By Brad Morgan
Maritzburg College’s Goldstone’s Field was jam-packed on Saturday, with spectators filling every little space around the ground, which underlined the stature of the occasion, College’s Old Boys’ Weekend, and the stature of the opposition, unbeaten Hilton College.
In the fading light, though, when the final whistle blew, the visitors were no longer undefeated, with Maritzburg College winning a bruising battle 14-9.
High scores are not necessary for matches to be captivating, and that was the case on Goldstone’s. It takes two to tango, and Hilton, aware of the massive challenge posed by a team that had beaten Durban High School (DHS) and Northwood in their most recent outings, took the game to College, enjoying the better of the territorial battle, but College’s defensive effort was admirable.
While Hilton missed some kicks at goal, the record books will note that the contest finished with the home side scoring the game’s only two tries.
Maritzburg College Director of Rugby, Hendré Marnitz, was in no doubt about what won the game for College. “It was our defensive effort,” he told SuperSport Schools News afterwards.
“I thought the boys dogged it out on the line. Hilton had numerous 22 entries, and we managed to keep them out with pure guts. We have a good system installed by Kelvin [Elder], and then the rest is the heart that kicks in.
“The way we defended our try line was the difference between winning and losing.
“We had two chances. We used both to get 14 points. They had numerous 22 entries, but we managed to hold them out.”
It took a united front and outstanding leadership to get College over the line, as Marnitz explained: “Rory Stanton is an unbelievable leader. He has a heart as big as a lion. The boys want to play for him. Olwethu Kosani steps up in the backline.
“For them, it means a lot, as a group, just to perform well week in and week out. That’s what it’s about.”
From the first whistle, Hilton College did an excellent job of forcing College onto the defensive. However, when the home team visited Hilton’s 22 for the first time, they showed their intent by turning down a simple penalty kick at the posts. Instead, they ran the ball, and Alanda Ngubane carried two defenders over the try line as he crashed down for the first points of the game.
Dom du Toit added the extras with the boot to turn it into a seven-point play for the home side.
Hilton surged back onto the attack and squeezed Maritzburg College. They won a succession of penalties, and twice John Grubb turned those into points. At halftime in an enthralling, gritty battle, College held a slim one-point lead.
“We knew they were going to play a heavy kicking game and pin us in our 22,” Marnitz said. “We conceded way too many penalties, and we found ourselves in our 22 regularly, and that put us under pressure.”
In the second half, Hilton continued to exert massive pressure on the Red, Black, and White, but College’s tackling was committed and sure. Few teams have found a way to stop Hilton’s patient, slow-poison drives at the line once they’re inside the opposition’s 22, but College found a way, with crunching two-man tackles resulting in some vital turnovers of possession.
After 21 minutes, College, having at last forced Hilton back into their own half, scored again, with Dom du Toit burrowing over from close range. They celebrated with their supporters as if the game had been won, understanding how momentous that score was, but there was some way to go yet.
Crucially, Du Toit made the conversion kick, and the scoreboard showed 14-6, which extended the home team’s advantage beyond one score.
With 10 minutes to play, a Hilton penalty kick shaved the uprights, and College’s eight-point lead held. Grubb, though, soon nailed another opportunity, and the gap was down to five points.
With time running down, Hilton College sent College backwards, grinding their way down the field, metre by metre, until they were on the hosts’ try line. Their big flank, Ross Steyn, almost made it over twice.
Through phase after phase, they attempted to force their way over from rucks. Somehow, Maritzburg College rejected every effort. Eventually, a shoulder-on-ball tackle dislodged possession, and the hosts had a moment to catch their collective breath.
On the sidelines, College’s Old Boys inched towards the field, willing the final whistle to blow. When it did, they raced onto Goldstone’s to share their delight in the monumental effort put forth by their school.
While it was Maritzburg College’s day, Hilton College deserves massive credit. There was little to separate the sides, and the visitors, well led by Andrew Schnell, made matters exceptionally uncomfortable for Maritzburg College. However, on Old Boys’ Weekend, Stanton and company stood tall.
“The boys dogged it out,” Marnitz said. “It’s a special group of boys, and I am really proud of what they have done today.”
Acknowledging the demands of the occasion, he concluded: “It’s a really big day. It puts a lot of pressure on the boys. They want to play well for the Old Boys. Their courage today showed they really care about the badge and the school.”
Scorers
Maritzburg College 14 (7) – Tries: Alanda Ngubane, Dom du Toit. Conversions: Dom du Toit (2). Hilton College 9 (6) – Penalties: John Grubb (3).
Other Results
u19
II: Maritzburg College 23 Hilton 20
III: Maritzburg College 29 Hilton 16
IV: Maritzburg College 8 Hilton 3
V: Maritzburg College 24 Hilton 0
VI: Maritzburg College 50 Hilton 12
VII: Maritzburg College 26 Young Lions 0
VIII: Maritzburg College 50 Hilton VII 20
IX: Young Lions 27 Maritzburg College 17
X: Edendale Technical High I 26 Maritzburg College 24
U16
A: Hilton 23 Maritzburg College 20
B: Maritzburg College 48 Hilton 12
C: Maritzburg College 50 Hilton 0
D: Maritzburg College 50 Ixopo 0
E: Maritzburg College 33 Ixopo 17
F: Maritzburg College 33 St Stithians C 14
u15
A: Maritzburg College 27 Hilton 3
B: Maritzburg College 28 Hilton 7
C: Maritzburg College 54 Hilton 7
D: Maritzburg College 20 Siyahlomula 10
E: Maritzburg College 14 Ixopo 7
u14
A: Maritzburg College 28 Hilton 19
B: Maritzburg College 12 Hilton 12
C: Maritzburg College 55 Hilton 5
E: Maritzburg College 26 St Stithians C 14
F: Maritzburg College 49 St Stithians D 3