Westville wins a bruiser at Northwood
Westville Boys’ High claimed a bruising 16-14 victory over Northwood in front of a large crowd surrounding Reece-Edwards Field, in Durban, on Saturday.
It wasn’t a free-flowing, open affair. It was very physical, the kind of battle one sees when top sides meet, with both working feverishly to neutralise the opposition’s offensive flair.
The difference in the game was provided by a difference-maker, Westville fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya, who scored a stunning counterattacking solo try from 70 metres out early in the second half.
It began near the left-hand touchline and finished wide on the right over the Northwood try line. In his wake, defenders lay sprawled and beaten.
“The whole plan was not to kick on him,” Northwood coach Jacques Deen told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match. It happened only once that the Knights kicked on Siyaya and gave him space to work in, but that was enough for the SA Schools’ star to put his stamp on the contest.
“It was a very tight game, but then a special player, Zekhethelo Siyaya, cracked it open and gave us the lead,” Westville coach Zander Erasmus commented. “We kind of got momentum and a bit of tempo in the second half and a bit more urgency. Our defence came through in the lineouts.”
It was a credit to Westville that they were able to pressure Northwood in the lineouts. The Knights pride themselves on that set piece – a speciality of coach Jacques Deen – and they, usually, are among the best at pressuring the opposition’s throw-ins. On this occasion, though, Westville was able to withstand the Northwood challenge and put the home team under some pressure.
“The lineout did not function as well as it usually does. And that is normally our strength,” Deen admitted.
Give credit to Northwood, though. Apart from that instance when they allowed Siyaya space to perform his magic, they made Westville play the game in the trenches. “They, obviously, fancied their maul,” Erasmus said. Credit, too, to Westville, who were up for the fight.
“When we did our analysis, they were quite similar to our profile, so we knew coming here was going to be tough. We haven’t won here in a long time,” Erasmus said.
“We came here with a plan. It wasn’t pretty, but the plan was executed. You can’t ask for more because a lot of that fight you can’t coach.”
Late in the game, Northwood could have taken a shot at goal for the win, but they elected, instead, to kick the penalty into the corner and try to maul their way over the line. Westville stopped them. “Unfortunately, we made a mistake,” Deen said.
As good teams do, the Knights have made it a habit of pulling through to win close games – as they did earlier in the season against Michaelhouse and Maritzburg College – but this time around they couldn’t pull off another escape.
“It went the other way, but I said to the boys we didn’t take our opportunities,” Deen said. That’s the good news for Northwood, they’re creating opportunities and they’re capable of more.
“The positive thing is we’re at about 50 to 60 percent of our capability. If we hit 60 to 70 percent, we are going to be unstoppable,” Deen reckoned. “They need to realise that.”
For Westville, it was a big win, the kind of victory that strengthens bonds and belief, and the joy with which they celebrated afterwards, having withstood severe pressure in the latter stages of the game, showed that their players understood just how momentous their achievement was.
Together with Durban High School (DHS), Westville and Northwood, thus far, look like the cream of the crop in KwaZulu-Natal schools’ rugby in 2025.
Taking a look at how it unfolded: In the first half, Siyaya opened the scoring with a penalty kick from 40 metres out and flyhalf Lux Sonkononkono made it 6-0 with a second penalty.
Northwood hit back with a try from centre Tristan Parkinson after the Knights’ pack had pounded away at the Westville try line through numerous phases and a successful conversion from Savio Stevens gave them a 7-6 lead.
Then, in the second stanza, came Siyaya’s special moment and Sonkononokono added the extras to put Westville 13-7 ahead. The number 10 tacked on a penalty to extend the visitors’ advantage to nine points, but Northwood fired back.
They forced their way deep into the Westville 22 until they pried open the defensive line, with centre Bongani Khumalo finishing with a spectacular dive. Stevens slotted the conversion to pull the home team within two points.
That’s as close as they got as Westville defended stubbornly to claim a precious win.
SCORERS
Northwood 14 (7) – Tries: Tristan Parkinson, Bongani Khumalo. Conversions: Savio Stevens (2); Westville 16 (6) – Try: Zekhethelo Siyaya. Conversion: Lux Sonkononkono. Penalties: Lux Sonkononkono (2)
RESULTS
u19: Northwood I 14-16 Westville I; Northwood II 12-14 Westville II; Northwood III 20-32 Westville III; Northwood IV 12-5 Westville IV; Northwood V 21-14 Westville V; Northwood VI 15-10 Westville VI
u16: Northwood A 17-14 Westville A; Northwood B 12-22 Westville B; Northwood C 26-0 Westville C; Northwood D 15-5 Westville D; Northwood E 7-0 Westville E
u15: Northwood A 17-17 Westville A; Northwood B 0-45 Westville B; Northwood C 0-36 Westville C; Northwood D 7-24 Westville D; Northwood E 21-12 Westville E
u14: Northwood A 7-21 Westville A; Northwood B 5-5 Westville B; Northwood C 0-24 Westville; Northwood D 0-33 Westville D; Northwood E 10-21 Westville E
