St John’s College 17-17 Kingswood College
St John’s College and Kingswood College played out to a 17-all stalemate in front of packed Burger Field at the 27th St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank.
It was one of the most anticipated fixtures of the day, with the St John’s Blues getting a great start to the game, after an early setback. It was an entertaining match-up with an incredible atmosphere, as a few famous war cries could be heard from afar. The St John’s boys looked up for the fight with many in the crowd behind them. They didn’t disappoint in the end as they managed to conclude the half with a 17-3 lead.
The second half saw matters not quite going to plan for the hosts, with Kingswood hitting back soon after the resumption of the game. The Blues looked to create something to extend their lead, but it didn’t seem to come off as Kingswood continued to find a footing in the game. Kingswood’s efforts paid off in the end as they eventually managed to level matters. The team from the Eastern Cape almost came away with a victory in the dying minutes but a last-ditch tackle saved St John’s blushes. In the end, the spoils were shared as the final whistle was blown at 17-all.
Boland Landbou 32 – 17 Maritzburg College
Boland Landbou were too strong for Maritzburg College in the end, claiming a hard-fought 32-17 win on Burger Field at the 27th St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank.
The first half would’ve been what was anticipated in the game, with a bruising encounter between the two schools with a proud rugby history. Boland however enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, keeping College in their half for an extended period. Boland enjoyed a lead throughout the half, with College however constantly threatening. The boys from the KZN capital did register an unconverted try as Boland went into a deserved 17-5 lead at the break.
The second half saw the moment shift in terms of possession with College enjoying more time on the ball, making it a ping-pong battle between the two sides. Boland however enjoyed a few moments of magic, which in the end were the difference. The deficit on the scoreboard wasn’t entirely a true reflection but the performance put out on the pitch was entertaining for all in attendance.
Hilton College 57 – 0 St Benedict’s College
Hilton College put in an emphatic performance to clinch a 57-0 victory over St Benedict’s College on Burger Field at the 27th St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank.
The boys from KwaZulu Natal showed their intention early in the game, scoring early in the match-up. The Bennies boys struggled to front up against a physical Hilton outfit that equally used their speed and agility to their advantage. Hilton frustrated St Benedict’s attacking moves on a number of occasions, forcing the boys from Bedfordview to make mistakes that cost them dearly. At the halftime break, Hilton were 26-00 up.
The second half saw Hiltonians turning up the heat on attack and defending like Trojans when Bennies attempted to find a way into the game. St Benedict’s often suffered a lot around the outside, with Hilton playing well through the hands. Hilton winger Requilme Adonis in the end managed to bag a hattrick, which eventually led to an emphatic 57-00 triumph.
SACS 31 – 07 Graeme College
A second-half inspired performance from the South African College High Schools (SACS), saw them defeat Graeme College 31-7 at the 27th St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank.
The first half saw a bit of a cagey affair with both sides coming from a rich culture of running rugby. SACS however looked the slightly better-drilled outfit, with Graeme College unable to unleash their backs. They did however see points, with SACS taking a 12-7 lead at the interval.
The second stanza saw SACS pulling away from Graeme, who struggled to stay in the game, with a few errors letting them down. SACS were good value for their game management, keeping their opponents from the Eastern Cape from scoring any points. The Cape Town based school ran rampant to get their festival off to a winning start.
Noordheuwel 52 – 0 Golden Lions Invitational XV
Hoërskool Noordheuwel were flawless in their 52-0 win over the Golden Lions Invitational XV at the 27th St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank.
The Lions looked off the pace from kick-off, often being pinned deep in their half, with Noordheuwel creating a great deal of space with their athletic backs. The Lions forwards also tended to struggle against a heavier pack, which was evident at the breakdown. At the break, the scoreboard sat at 21-0 to Noordheuwel, who looked rather comfortable. It could’ve been worse for the Lions but their defensive efforts at times kept them in the game.
The second half saw a complete walkover from Noordheuwel, who continued to enjoy the better of their opponents in most facets of the fixture. In the end, things got too much for the Lions as Noordheuwel added a further 31 points to their tally, clinching a 52-0 victory in front of a fantastic crowd on Burger Field.
Nelspruit 31 – 21 Bethlehem Voortrekker
Hoërskool Nelspruit fought their way to a 31-21 victory against Bethlehem Voortrekker Hoërskool at the 27th St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank.
It took an incredible display in the latter stages of the first half, where Hoërskool Nelspruit ran in 3 consecutive tries after having been 21-0 down halfway through the first half.
The game saw a swift start from Voortrekker, who raced to a commanding 21-0 lead, which was eventually short-lived. Nelspruit continuously pushed and pressed the Voortrekker defence that eventually caved in, seeing them run in 3 tries in quick succession. The half-time whistle sounded with Voortrekker enjoying a slender 21-19 lead over Nelspruit.
The second half resumed with Nelspruit picking up from where they left off, running the Voortrekker defence rugged. Voortrekker was unable to register a score in the second half, failing to cope with the composed play from the boys from Mpumalanga.
Falcon College 32 –19 St David’s
Zimbabwe's, Falcon College took on St David’s Marist Inanda in the first high school game at the 27th St John’s College Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank on Burger Field.
It was Falcon who got the better start in the encounter, converting an early penalty. This seemed to awaken St David’s, as they enjoyed the better of the possession and territory battles. The boys from Inanda were able to score two tries to take the score to 14-3 in their favour at the break.
Falcon College did however have a strong second-half showing, putting constant pressure on St David’s defence. Handling errors also didn’t do any of the teams any favours, often letting them down in key parts of the pitch. The boys from Inanda were further pegged back by a yellow card that saw Falcon soaring to new heights and gaining an unassailable lead. St David’s tried to fight back, but a backline-inspired display saw Falcon off to a comfortable 32-19 victory in the end. Both teams left it all out on the pitch, with the fixture being a lot closer than the final score suggests.