Rugby First Played By Schoolboys And Still The Best When Played By Schoolboys
After three days of play in at times heavy rain and thick mud, two teams remained unbeaten at the close of a successful 2022 Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. Despite the weather, the festival was well attended by enthusiasts delighted to be back watching schoolboy rugby after the two-year Covid enforced absence.
Hoërskool Monument from Krugersdorp and Hoërskool Framesby from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) return home unbeaten. Monument beat Westville Boys’ High, Hoër Landbouskool Marlow from Cradock and Durban High School. Framesby beat Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen, drew with Pretoria Boys High and beat hosts Kearsney College in the final match of the festival.
The trophy for the Most Attractive Team Play at the festival was awarded to Durban High School (DHS) and Tiaan Jacobs, the Selborne College flank, was named player of the tournament.
At the final presentation, Kearsney headmaster Elwyn van den Aardweg handed over the Boots and Balls collection of kit which will be refurbished and then distributed to disadvantaged players by the Siripat Lions Rugby Club and the KZN Rugby Union’s Development Programme.
Kearsney College 06-26 Hoërskool Framesby
Kearsney, traditionally play the final game of their festival and met Houdini-like Framesby, who in their previous festival matches had come from behind to win against Dr EG Jansen in the final move of the game and had drawn against Pretoria Boys High.
Kearsney went into a 6-0 lead after two penalties, the first by fly-half Rhys Calenborne and the second by scrum-half Matthew Bergset.
The heavier Framesby forwards dominated when they got close to the Kearsney try-line. Two tries were scored with rolling mauls from lineouts. Both were scored by flank Corne Scheepers who was at the back of the maul; and both were converted by flyhalf Logan Muller, for the visitors to lead 14-6 at halftime.
Eight minutes into the second half it was déjà vu as another rolling maul from a lineout saw Scheepers score his third try. This time the conversion was just wide, but Framesby now led 19-6.
Despite Kearsney pressing and setting up lineouts close to the Framesby try-line, they could not set up the rolling maul to score and in the last minute, the Framesby fullback Jayden Davisson ran 50m to score under the uprights for an easy conversion by Muller for a 26-6 win.
Hoërskool Waterkloof 27-07 Hoërskool Noord-Kaap
Conditions would not suit the Noord-Kaapers as they would normally be able to jinx their way through, but with the treacherous underfoot conditions, the heavier Waterkloof forwards were able to dominate.
Flank and captain Tyler Veldman scored from a forward rush, converted by Reuven Ferreira for Waterkloof to lead 7-0.
This was increased to 12—0 when KennithStrydom forced his way over, the conversion going wide.
In the last five minutes of the half, Noord-Kaap managed to get into the Waterkloof 22m area.
From a good forward move, Noord-KaapeighthmanGareth Kriel scored in the corner and an excellent touchline conversion by Eldridge Jack narrowed the gap to just five points.
Waterkloof, after absorbing a lot of pressure from Noord-Kaap, gradually worked their way up the field to work their way over in the corner. This put Waterkloof into a 17-7 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Almost immediately they were back on the attack when Guillaume Marais went over to increase their lead 22-7.
Waterkloof was not finished and from a lineout, they mauled over the line for Juanco Maritz to score a try. The conversion was on target but fell short of the crossbar, leaving Waterkloof 27-7 leaders. Despite a last-minute kick ahead where Noord-Kaap kicked ahead but just failed to score, leaving Waterkloof 27-7 winners.
Hoër Landbouskool Marlow 10-21 Pretoria Boys High School
With the mist swirling in, only as it does at Botha’s Hill, play disappeared only to reappear as the wind moved it.
A penalty was awarded and after a number of minutes, waiting for an injury to a Pretoria player, Tattersall was seen to take a penalty. With the breeze behind him, his kick was successful to give Pretoria Boys a 3-0 lead.
Two further penalties were awarded within kicking distance and Tattersall was successful with both, leaving Pretoria Boys 9-0 in the ascendancy.
Just on half-time, with play obscured by the mist, Pretoria’s Litha Mkunqwana went over and Tattersall was again accurate with his kick, leaving Pretoria Boys 16-0 up at the break.
In the second half, Marlow had the wind at their backs and they spent the first 10 minutes in the Pretoria quarter. MC Strydom got over for a try, converted by Aiden de Villiers, to take the score to 7-16.
Midway through the half, again playing in thick mist which obliterated vision, Marlow were awarded a penalty which De Villiers converted, narrowing the gap to 10-16.
A rare move towards the field against the wind, saw Jason van der Merwe go over for a Pretoria try, to take them into a 21-10 lead.
There was no further scoring, leaving the final score a 21-10 victory for the boys from Pretoria.
Hoërskool Monument 07-05 Durban High School
The much-awaited game between Monnas, arguably the top side at the festival, and KZN’s Durban High School who have impressed so far, started with DHS getting on the board in the first minute of the game. Wing Maurice Willemse sped down the right touchline to score in the corner for a 5-0 lead.
Thereafter play moved up and down the field with defences holding to prevent either side from scoring. With just minutes before half time, left wing Kelvin van Wyk scored after good support play to even the score, but Monument went ahead 7-5 with the conversion by TylorSefoor.
Conditions changed early in the second half when the rain began falling, after a pleasant morning when the sun peeped through. But the drama was yet to come. The conditions made it very difficult for running rugby and play moved from maul to ruck to maul with no advantage to either side.
Monument was reduced to 14 men in the last few minutes and DHS was pressing. Flyhalf Deano Boesak had two opportunities to put DHS in the lead with two penalties awarded.
The first was about 10 minutes from the end and was a little optimistic, with a heavy ball and 40m out. It failed to reach the posts.
In the dying minutes, he had a slightly easier kick but was kicking into a breeze. It went wide to leave Monnas narrow 7-5 winners.
Westville Boys’ High School 07-20 Selborne College
The second match on the final day saw locals Westville Boys’ High against Selborne College from East London. Much of the first half was played in the centre of the field with both teams able to prevent break-aways.
Selborne opened the scoring with a penalty by Kyle van Wyk. This livened up proceedings and both teams nearly scored with runs down the length of the field.
Westville lock Joel Donia managed to get over for the first try, converted by Tshegofatso Ramaloko for a 7-3 lead.
It was the Selbornians turn and they came close. In the last minute of the half, a break-away ended with lock John de Villiers going over under the uprights. This was converted by Van Wyk for Selborne to lead 10-7 at the break.
It took another 20 minutes before further points were scored. The cut and thrust of both sides came close, but they could not get over the line. Selborne were awarded a penalty 15m out from close to the centre of the field, which Van Wyk converted for Selborne to lead 13-7.
Selborneused a kick down field to get close to the goal line and from a ruck close to the line, hooker Jordan Luck forced his way over. Van Wyk was again successful adding the extra two points to Selborne to lead 20-7.
Although Westville came close to scoring in the closing minutes, they were prevented and Selborne won the match 20-7.
Glenwood High School 10-17 Dr EG Jansen
The Stott field at Kearsney College had large muddy patches from Saturday’s heavy rain and play, but it looked reasonable in the match between Glenwood and Dr EG Jansen from Boksburg.
Glenwood, as expected, dominated both territory and possession for much of the first half. They didhave an opportunity to score the first points, but the ball was dropped just five metres from the goal line.
However, the pressure was maintained and Glenwood fly-half Frederick Marx converted a penalty for a 3-0 lead which was soon increased to 10-0 after centre Johandre van Rooyen scored, converted by Marx.
EG Jansen eventually got into the Glenwood half and applied some pressure which culminated ina penalty try for them to narrow the gap to 7-10 going into half-time.
The second half saw a change in fortunes as for 20 minutes of the second half they camped in the Glenwood half. The local team were their own worst enemies, as they gave away numerous penalties, a number due to ill-discipline.
A penalty for EG Jansen, from in front of the posts but 40m out, went just wide. It would have put them in the lead. It mattered not as they kicked for a lineout from another penalty and the ensuing maul saw prop Marnus Swart come up with the ball, for EG Jansen to lead 12-10.
With five minutes remaining prop Tshepo Ledwaba scored in the corner to increase Jansen’s lead to seven points. Glenwood came close to scoring but EG Jansen held out to win the match 17-10.
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