Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (19 April)
DHS 32-17 Monnas
Durban High School outplayed Hoërskool Monument 32-17 in the last game of Day 2 to keep alive their hopes of going three-for-three at KERF for a second straight year heading into the final day’s play.
The Horseflies had put Hoërskool Rustenburg away 41-7 on the first day, while Monument played out an exciting 26-all draw with Glenwood and were looking for their first win of the Easter weekend.
Monnas flyhalf Anthony Viljoen pulled an early penalty attempt wide before a powerful DHS driving maul teed up Zingce Simka, who got his team’s first points of the encounter. Sparked to life, Monument shifted gears and levelled matters through hard-running midfielder Juandre Ehlers.
A successful Viljoen penalty cancelled out an earlier attempt by opposite number Jordan van Wyk, but a Duane du Plessis try on the stroke of halftime put the KZN side 15-10 ahead.
Viljoen missed another kickable penalty attempt after the resumption; and DHS extended their lead thereafter through hooker Okuhle Mbanjwa, substitute Marwin Nero and No 13 Nathan Aneke.
With time up on the clock, eighthman Vincent Roberts pulled one back for Jannie du Plessis’ boys, but by then the damage was already done.
Scores:
Monument: Tries: Ehlers, Roberts. Cons: Viljoen, Kourie. Pen: Viljoen.
DHS: Tries: Simke, du Plessis, Mbanjwa, Nero, Aneke. Con: van Wyk (2). Pen: van Wyk.
Dale 13-34 Kearsney
Kearsney College saw off Dale College 34-13 to win the fifth game of Day 2, in front of a large and vocal crowd with supporters for both teams.
The hosts were beaten 24-29 by Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen on Thursday, while the Eastern Cape side were coming off the back of a 66-22 loss at the hands of Hoërskool Durbanville, but it was the former that managed to return to winning ways, thanks to some clinical finishing.
Grant Bashford’s boys scored both of their opening tries through clever use of cross-kicks, with the first finished off by Lwandle Mkhize on the left-hand touchline and midfielder Keanu Williamson scoring the other out wide on the right.
Doan Nel crashed over less than a minute before halftime to take the score out to 24-3, with Inga Mafanga having pulled three-points back for the visitors, courtesy of a successful penalty attempt.
Nhlanhla Ndlovu scored Kearsney’s first of the second half, before Valentino Lenge added another to all but end the match as a contest.
Dale crossed for their first try after loosehead Phawu Ludwaba rumbled his way over, and they struck again moments later through second rower Ebenezer Sarpong, but by then they were too far back to mount a serious comeback.
Scores:
Kearsney: Tries: Mkhize, Williamson, Nel, Ndlovu, Lenge. Cons: Mbebe (3). Pen: Mbebe.
Dale: Tries: Ludwaba, Sarpong. Pen: Mafanga.
EG Jansen 05-36 Westville
Westville Boys’ High School’s supreme tactical awareness powered them to a 36-5 win over Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen in the fourth game of Day 2.
Egies had narrowly knocked over hosts Kearsney College 29-24 on the first day, while the KZN side cantered to a 31-0 opening win over Hoërskool Framesby, with many expecting this one to be a tightly-fought affair. As it happened, the Boksburg team struggled to play in the right areas and were often pinned back in their own half by the local provincial team.
Westville started like a house on fire, scoring within 30 seconds after fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya tore away down the right flank. An impressive lineout drive saw Brandon Eke go over to extend their lead, but EG Jansen retaliated through Craig Lightfoot.
Possession traded hands on a number of occasions before WBHS managed to finish off another chance out wide through left wing speedster Avumile Lisa.
Unlike that of their counterparts, Westville’s tactical kicking continually put them in promising field positions, with Siyaya executing two immaculate 50/22s in the first half alone to keep the pressure on EG Jansen.
Jade-Will Koopman was on hand to add two more tries to the Westville tally before the break, showing some exceptional acrobatics to complete his brace in the right-hand corner from a cross-kick in one of the tries of the festival so far.
EG Jansen were unable to make the most of their chances in the second-half, with Phumula Xulu scoring to seal a comfortable win.
Scores:
EG Jansen: Try: Lightfoot.
Westville: Tries: Siyaya, Eke, Lisa, Koopman (2), Xulu. Cons: Koopman (3).
Glenwood 37-34 Milnerton
Joshua Kopp kicked a penalty after the final hooter as Glenwood High School held off a Milnerton High School fightback to secure a thrilling 37-34 win in a humdinger of a third match on Day 2.
Kopp opened the Green Machine’s account with a three-pointer before a Stabiso Dube swan dive and Lian Lochner blindside snipe put the KZN outfit firmly in the driver’s seat early on.
When No. 12 Lizwe Mtetwa then ran in an intercept, things were starting to look ominous, and it went from bad to worse for the Western Cape boys when winger Litha Tasana saw yellow at the resulting kick-off for a reckless challenge in the air.
Glenwood scored another try through industrious flanker Joshua Edwards to make it 29-0, but the momentum was about to shift dramatically in favour of Milnerton.
The boys in sky blue hit back hard with quickfire tries by the Sellidon twins - Chadwin and Chadlin - and Divine Ambrose, while a further penalty by Chadwin brought Milnerton right back into the contest at 24-29 at halftime.
Glenwood set up camp deep inside Milnerton territory after the resumption and the pressure told when Chadlin copped his side’s second yellow for a deliberate knock-on in the red zone. After a prolonged period of attack, Derek Heiberg’s troops finally opened their second-half account through Mvelo Ndwalane.
Milnerton weren’t done there though, and Chadwin struck a superb drop goal minutes later - the first of the festival - before going on to score his second try, which he duly converted to make it 34-all with virtually no time left on the clock.
Glenwood then went on to mount a late attack, and were awarded a penalty in the final play which Kopp slotted to seal an absolute doozy.
Scores
Milnerton: Tries: Chadwin Sellidon (2), Ambrose, Chadlin Sellidon. Cons: Chadwin Sellidon (4). Pen: Chadwin Sellidon. Drop goal: Chadwin Sellidon.
Glenwood: Tries: Dube, Lochner, Mtetwa, Edwards, Ndwalane. Cons: Kopp (3). Pen: Kopp (2).
Framesby 45-19 Peterhouse (Zim)
Hoërskool Framesby secured a comfortable 45-19 win over Peterhouse Boys’ School in the second match of Day 2.
Both sides were searching for their first victory of KERF after the Gqeberha boys were put to the sword in a 0-31 drubbing by Westville, while the Zimbabwean school had suffered an 18-34 defeat to Milnerton in their opener on Thursday.
The teams showed plenty of positive attacking intent in the first half, with Peterhouse flyhalf James Watt breaking the deadlock with a converted try 15 minutes in. Wian Holtzhausen hit back soon thereafter to level it for Framesby, before captain Eden Calitz put them in front thanks to a strong carry from close range.
Peterhouse were made to rue a second unsuccessful Watt penalty attempt when a superb Calestin Felkers break and pop off the deck allowed Mondre van Heerden to collect and dive over under the sticks.
The scrumhalf sniped over for his second not long thereafter to make it 26-7 at the interval.
The tourists were arguably better than the scoreline suggests, but their inability to execute the basics at crucial moments let them down in the end.
Framesby picked up where they left off after halftime, extending their lead with Holtzhausen’s second. Tries by flying fullback Munashe Masamha and Andrew Maringa narrowed the deficit for the boys in white, but two ensuing Jaco George tries, off the back of more Peterhouse errors, proved to be the final nail.
Scores:
Framesby: Tries: Holtzhausen (2), Calitz, van Heerden (2), George (2).
Cons: Feltham (5).
Peterhouse: Tries: Watt, Masamha, Maringa. Cons: Watt, Maringa.
Durbanville 22-26 Rustenburg
In the opening game of Day 2, Hoërskool Rustenburg claimed a dramatic 26-22 win over Hoërskool Durbanville.
The Western Cape outfit had picked up a big 66-22 win over Dale College on Thursday and were looking to maintain that momentum heading into the second day. Rustenburg meanwhile were on the receiving end of a 41-7 defeat against DHS in their opener, but produced a stoic display to come away with the spoils on Saturday.
Durbanville weren’t hanging about and got up and running early through hooker Juan Smit via an effective driving maul. Tristan Myburgh levelled matters for Rustenburg thanks to a maul of their own, but another Durbanville drive led to a Zay-Winn Januarie score.
Despite Durbanville dominating possession and territory for most of the first half, Rustenburg’s good work on the deck spurned a number of their opponent’s attacking opportunities. De Wet Viljoen had the final say of the half after he struck a sublime 50-odd metre penalty, to extend Johann van Deventer’s side’s lead to 17-7 at the break.
Rustenburg scrumhalf Adriano George finished off a sparkling offload-centric attack to strike early in the second half, but Durbanville responded immediately through Ruan Vosloo.
The boys in green and orange were not to be outdone however, and scored further tries through hooker Xavier Steenkamp and winger Keathwyn Afrika to take an unlikely lead with less than 10-minutes remaining.
Despite a late fightback from Durbanville, some manful defending and smart tactical play secured Rustenburg a fantastic win.
Scores
Durbanville: Tries: Smit, Januarie, Vosloo. Cons: Viljoen (2). Pen: Viljoen.
Rustenburg: Tries: Myburgh, George, Steenkamp, Afrika. Cons: Enos, Willemse (2).