutes into the match. After scoring, the hosts tried their best to maintain their momentum while sticking to their defensive principles.

An overarching theme in Kearsney’s fortunes this season has been that they have found success when they score more than a single goal. Defending a one-goal lead has too often led to either a draw or a defeat. The hosts knew that they couldn’t sit back and defend their one-goal advantage.

They’d worked hard to create more goal-scoring opportunities while preparing for the game, with a focus on creating larger spaces for the ball carrier to lead into when attacking.

“We pride ourselves on having worked really hard at getting outcomes inside the circle with a lot of congested numbers. We did that by winning a few short corners, by carrying hard to the baseline, and not overcrowding,” Pearce elaborated.

That approach bore fruit when Simnene Kubheka doubled their lead early in the second chukka. With a two-goal cushion, Kearsney was able to control the tempo of the contest; the longer DHS went without a goal, the more they overextended themselves in an effort to claw their way back into the game.

When Forbes scored his second goal, Kearsney’s third, in the fourth chukka, it was clear there was no way back for DHS. They kept fighting to the final whistle, but Kearsney kept a clean sheet.

“It was an incredible atmosphere. The entire school was out for Kearsney, and it was a really good game, despite the fact that DHS didn’t score. They are a quality outfit that is good to watch,” Pearce said.

Kearsney, who have just five games left in the season, will be keen to carry the momentum from their victory over DHS into their forthcoming fixtures.

“We were very chuffed and proud of the win, and our momentum is building. We went to Nomads this year early on and lost four out of five. Since then, we have not lost two in a row. We have slowly either drawn games or won them, which is really promising,” Pearce concluded.

Result

Kearsney 3-0 DHS

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) brought cheer to their home crowd with a 3-2 win over Grey College in their Friday Nite Lights derby encounter on the AHMP Astro, in Pretoria, on Friday evening.

Die Hoërskool Menlopark, who hosted Hoërskool Waterkloof, brought joy to their own set of fans with a victory by an identical score at Menlopark

“I am happy with the boys’ performance because the derby is always huge,” Jaydon Lincoln, the Affies’ coach, told SuperSport Schools News.

“There is a lot of respect between both schools, and so there will always be a huge amount of pressure on the boys for games like this.”

The last time the teams met, at the Nomads Festival, they drew 3-3. Thus, a tight contest was expected, but this time Affies won by the odd goal in five.

Grey College drew first blood when they struck five minutes into the match. However, their lead was short-lived because the Witstokke issued a response almost immediately.

Affies, after losing 2-3 to Jeppe in their previous outing, identified their set-piece execution as an area of their game that needed attention. “We have been spending a lot of time on our short corners and set pieces. Big games require set pieces to be excellent, because they decide many games,” Lincoln said.

His words turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy because Affies’ first two goals were the result of their clinical set-piece execution, with Rudolph Thiart converting penalty corners in the seventh and ninth minutes of the chukka.

Grey College dusted themselves off and headed into the second chukka, firing on all cylinders. Their forays into Affies’ half were rewarded with a goal two minutes before the halftime break.

“We’ve identified Grey College as a threat due to their physical brilliance, always being in the game and as a threat counterattacking-wise. So, there have been some small tweaks to certain outletting patterns to minimise the risk,” coach Lincoln said ahead of the contest.

Those preparations held Affies in good stead in the third chukka. Grey College took it to the home side, but the Witstokke’s defence stood its ground. The quarter ended goalless. The game was on the line in the final chukka.

With just under eight minutes remaining in the contest, Affies broke the stalemate with a superb goal from Reuben Dreyer, who capitalised on a brilliant flick towards goal by Kean Cornelissen.

Menlopark vs Waterkloof

Like Affies, Menlopark brought cheer to their home fans with a 3-2 win over Waterkloof in a thrilling encounter on the Menlo Blou Astro.

Menlo enjoyed the home ground advantage, but Waterkloof grabbed the early initiative and took advantage of some casual defensive play by Menlopark to score first from a well-worked field goal.

That strike jolted Menlopark to life, and it wasn’t long before they registered their first goal, a tap-in at the post by Ruben Oberholzer, six minutes after Klofies had taken the lead.

Both sides created chances in the next chukka, but their respective goalkeepers made outstanding saves, and they went to the halftime break on level terms.

When Reco Grobler thrust Menlopark into the lead by converting a well-worked short corner, momentum shifted towards the home side. Deep into the quarter, the hosts made inroads down the right-hand baseline before Oberholzer executed a brilliant upright reverse stick shot to make it 3-1.

Waterkloof refused to throw in the towel, but Menlo stood strong. Eventually, though, the visitors’ efforts paid off, and they pulled a goal back. By then, though, only seconds remained in the match.

Results

Affies 3-2 Grey College
Menlopark 3-2 Waterkloof