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Oos-Moot se ommeswaai, na ‘n hewige nederlaag van 7-48 teen Menlopark vroeër die week, het gesorg vir een van die naweek se groter opskuddings.

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Die span van die Moot kon daarin slaag om vir Hoërskool Nelspruit, wat reeds uitstekende rugby vroeg vanjaar opgedis het, met 37-29, in die NWU Sport-reeks, te klop. Die Oosies het gewys dat hulle ‘n perd van ‘n ander kleur is wanneer die agterlyn bal op die voorvoet geniet.

Binnesenter, Dewron Aford, was agterlangs die groot uitblinker en het twee keer deurgebreek om agter Nellies se doellyn te gaan kuier.

Die blitsvinnige linkervleuel, Tapiwa Rwafa, het ook gedruk, terwyl Ruwan Allen, die Oosies se losskakel, spel netjies dikteer het met goeie visie en uitmuntende balverspreiding.

Voorlangs kom dit as geen verrassing dat dit Oosies se agtsteman, Deon Badenhorst, uitgetroon het nie. Nes vroeër die week, was Badenhorst deurgaans Oos-Moot se vernaamste baldraer, met sy begeesterde barslopies wat keer op keer deur die Nellies se verdediging kon dring. Hy is ook met ‘n tweekuns vir sy kragtige spel beloon.

Vaughn van Zyl, die span van Nelspruit se agtsteman, het duidelik egter ook ‘n goeie verhouding met sy teenstanders se doellyn. Van Zyl het weer vandeesweek gaan druk, nadat hy verlede week Hoërskool Middelburg se harte gebreek het met sy wendrie in die doodsnikke .

Die Nellies se pak het onvermoeid ingeklim, en byna al hul drieë is deur die grootmanne voor gedruk. Linkervleuel, Jordan Pretorius, was die enigste agterspeler van Nelspruit wat die doellyn kon oorsteek.

Die voortdurende tweestryd tussen die Oosies se snellers en Nellies se begeesterde pak het vir die volle 70 minute vir ongelooflike opwinding gesorg.

Hoërskool Menlopark gaan van krag tot krag in die aanloop tot die Noord/Suid-toernooi wat later hierdie week by Affies afskop, en het vir Hoërskool Middelburg ‘n ordentlike loesing van 53-5 gegee.

Die grondslag vir die sege is grotendeels agter gelê, met die Parkies se blitse wat die span van Pretoria gereeld in goeie aanvallende posisies kon plaas. Divan Nel, Menlopark se heelagter, was uitstekend en het ‘n aandeel gehad in feitlik elkeen van sy span se drieë, insluitende ‘n slinkse steekskoppie vir regtervleuel, Reinardt Herbst, se eerste van twee drieë.

Nathen du Plessis was weer in beheer aan die agterkant van die Parkies se onkeerbare dryfmaalbewegings en het, nes Herbst, die Middies se doellyn twee keer oorgesteek.

Hoërskool Waterkloof het na ‘n ietwat tentatiewe begin hul ritme mooi gevind om met ‘n telling van 40-10 met HTS Middelburg af te reken. Agtsteman, Codi Binneman, en linkervleuel, Dennis Obi, het albei tweekunste behaal, met Binneman, in die besonder, wat uitgeblink en deurentyd kopsere vir die Rooibulle se verdedigers besorg het.

Skerpskutter, Ronan Bastiaanse, het vyf van sy span ses drieë verdoel, terwyl Klofies ook tevrede behoort te wees met die tydige terugkeer van hul losskakel, Franco Cronjé, voor die Noord/Suid-toernooi.

Puntemakers: 

Oos-Moot 37 (19) – Drieë: Dewron Aford (2), Deon Badenhorts (2), Tapiwa Rwafa. Doelskoppe: Ruwan Allen (3). Strafdoele Allen (2). Hoërskool Nelspruit 29 (11) – Drieë: Jordan Pretorius, D’Angelo Roberts, WJ Botha, Vaughn van Zyl. Doelskoppe: Theuns Meyer (3).

Menlopark 53 (22) – Drieë: Nathan du Plessis (2), Raynard Herbst (2), Stefan van Niekerk, Divan Nel, Declan Pelser, Justin Lottering, strafdrie. Doelskoppe: Phillipus de Bruyn (2), Andru Kuhn. Hoërskool Middelburg 5 (5) – Drie: Eckard Marx.

Waterkloof 40 (14) – Drieë: Codi Binneman (2), Dennis Obi (2), Migael Prinsloo, Happy Makate. Doelskoppe: Ronan Bastiaanse (5). HTS Middelburg 10 (3) – Drie: Dirkie du Plooy. Doelskop: Jaque Stassen. Strafdoel: Stassen.

Ander spanne:

o.16: Nelspruit 29, Oos-Moot 18; Menlopark 33, Hoërskool Middelburg 10; Waterkloof 12, HTS Middelburg 12.

o.15: Oos-Moot 21, Nelspruit 5; Hoërskool Middelburg 19, Menlopark 17; Waterkloof 24, HTS Middelburg 13.

o.14: Nelspruit 14, Oos-Moot 10; Hoërskool Middelburg 11, Menlopark 10; Waterkloof 29, HTS Middelburg 0.

 

Michaelhouse, coming off a narrow 7-10 defeat to Helpmekaar, made the trip to Westville Boys’ High on Saturday, knowing they would be up against a dangerous opponent on Bowden’s, in front of a jam-packed crowd that created a cauldron-like atmosphere.

In a reversal of the flow of the hockey match between the two 1^st teams, it was the Griffin who were controlled in the first half, but then came on strongly in the last quarter.

They had trailed 5-18 at one stage but managed to pull to within a point at 17-18, However, the risks they took to get that close came back to bite them when Michaelhouse forced a turnover and went over in the left-hand corner. A fine conversion in difficult windy conditions by Luke Davidson took it beyond a one-score game and that’s how it remained as ‘House scored a 25-17 victory.

Their defence was the catalyst for two of their three tries, with hard hits and turnovers being turned into points.

In the first half, the visitors looked comfortably in charge before Westville fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya sliced through the Michaelhouse defence when a backline move that appeared to have broken down wasn’t closed down quickly enough. It was one of the few occasions that the boys in red and white gave Westville too much room within which to operate.

Westville was dangerous on attack, Michaelhouse coach James Fleming said. Their fullback, Zekethelo Siyaya, was “lethal”, but he was far from the only dangerman, Fleming added.

For the most part, though, Michaelhouse controlled the game, with flyhalf Davidson playing the conditions well and dictating field position with his boot.

Good tactical kicking by Michaelhouse flyhalf Luke Davidson was a key factor in his side’s victory.Davidson’s control forced Westville to play from deep, and it kept them turning around, which was not how they wanted to play the game. Their coach Njabulo “Jabz” Zulu admitted he was disappointed with his charges’ first outing.

“Very disappointing. We really came in with a plan, and our plan was to try and outwork them. They were a much bigger team, and I thought we had an athletic team.” The problems they experienced were many of those seen early in the season: from teams playing their first games loose passes and dropped balls, but the negative penalty count was truly costly.

“We let them off the hook with silly penalties. That hurt us a lot,” Zulu said.

After their opening loss to Helpmekaar, Fleming said his charges needed to sort out some aspects of their scrum and lineout work. That they had done that clearly showed in their performance on Bowden’s.

Westville, who were without their first-choice locks, gained very little clean ball from the lineouts, where one of Michaelhouse’s unsung heroes, Riley Gehren, caused havoc by contesting every throw-in. He also delivered a big-time defensive performance, making one solid tackle after another.

In the backline, Tom Baguley was equally effective in stopping Westville. Fleming likened him to the former Wales and British Lion bowling ball at centre, Scott Gibbs.

“He was outstanding defensively and took it up when we needed it,” Fleming said.

Alongside Baguley, Rourke O’Sullivan, making his bow in the 1^st XV, enjoyed a strong debut.

The tight scrums were probably shaded by Michaelhouse, with tighthead prop, Thomas Peach, adding some heft to the pack.

The loose was a battle throughout. “They were really competitive over the ball. They’re very good at going at the ball, so I was chuffed that we managed to win those balls. A week ago, we would have lost a lot of them,” Fleming reckoned.

For three-quarters of the contest, the visitors looked on course for a comfortable win, but when Westville started to iron out some of their errors, they forced Michaelhouse onto the back foot and an intercept try by Blake Allbon threw the cat among the pigeons.

Another five-pointer by Jeshua Ferreira meant there was only one point in it, but captain Carlyle Hawkins and his crew quickly found a reply to give themselves some breathing room.

Michaelhouse’s ability to keep tacking on points throughout the contest was critical to his team’s success, said Fleming: “Luke Davidson kept the scoreboard ticking, and that’s a big lesson that schoolboys need to learn, like Jonny Wilkinson, three, six, nine, 12. It kept our scoring going, which was very important, so well done to Luke Davidson for that.

Westville coach Jabz Zulu lamented the fact that his team missed some kickable penalties: “We were behind by a point, and we had a kick in front of the poles. We didn’t miss difficult kicks and that was costly.

“We played for maybe 20 percent of the time. We could have been in with a shot.

“That’s also why I am disappointed, because I want to make people proud. I feel like, for a large part of that, we didn’t make people proud.”

There is quality in the Westville lineup. That much is clear. And much like Michaelhouse will feel they let themselves down through unforced errors in their first match, so too will Westville feel they were some way off their best in their opener.

They’ll aim to take a leaf out of the Balgowan boys’ book when they run out against Clifton College in the coming week and show that they’ve effectively addressed some of the areas of play that weren’t up to scratch. If they get it right, Michaelhouse’s James Fleming noted, they have some very dangerous runners.

Scores

Michaelhouse 25 (13): Tries Stefan Moolman, Carlyle Hawkins, Rourke Murray. Penalties: Luke Davidson (x2). Conversions: Luke Davidson (x2). Westville 17 (5) – Tries: Zekhethelo Siyaya, Blake Allbon, Jeshua Ferreira. Conversions: Jadewill Koopman

u16A: Westville 19 Michaelhouse 14

u15A: Michaelhouse 19 Westville 17

u14A: Michaelhouse 17 Westville 10

Paarl Gimnasium asserted their dominance against Stellenberg on Saturday, outmuscling the Jade Brigade for a decisive 29-5 victory away from home.

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Stellenberg got the home crowd on their feet by scoring the first try of the match in scintillating fashion through speedster Luc Cilliers, after his fellow winger, Marco Staples, turned the Gimmie defenders on their heels with the initial break.

That was, however, the only shot fired for the Jade Brigade, as Paarl Gim kept them scoreless for the rest of the match while stacking up 29 points in reply to the hosts’ early success.

Centre Kobus Blanckenberg did well to dismantle the Stellenberg defence and his big prop, Ely Williams, went on a couple of destructive runs to further soften up the opposition.

A brace by the Gimmies’ nippy winger, Freek de Kock, and more tries by Markus Muller (centre), Nicolas Nel (eighth man) and Wihan Kotze (flanker), plus two conversions by De Kock, saw Paarl Gim to a decisive victory, which reasserted their dominance after Stellenberg ran them to within one point on their home turf last year.

The Stellenberg boys still have exciting tournaments to look forward to in the coming weeks, including fixtures against the hosts, Affies, and Noordheuwel at the forthcoming
NMI Toyota North South Rugby Tournament.

Paarl Gimnasium will also be in action at the event against Pretoria Boys’ High and Monument. They appear poised to establish themselves among the top teams in the country again this year.

Scorers

Paarl Gimnasium 29 (10) – Tries: Freek de Kock (2), Markus Muller, Nicolas Nel, Wihan Kotze. Conversions: De Kock (2). Stellenberg 5 (5) – Try: Luc Cilliers.

Other results:

u19 – Paarl Gimnasium II 19, Stellenberg II 13; Paarl Gimnasium III 21, Stellenberg III 5; Paarl Gimnasium IV 33, Stellenberg IV 3; Paarl Gimnasium V 34, Stellenberg V 6; Paarl Gimnasium VI 10, Stellenberg VI 5.

u16 – Paarl Gimnasium A 20, Stellenberg A 15; Paarl Gimnasium B 28, Stellenberg B 6; Paarl Gimnasium C 7, Stellenberg C 3; Paarl Gimnasium D 35, Stellenberg D 17.

u15 – Stellenberg A 6, Paarl Gimnasium A 5; Stellenberg B 12, Paarl Gimnasium B 3; Stellenberg C 24, Paarl Gimnasium C 0.

u14 – Paarl Gimnasium A 8, Stellenberg A 7, Paarl Gimnasium B 15, Stellenberg B 7, Stellenberg C 15, Paarl Gimnasium C 12; Stellenberg D 12, Paarl Gimnasium 7.

Vleuel, Ruwan Stevens, het Hoërskool Robertson se derde en laaste onverdoelde drie gedruk om sy span op die nippertjie met 15-12 te laat seëvier teen ‘n begeesterde Hoërskool Vredendal in die hoofwedstryd van die jaarlikse Robbie-fees in die vallei van wyn en rose.

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Die gasheerspan het die kragmeting op haas die perfekte wyse afgeskop, toe Bernardo Diedericks, na skaars vyf minute, deur die besoekers se verdedigingslyn kon sny om die Robbies op die bord te kry. Diedericks is verlede jaar reeds in die SA o. 17-Sewesspan opgeneem wat ‘n derdeplek op die Statebond-jeugspele in Trinidad en Tobago kon behaal.

Die manne van Vrendendal het egter ander planne vir die wedstryd gehad, en het bykans geen verdere geleenthede vir die tuisspan gebied nie.

Dit het meer as 20 minute geneem voor die volgende punte aangeteken is, toe Robertson se losskakel, Jaydan van Niekerk, vinnig gedink het om sy eie steekskoppie op te volg en die bal toe te duik.

Oomblikke later het die besoekers se agsteman, Dillen Theron, egter presies dieselfde gedoen vir Vredendal, om die rustydagterstand na 5-10 te laat krimp

Die tweede helfte het dieselfde mate van armdruk tussen die twee trotse plattelandse spanne afgegee.

Vredendal het vir ‘n lang periode met 12-10 voorgeloop in die tweede skof, nadat Calvin du Toit ‘n puik drie deur sy slot Mivuyo Yakobi kon verdoel, maar met skaars sewe minute se speeltyd oor het Stevens oorgeduik vir die wendrie, na ‘n vlymskerp breekslag deur Van Niekerk.

Die toeskouers moes tot die eindfluitjie asem ophou, met albei spanne wat nog ‘n paar opwindende geleenthede gekry het, maar klipharde verdediging, aan altwee kante, het enige verder punte verhoed.

Vredendal se voorspelers het die veld vol gespeel, terwyl Robertson se snellers, soos Van Niekerk, Diedericks en heelagter, Tyron April, gewys het dat hulle nog vir baie spanne probleme gaan veroorsaak hierdie seisoen.

Hoërskool Montagu het hul stem dik gemaak teen Jakes Gerwel Tegnies met ‘n wegholsege van 52-12.

Montagu-flank, Chadwin Lottering, het twee van sy span se agt drieë aangeteken, terwyl losskakel, Renaldo Koker, in die kol was met ses doelskoppe en ook gedruk het vir ‘n bydrae van 17 punte.

In die voorlaaste wedstryd het Langenhoven Gimnasium, van Oudtshoorn, vir Overberg, van Caledon, met sewe punte geklop.

Hoërskool Robertson 15 (10) – Drieë: Bernardo Diedericks, Jaydan van Niekerk, Ruwan Stevens. Hoërskool Vredendal 12 (5) – Drieë: Dillen Theron, Mivuyo Yakobi. Doelskop: Calvin du Toit.

Hoërskool Montagu 52 (21) – Drieë: Chadwin Lottering (2), Keenan Plaatjies, Nazier Ahmed, Morné-John Roos, Peter-Wayne Soldaat, Renaldo Koker, Curwin Matthys. Doelskoppe: Koker (6). Jakes Gerwel Tegnies 12 (5).

Ander tellings:

o. 19 – Langenhoven Gim 24, Overberg 17; Robertson II 39, Vredendal II 0.

o. 16 – Robertson A 29, Vredendal A 10.

o. 15 – Vredendal A 21, Robertson A 20; Robertson B 7, Ashton Secondary B 0.

The first full winter sports programme of the season pitted Westville Boys’ High against Michaelhouse in Westville on Saturday, with most of the hockey results going in the hosts’ favour.

In the clash of the 1st teams, Westville controlled the first half of their game comfortably. After some half-time adjustments, however, ‘House became progressively stronger, but Westville’s stubborn defence stood firm as the home side posted a 2-0 victory.

From the first whistle, Westville settled into a nice rhythm, with their centre-backs, captain Owen Slack and Nicholas Ackerman, controlling the tempo from the back and setting up a nice platform for the home side.

Both teams attempted to spread the field, but Westville enjoyed greater success at breaking through the press.

That brought them a number of penalty corners, but they threw away their first three opportunities, with their first two, astonishingly, being lost because the injection had happened just before the whistle had been blown by the umpire.

Nonetheless, Westville remained on top in the first half and their reward eventually came from a penalty corner, with Thabo Dlamini finding the backboard to the goalkeeper’s right.

After the break, Michaelhouse came out with a more aggressive press and put the Westville centre-backs under real pressure for the first time in the contest. That changed the complexion of the game.

“In the first half, we were pretty dominant. I think it was pretty easy for us in the beginning,” Westville coach Cam Mackay commented afterwards. “The second half was a completely different story. I think we struggled to outlet, every outlet, almost.

“Our basics were not good enough. I think they had their tails up from the beginning of the half.

“They pressed really well. They, obviously, decided to go harder and that worked quite nicely for them.”

Still, Westville found a second goal, with Caleb van Loenen doubling the hosts’ advantage five minutes into the second stanza.

“We were lucky that we scored from two PCs, which weren’t executed that well,” Mackay said.

Michaelhouse, meanwhile, forced a number of penalty corners of their own but, like Westville, they weren’t sharp.

“We’ve put a lot of work into our short corners, and that was disappointing, that we didn’t capitalise on the five or six PCs that we got,” Michaelhouse coach Nick Bérichon said. A Maritzburg College old boy, Bérichon returns to KwaZulu-Natal after a very successful spell in charge of Garsfontein.

“It feels good to be back home and back to my roots and a part of KZN hockey. KZN hockey is in really good shape at the moment. We’re hoping we can add some quality to it,” he said.

The fourth quarter belonged to Michaelhouse as they pinned Westville deep inside their half for long periods of play. “I think in that second half, kudos to them, they were better than us,” Cam Mackay reckoned.

Summing up, Nick Bérichon said: “We started really slowly. We were well off the pace in the beginning. Technically, I thought it wasn’t our best for three quarters, but we showed in the fourth quarter that, if we do string a few passes together and we get the ball inside the circle, and threaten, we can put teams under pressure.

“I’m pleased with the way we ended off.”

Coach Cam Mackay noted the improvement he saw in Michaelhouse from his counterpart, Nick Bérichon’s short time in charge of the programme. “I said to him at the end of the game there’s already a huge difference from how they played against us last year. Today was bigger and better than what they had before,” Mackay said.

Both teams face interesting games next time out, with Michaelhouse hosting Jeppe on Tuesday and Westville taking on Clifton College. Both should be good tests of the lessons they learned on Saturday.

Scores

1st: Westville 2 (Thabo Dlamini, Caleb van Loenen) Michaelhouse 0

u16A: Westville 1 Michaelhouse 1

u14A: Westville 3 Michaelhouse 1 

Die Hoërskool Florida se eerste netbalspan is vroeg besig om sy spiere te bult.

Die span van Roodepoort het Saterdag vir Hans Moore van Benoni met 28-25 verslaan. Die wenspan se senter, Abygail Landsberg, was aan die spits van dié sege.

Florida het die vorige week ook met Hoërskool Driehoek van Vanderbiijlpark met 30-15 die loef afgesteek.

Hans Strijdom of Mookgophong secured a 29-19 vicory over Ben Viljoen of Groblersdal in their NWU 16 Series clash on Saturday.

The Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool of Pretoria had a good tour to Kimberley where they faced four of the central region’s schools during the Diamantveld’s annual sports day.

Affies defeated Eunice (40-8), Hoërskool Upington (40-12), Diamantveld (35-35) and Duineveld (36-26) in the City of Diamonds.

Al die Uitslae: 

o.19A: Florida 28, Hans Moore 25; Florida 30, Driehoek 15; Affies 43, Eunice 8; Affies 40, Hoërskool Upington 12; Affies 35, Diamantveld 25; Affies 37, Duineveld 26; Eunice 16, Diamantveld 16; Duineveld 34, Eunice 15; Eunice 26, Hoërskool Upington 24; Hans Strijdom 29, Ben Viljoen 19.

o.17A: Florida 15, Hans Moore 7; Florida 17, Driehoek 17;

o.16A: Hans Moore 29, Florida 4; Driehoek 23, Florida 17;

o.15A: Florida 20, Hans Moore 7; Florida 17, Driehoek 6;

o.14A: Hans Moore 17, Florida 15; Florida 27, Driehoek 19;

Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen het vir die derde agtereenvolgende wedstryd ‘n puik vertoning opgedis, dié slag teen Ligbron Akademie van Ermelo.

Die span van Boksburg het nege keer agter die tuisspan se doellyn gaan kuier om met ‘n telling van 57-23 as oorwinnaars uit die stryd te tree.

Die Jansies lyk na ‘n span wat nie sonder handskoene aangedurf kan word nie, op die vooraand Affies se Noord/Suid-toernooi wat later hierdie week afskop. Hulle het in al drie hul wedstryde tot dusver vanjaar daarin geslaag om meer as 40 punte op te stapel.

Kaptein en vaskopstut, Duwan Potgieter, het van voor gelei, was gesaghebbend in die skrums, en het die pap dik aangemaak in die vaste los. Hy was ook meedoënloos op die aanval, en het met dinamiese dryfspel sy span telkens oor die voordeellyn gekry.

Die Jansies se kaptein is met ‘n tweekuns vir sy harde werk beloon.

Kort op sy hakke was haker, Danre Pike, wat oudergewoonte ‘n doring in die vlees van die opposisie was. Pike het self, à la Malcom Marx, die doellyn twee keer oorgesteek, vanaf die  Jansies se kragtige dryfmaalbewegings.

Marco Ventura het die Jansies se oorheersing voorlangs voortgesit. Die agtsteman, wat vir die beseerde Gerhard van Aswegen ingestaan het, het sy stempel behoorlik afgedruk met ‘n tweekuns van sy eie.

Agterlangs was die buitesenter, Jean-Dre Claasen, op sy stukke. Hy het die Liggie-verdedigers deurentyd geterroriseer met sy uitmuntende aanvalsvermoë. Benewens ‘n drie, het hy ook het twee van sy span se nege drieë verdoel.

Die Liggies hoef egter nie hul koppe in skaamte te laat sak nie. Die tuisspan het ‘n waardige vertoning gelewer en, met rukke en stote, taamlik gevaarlik gelyk, verál wanneer die agterlyn spasie gegun is. Regtervleuel, Siyanda Dennison, byvoorbeeld, het ‘n waarskuwing gerig aan toekomstige teenstanders met ‘n uitstekende individuele lopie wat op ‘n drie agter die Jansies se pale uitgeloop het.

Divan van Jaarsveldt het ook sy skopskoen aangehad. Die losskakel het altwee sy span drieë met gemak verdoel, en ook drie strafdoele deur die mikke gejaag om sy bydrae vir die wedstryd op 13 te staan te bring. Voorlangs was die oopkantflank, Tiaan Botha, die tuisspan se uitblinker. Hy het gewoel in die los en was ook die eerste Liggie wat die Jansies se doellyn kon oorsteek.

Puntemakers: 

Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen 57 (38) – Drieë: Duwan Potgieter (2), Danre Pike (2), Marco Ventura (2), Jean-Dre Claasen, Zandre Naude, Ntkokozo Ngobese. Doelskoppe: Matthew Bergman (4), Jean-Dre Claasen (2). Ligbron Akademie 23 (13) – Drieë: Tiaan Botha, Siyanda Dennison. Doelskoppe: Divan van Jaarsveldt (2). Strafdoele Van Jaarsveldt (3).

Ander spanne: 

o. 16: EG Jansen 63, Ligbron 17.

o. 15: EG Jansen 31, Ligbron 12.

o. 14: EG Jansen 19, Ligbron 12.

Monument van Krugersdorp se Wit Bulle se motor het gister nog net geluier, maar dit was goed genoeg om Welkom Gimnasium met 64-28 die loef af te steek.

Die kragmeting op die Ras van Rooyen-veld in Krugersdorp was boonop Monnas se jaarlikse Malcullum Marx-gedenkwedstryd.

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Die twee spanne het goed mekaar in die eerste helfte opgeweeg. Monnas kon met ‘n voorsprong van 19-14 gaan rus. Die span van Welkom se losskakel, Renaldo Kiewiet, het amper net voor rustyd met ‘n strafdoel die voorsprong verder gekrimp.

Kiewiet was verlede jaar die voorste puntemaker op die Craven Week in George met 48 punte. Hy het ook ‘n hele paar keer danksy sy skerp breekslae gapings in die Wit Bulle se verdediging gevind.

Die besoekers het in die tweede helfte op ‘n hoë noot begin toe sy flank Rylen Kirsten oor die doellyn gebars het om aan sy span vir die eerste keer in die kragmeting ‘n voorsprong van 21-19 te besorg. Monnas het hierna egter na ‘n hoër rat oorgeskakel.

Boonop moes Welkom Gimnasium se buitesenter, Joshua Coertzen, die veld met ‘n besering verlaat. Dit het die Wit Bulle se agterhoede soos ‘n handskoen gepas. Albei die tuisspan se vleuel, Ernesto Oersen en Kealan Milton, kan nie oor geleenthede kla nie. Hulle het ‘n hele paar keer etlike meters veld met hul lopies op die punte gewen en self ook elk ‘n drie gedruk.

Monnas se buitesenter, Jason Joubert, het self met die ekstra spasie baljaar en twee keer die doellyn oorgesteek. Voorlangs het die die haker, Kiyan Pretorius, ook baljaar. Hy het self dubbelle driedrukplesier ervaar, terwyl die plaasvervanger-haker, Keenan Myners, boonop ook binne enkele minute na sy verskyning op die veld gaan druk het.

Gimmies se flanke, Kirsten en Rovaun van Niekerk, was in ‘n hewige stryd teen hul direkte teenstanders, RJ Barnard en Jamaal Feldman (kaptein), gewikkel. Die span van Welkom se lenige agtsteman, Ethan Jones, kan ook meer as tevrede met sy vertoning op die dag voel.

Monnas se losskakel, Justin Viljoen, het ‘n stewige vertoning met die skopskoen gelewer en ook daarin geslaag om sy agterlyn seepglad weg te stuur.

Die Wit Bulle kom Saterdag tydens die NMI Toyota Noord/Suid-toernooi teen Paarl Gimnasium te staan. Welkom Gimnasium is ook op die toernooi in aksie. Hy het self nie ‘n maklike eerste wedstryd Vrydag teen EG Jansen van Boksburg wat op hom wag nie.

Puntemakers: 

Monument 64 (19) – Drieë: Kiyan Pretorius (2), Jason Joubert (2), Hanno du Toit, Ernesto Oersen, Kealan Milton, Jacques Botha,  Keenan Myners, RJ Barnard. Doelskoppe: Justin Viljoen (7). Welkom Gimnasium 28 (14) – Drieë: Kganya Molapo, Ethan Jones, Rylen Kirsten, Renaldo Kiewiet. Doelskoppe: Kiewiet (4).

Ander spanne: 

o.16: Monument 40, Welkom Gimnasium 0.

o.15: Monument 90, Welkom Gimnasium 10.

o.14: Monument 27, Welkom Gimnasium 0.

Amidst a backdrop of solemn remembrance and deep respect for the late Kaiden Bowie, Pretoria Boys’ High School and Jeppe Boys High School clashed with the hosts securing a 36-20 victory.

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

Emotions ran high and the boys’ mental mettle was put to the test. Jeppe managed to hang onto an impressive winning streak against the visiting boys from Pretoria.

For Boys High, the match held added significance as they sought to break free from a string of defeats against their formidable opponents, Jeppe Boys High, who have dominated the fixture in recent years.

For the first 12 minutes of the match, the hosts pushed deep into the Candies half and applied pressure as the visitors struggled to move forward resulting in Jeppe opening the match with a converted try by McMillen Mongwana.

Boys High opened their account through the uncanny conversion of a penalty struck by flanker Seth Venter who timed the ball sweetly through the posts – he soon added a further conversion after a sublime team effort that saw Ompfuna Tsanwani cross the try line for the first time in this match.

Scrumhalf Tumisho Motswi found himself in the sin bin for a minor offence, reducing Boys High to fourteen players which created space for Jeppe, which they duly took advantage of by pressing hard, deep into their opponent’s half.

McMillen Mongwana scored a neat try after a great bit of ball handling from Nathan Classen who provided the inside centre with a backhanded pass before getting taken out into touch.

At halftime, the game very much hung in the balance with the score reading 12-10 to Jeppe.

Jeppe however had other ideas, spurred on by a pumped-up supporters stand, a dummy try scored by substitute Imivuyo Kwenxe all but sealed the match taking the lead to 23 points with less than five minutes to play.

Flyhalf Mathew Coetzee looks like a good prospect as he converted 83% of his placement kicks for the day and guided the team to a convincing win in the end.

Despite the result Pretoria Boys played with determination which was evident in the final minute where the team scored a consolation try through hooker Thapelo Mphela.

The fightback was clear and will be integral for this side’s performances going forward.

As the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the contest, it was clear that the true victory lay in the camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed by all who participated.

It will be interesting to watch both sides as the season develops, the return fixture later in the year will be one to keep a close eye on.

Scorers:

Jeppe High School for Boys 36 (12) – Tries: McMillen Mongwana (2), Andre Poulton, Risima Khosa, Imivuyo Kwenxe. Conversions: Matthew Coetzee (4) Penalties: Matthew Coetzee. Pretoria Boys’ High 20 (10) – Tries: Ompfuna Tsanwani,  Thapelo Mphela. Conversions: Seth Venter, Tebogo Nchabaleng. Penalties: Seth Venter, Tebogo Nchabaleng.

The teams:

Jeppe High School for Boys: 15 Sanele Simelane, 14 Lesego Zungu, 13 Kuthadzo Rasivhaga (captain), 12 McMillen Mongwana, 11 Leruo Dithagiso, 10 Matthew Coetzee, 9 Talent Sithole, 8 Risima Khosa (vice-captain), 7 Nathan Classen, 6 Wanga Ndou, 5 Luke Cannon, 4 Nathan Boyder, 3 Luca Trevisan, 2 Bonga Nxumlao, 1 Andre Poulton.

Pretoria Boys’ High:  15 Luyanda Khumalo, 14 Itu Baloyi, 13 Ntsako Nhlovu, 12 Londie Nemudzivhadi, 11 Ompfuna Tsanwani, 10 Rickus Wessels, 9 Tumisho Motswi, 8 Katlego Shebu, 7 Seth Venter, 6  Panyaiotis Ellinas, 5 Tshepiso Shikhibana 4 Stephen Adams 3 Ofentse Moeng, 2 Thapelo Mphela, 1 Matthew Parrot.

Results:

u19A: Jeppe High School for Boys 36, Pretoria Boys’ High School 20.
u19B: Jeppe High School for Boys 36, Pretoria Boys’ High School 20.

Graeme College and Selborne College delivered another pulsating finish to the Graeme Rugby Festival in Makhanda on Saturday as the latter team defending heroically in the closing stages to secure a narrow 14-7 victory.

It was a fitting finale to another entertaining programme of schoolboy rugby over the three days, with all the teams gaining invaluable preparation for the forthcoming season.

Though Graeme was first to score when they sliced open the Selborne defence early on for Xolisa Mdyesha to cross for a converted try, the team from East London dominated much of the game.

They leveled matters when centre Siyamthanda Sakhele forced his way over just before halftime and, with the wind at their backs, kept Graeme pegged back in their own territory in the second half.

Both sides were committed on defence, but Selborne’s pressure eventually told with a penalty try to make it 14-7.

It is to Graeme’s immense credit that, even with their lineouts not always working efficiently, they kept their opponents at bay and then forced their way upfield through several penalties late in the game.

This was when the character of the Selborne team needed to be revealed and they answered the call with enormous courage and organisation on defence as they kept out wave after wave of Graeme attacks.

Eventually, they were able to steal the ball at a breakdown and booted it out to clinch a hard-earned victory.

Earlier, Pearson flyhalf Caleb Friskin showed some quicksilver footwork to score a vital second-half try, helping his team to a notable 19-11 win over Queen’s.

This came after Queen’s had shown plenty of courage to fight back from 12-0 down to leave the match in the balance at the break on a score of 12-11.

First-half tries by scrumhalf, Denillo Jordaan, in the opening minute, and wing Christoph Williams after a fine backline move saw Pearson set up their handy lead.

But Queen’s stuck to their task and two penalties by scrumhalf, Ryan Denston, and an opportunistic effort by Jameel Fleshman when he capitalised on a Pearson error saw the lead eroded to one point.

In the second half, however, the Queenians made hard work of exiting their territory playing into the breeze and Pearson’s defence was up to the task as they kept a lid on their opponents’ offensive effort for a hard-earned win.

Cambridge produced a surging second-half fightback to register a thrilling 24-21 win over Muir in the opening match of the day.

While the Kariega side assumed control of the first period, running in tries by Jethro Seconds, Brent Koraan, and Phiwokuhle Mbali for a 21-5 lead at the break, it was all Cambridge in the second half.

Granted, they had the breeze at their backs, but they must receive full accolades for the way they got back into the game through some determined running every time they visited the Muir 22-metre area.

After an opening score by Sibonginstsika Maki in the first half, their second half efforts led to tries by Avumile Galwa, Sive Ngxoweni, and Lisakhanya Mgoxo, while two conversions by Maki helped them overhaul the Muir tally.

Following a try in the opening stages by ace flyhalf Logan Muller, Framesby cruised to a 43-0 victory over Stirling, dominating their opponents up front and running in seven tries.

Muller’s educated left boot meant the East London team were constantly under pressure, especially when they played into the wind.

As the penalties mounted, Framesby simply kicked for the corner and used their effective maul to cross for four second-half tries and an emphatic win.

The St Andrew’s trio of wing Julian Mapoore, eighthman, Ucwambu Mgudlwa, and fullback, Karabo van Heerden, each scored a brace of tries as they defeated Brandwag 34-19.

Playing with great pace, the Andreans delivered constant pressure and although the match was fairly evenly poised at 17-12 going into the second half, three tries in succession saw them shoot out to a 34-12 lead and there was no way back to victory for the Kariega team.

Scorers: 

Selborne College 14 (7) – Tries: Siyamthanda Sakhele, Penalty Try. Conversion: Paige Fennel. Graeme College 7 (7) – Xolisa Mdyesha. Conversion: Marcus Williams.

Pearson 19 (12) – Tries: Denillo Jordaan, Christoph Williams, Caleb Friskin. Conversions: Friskin (2). Queen’s College 11 (11) – Try: Jameel Fleshman. Penalties: Ryan Denston (2).

Framesby 43 (19) – Tries: Ewald Muller (2), Johan van Zyl, Sean Vermaak, Jaidon Brewis, Logan Muller, Juan Grigor. Conversions: Muller (4). Stirling 0.

St Andrew’s College 34 (17) – Tries: Julian Mapoore (2), Ucwamba Mgudlwa (2), Karabo van Heerden (2). Conversions: Scott Miles (2). Die Brandwag (Uitenhage) 19 (12) – Tries: Nathan Fraser, Ruan Engelbrecht, D’Noven Scheepers. Conversions: La-Crain Muggels (2).

Cambridge 24 (5) – Tries: Sibonginhika Maki, Avumile Gulwa, Sive Ngxoweni, Lisakhanya Magoxo. Conversions: Maki (2). Muir College 21 (21) – Tries: Jethro Seconds, Brent Koraan, Phiwokuhle Mbali. Conversions: Koraan (3).

Grey High School 44 (20) – Tries: John Hobson (3), Luc de Villiers (2), Blayton Wood, Lavela Pongolo, Penalty Try. Conversions: Kyle Callaghan. Hudson Park 5 (0) – Try: Ukhona Kama.