21 April 2025
KES Easter Rugby Festival
KES 07-12 Northwood
Northwood struck after just two minutes of play when fullback Trevor van Vollenstee had to stretch to dot the ball down for the first try of the match. Northwood "dominated" for the next fifteen minutes and scored off the back of a 5m lineout-maul when Ayavuya Makula peeled from the back of the maul to extend Northwood's lead to 12-00, which was also the halftime score..
Thereafter, KES stepped up the speed of their attack and were rewarded when their scrumhalf, Regan McGurk, passed wide, skipping several teammates and found the hands of winger Joshua Wilkinson, who scored in the corner to cut Nortwood's lead to 12-07. Shortly thereafter, the match was stopped by lightning, which handed the win to Northwood.
Noordheuwel 21-20 Jeppe
Jeppe attacked from the kick-off, playing an expansive game plan and prop Joshua Hamman crashed over to score Jeppe's first try after just two minutes of play. Three minutes later, Jeppe pounced on a mistake made by Noordheuwel on their tryline and centre Phano Letsie scored an easy try, extending Jeppe's lead to 14-00. Jeppe added an extra three points off a converted penalty with only four minutes left to play in the first half. Then followed five minutes of madness. First Noordheuwel attacked from the kickoff and hooker Clinton Agu crashed over, whereafter Jaden Steyn took off from within his half, and scored Noordheuwel's second try to cut Jeppe's lead to 17-14 at the halftime break.
After eight minutes of play in the second half, Jeppe converted another penalty to lead 20-14. Thereafter, Noordheuwel launched wave after wave of attacks, with sometimes only the desperate defence of Jeppe keeping Noordheuwel from scoring. With fifteen minutes left to play, Noordheuwel's JB Blout crashed over to secure Noordheuwel's 21-20 win.
Parktown 25-15 Hudson Park
Hudson Park was first to score when they took a quick tap and sent the ball wide, where winger Masibulele Kwakwini beat the defenders with speed and great feet. Parktown started to patiently build their attack and converted a penalty after thirteen minutes of play, to which Hudson Park replied with a converted penalty minutes later. Parkrown once again started building their attack. A quick tap five meters out led to scrummy Siphesihle Mpofu crushing over to level the scores at 10-10. With five minutes to play in the first half, Hudson Park's eightman Sibabalwe Mtshini scored their third try, after brilliant hands by Mtshini's outside backs gave him space to thunder over. Hudson Park led 15-10 at the halftime break.
Parktown started the second half like a house on fire and converted a penalty to make it a two-point game. The following five-odd minutes, Hudson Park threatened to take control; however, with fifteen minutes to play, Park Town's eightman Siya Masinga scored off a five-meter lineout-maul to take the lead. With time almost up, Park Town took a quick tap five meters from Hudson Park's tryline and Lethabo Sikhudo took a short pass off a maul and thundered over to secure Park Town a deserved 25-15 win.
Affies 57-19 Selborne
Affies showed their intent early on, using their big boys up front to bully Selborne. It was no surprise when big Hannes Nagel bulldozed his way over Selborne's tryline after just four minutes of play to lead 07-00. Five minutes later, it was Estiaan Marx who scored a great try following the hard running of flanker Luan Potgieter. Following a good scrum, Selborne spread the ball wide and Ollie Schmidt scored in the opposite corner to cut Affies' lead to 12-05 after twelve minutes of play. Selborne made a mistake from the kick-off, allowing Joshua Gouws to score in the corner after doing some hard work to cross the tryline. Affies led 19-05. Affies started a rolling maul on Selborne's twenty-two from a lineout, and eventually it was Charl Els who scored, extending Affies' lead to 26-05 after eighteen minutes of play. Affies continued the pressure with great attacks, and with six minutes still to play, Luan Potgieter scored the next try, bashing through the middle of the lineout, catching Selborne fast asleep. Elwin Jansen van Vuuren scored Affies' last try of the first half as the defence of Selborne was non-existent at that stage. Affies led 38-05 going into the second half.
Selborne started like a house on fire in the second half and scored a try when inside centre Aaron James crashed over. Affies replied seven minutes later when Estiaan Marx crashed over to lead 43-12. As expected, the match lost its structure, and it was Selborne's Zothando Mara who crashed over to give Selborne College a little bit of hope. With five minutes to play, Martin van Niekerk scored in the corner, crashing over and past several defenders. Affies had the final say when van Niekerk took several defenders with him, scoring his second try. Affies deservedly won 57-19.
Queen's College 00-33 Rondebosch
The score might suggest that Rondebosch completely dominated Queen's College; however, Rondebosch only scored their first points with a try by Andrea Parrello off the back of a lineout-maul with time already up on the clock to lead 07-00 going into the second half.
Rondebosch upped the tempo of their attack and scored tries by Daniel Arendse, Randall-John Davids, Andrea Parello and Eathon Williams in the second half.
Pearson 21-12 Eldoraigne
The first ten minutes of the match were an arm wrestle; however, Pearson did show signs of taking control of the match. Pearson's lively scrummy Denilo Jordaan sniped from first receiver to cut Eldoraigne's defence in two, and scored next to the uprights after eleven minutes of play. Pearson added a converted penalty after twenty-four minutes of play in the first half to lead 08-00, which was also the halftime score.
Pearson started the second half on the attack, and Jordaan, who is playing flyhalf, set Keano Beling away with a brilliant pass to score Pearson's first try of the half. Pearson led 15-00 at that stage. After seven minutes of play in the second half, Pearson added another converted penalty to stretch their lead to 18-00. With ten minutes still to play, Eldoraigne took a quick ten meters from Pearson's tryline, and eventually Eldo's Kevin Earle crashed over to cut Pearson's lead to 18-05. With three minutes to play, Pearson sealed a 21-05 win with a converted penalty. However, with time up on the clock, Eldoraigne intercepted the ball just outside their twenty-two with Justin Meintjes dotting down. Pearson was the deserved winner with 21-12.
