{"id":85142,"date":"2025-10-17T19:27:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T17:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=85142"},"modified":"2025-10-17T19:27:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T17:27:47","slug":"saints-invitational-enters-knockout-stage-after-a-dramatic-day-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=85142","title":{"rendered":"Saints Invitational enters knockout stage after a dramatic day two"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SACS
SACS and St John’s College played out to an entertaining draw on day two of the Saints Water Polo Invitational Tournament. Photo: Debbi Adcock Photography<\/a><\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Only four teams were able to book their spots in the quarterfinals of the St Stithians College Water Polo Invitational<\/a><\/strong> on Friday, day two of the tournament, in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

After topping their respective pools, Rondebosch Boys’ High<\/strong>, South African College High School<\/strong> (SACS)<\/strong>, St David’s Marist Inanda<\/strong>, and St Stithians<\/strong>, marched into the last eight.<\/p>\n

They will, however, have to wait until 09:30 on Friday morning to find out who they’ll face for a place in the semifinals.<\/p>\n

Bishops Diocesan College<\/strong>, Hilton College<\/strong>, St John’s College<\/strong>, and Kearsney<\/strong> College<\/strong> all finished second in their pools, meaning they’ll have to win a cross-pool playoff match to reach the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

There was plenty at stake on Friday after the event got off to a cracking start on Thursday<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In Pool A, Rondebosch and Bishops continued their dominance, scoring big wins over Michaelhouse<\/strong> and Pearson High<\/strong>, respectively. The Cape Town rivals then met to decide first place in the group.<\/p>\n

It was a nail-biting Bish\/Bosch<\/em><\/strong> clash, with coach Jared Wingate-Pearse’<\/strong>s Rondebosch side making their intentions clear from the get-go.\u00a0They quickly rushed to a 2-0 lead after the first quarter, thanks to a Kieran Bennewith<\/strong> brace.<\/p>\n

Bishops responded in the second chukka through James Malan<\/strong> and Christo Le Roux<\/strong>. That wasn\u2019t enough, though, as Zack Labuschagne<\/strong>, Noah Reiback<\/strong>, and Jason Warneke<\/strong> netted to make it 5-2 to ‘Bosch at the halftime break.<\/p>\n