Westville holds off DHS in a battle of KZN’s best
Bowden’s Field was jam-packed and there was electricity in the air, which served to underline the stakes and the massive interest in the match when unbeaten Westville Boys’ High met one-loss Durban High School on Saturday in a clash to determine KwaZulu-Natal’s top rugby team of 2025.
After an enthralling contest in which fortunes ebbed and flowed, Westville held off a huge onslaught from DHS in the second half to claim a 33-28 victory that richly rewarded the crowd amassed around the field.
“It was up and down, a rollercoaster, but everyone knew it was going to come down to this,” Westville’s coach Zander Erasmus told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game.
“It’s been building up the whole year. It was amazing. We’ve worked hard.”
In the early going, Westville played the game in the DHS half, dominating territory, and that brought them early reward when right-wing, Ntobeko Sithole, took a skip pass on the left-hand touchline and barrelled his way over for the opening score.
Flyhalf Jade-Will Koopman, whose kicking played a vital role in Westville’s win, knocked over the tough conversion.
The teams, then, swopped penalties, with Koopman knocking over two and Jordan van Wyk responding for DHS with two of his own to make it 13-6 in favour of the hosts.
School reduced the gap to only two points when, after laying siege to the home team’s try line, the burly Zingce Simka crashed over for the visitors’ first try.
Trailing only 11-13, DHS was right back in the contest, with less than two minutes remaining until halftime. From the kick off, though, a wild series of events culminated in Westville scoring their second try.
The high kick was knocked back by DHS, but way too hard, and the ball flew deep into the Horseflies‘ 22. Scrumhalf Marcwin Nero gathered it under pressure and flung a pass inside, but there was no one to receive.
Flyhalf Cilermo Carolus sprinted after it and just before the ball went over the dead-ball line swiped it back into the field of play. The ball fell kindly for Westville centre Sean McGough and he gratefully pounced on it to dot down.
Koopman slotted the extras, and Westville turned nine points to the good at 20-11.
Early in the second half, the home team swept back onto the attack, sucking in the DHS defence as the forwards drove the ball up. When it was eventually released to the backline, Koopman found Jadrian Afrikaner in space out wide on the right with a floated pass and Afrikaner was over. Koopman kept his 100 percent kicking record intact to make it 27-11.
DHS needed to respond. If Westville scored next, they would surely go on to dominate from there. DHS, though, plays with immense character and grit, and they took charge by playing the game deep in the home team’s half.
Their captain Daniel Ikotela led the way, breaking away from a maul inside the Westville 22 to dive over for five.
Then, Cilermo Carolus set up a magnificent try. It began from a lineout on the Westville 10m line from which scrumhalf Marcwin Nero ran at the hosts’ defensive line, drawing them in. Then, with a deep pass, he found Carolus sprinting into a gap. The flyhalf pinned his ears back, sold a dummy, and was almost over from 38 metres out. Just as he was brought down, with the try line in front of him, he popped a pass to Nathan Aneke, on his outside, and the number 13 was over.
After Van Wyk converted the try, only four points separated the teams. At 27-23, it was anybody’s game, and just before the hour mark DHS snatched the lead for the first time in the contest. This time, they profited from a Westville error.
The home side won a lineout close to their own try line, but it wasn’t clean, with the ball being tapped back. Westville skipper Liam Simpkins bobbled the ball and when he dropped it behind the whitewash, his opposite number, Nero, snapped up the opportunity, diving onto the ball for a try.
Van Wyk’s conversion attempt was wide of the mark, but DHS led 28-27. Westville was not done, though. Their response was outstanding.
“The message was simple,” Westville coach Zander Erasmus said. “Stay calm. If we play in the right area, we’ll be fine. No need to panic.”
Simpkins and company took the advice on board and, aided by a penalty straight from the kick off, which Koopman steered between the uprights, they hit the front once more, edging ahead 30-28.
They, also, played the game in the DHS half, reversing the momentum that had brought the visitors 17 unanswered points before the Westville number 10 had made the penalty kick.
Keeping it with the forwards, the Griffin bashed away at the DHS try line, taking the ball through phase after phase. School, though, came away with possession, but the referee blew his whistle for DHS using their hands in the ruck.
Again, Koopman, with admirable calm, made the high-pressure kick to boost his personal contribution to Westville’s total to 18 points.
A couple of minutes later, Simpkins was able to kick the ball into touch from a scrum and Westville had claimed a splendid five-point victory.
“For me, to be able to compete against DHS, who have been a powerhouse of KZN rugby for the last five years, being in the same conversation, and now proving our programme is building and we can now compete, not just play, but compete and win these big matches [is important],” Westville’s Zander Erasmus said afterwards.
In 2024, in one of the games of the year, Westville and King Edward VII (KES) drew 36-36 on Bowden’s. With time almost up in that game, and the home team trailing by five points, Jade-Will Koopman had created one of the tries of the season, taking the ball in the right-hand corner and racing out of the Westville 22 on the left. After an electrifying run, with the try line in sight, he was brought down, but he found Jadrian Afrikaner over his left shoulder to level the scores with a try in the corner.
Koopman had made every kick until then, but his conversion attempt, in the wind, from the touchline, was wide. He was inconsolable. He shouldn’t have been. He had been terrific.
On Saturday, against DHS, his trusty boot made the difference. This time, his kicking record was perfect. Erasmus explained how the Westville number 10 trains for the big pressure moments: “When we train, he comes to me and says ‘Coach, shout at me. I create a barrier for myself.’ He goes and he blocks it out. He’s grown from that [KES experience].
“He’s learnt that the game is process-driven and not outcome-driven. He sticks to his process and blocks the noise out. That’s phenomenal growth from him.”
Reflecting on the win, Erasmus admitted: “It’s one of my proudest days as a coach. It must be. It’s up there.”
After the final whistle, the combatants, who had given their all, showed meaningful respect to their opponents as they embraced. It was impressive stuff.
Westville’s Director of Sport, Pam Hayward, hid tears of pride behind a pair of dark sunglasses. The usually implacable DHS Director of Sport, Nathan Pillay, put an arm around her shoulder and congratulated her. It was a classy conclusion to a memorable showdown.
SCORES
Westville Boys’ High 33 (20) – Tries: Ntobeko Sithole, Sean McGough, Jadrian Afrikaner. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman (3). Penalties: Jade-Will Koopman (4); Durban High School 28 (11) – Tries: Zingce Simka, Daniel Ikotela, Nathan Aneke, Marcwin Nero. Conversions: Jordan van Wyk. Penalties: Jordan van Wyk (2).
RESULTS
Westville vs DHS
u19 – Westville I 33 DHS I 28; Westville II 13 DHS II 13; Westville III 12 DHS III 27; Westville IV 6 DHS IV 16; Westville V 0 DHS V 12; Westville VI 7 DHS VI 12.
u16 – Westville A 24 DHS A 27; Westville B 19 DHS B 21; Westville C 15 DHS C 0; Westville D 0 DHS D 5
u15 – Westville A 3 DHS A 12; Westville B 6 DHS B 22; Westville C 22 DHS C 10; Westville D 40 DHS D 7; Westville E 39 DHS E 14.
u14 – Westville A 18 DHS A 23; Westville B 5 DHS B 43; Westville C 19 DHS C 5; Westville D 15 DHS D 12; Westville E 57 DHS E 7.
Glenwood vs Northwood
u19 – Northwood I 30 Glenwood I 16; Northwood II 15 Glenwood II 17; Northwood III 17 Glenwood III 12; Northwood IV 56 Glenwood IV 0; Northwood V 14 Glenwood V 24; Northwood VI 19 Glenwood VI 29
u16 – Northwood A 19 Glenwood A 26; Northwood B 13 Glenwood B 10; Northwood C 17 Glenwood C 10; Northwood D 29 Glenwood D 5
u15 – Northwood A 21 Glenwood A 19; Northwood B 13 Glenwood B 10; Northwood C 8 Glenwood C 8; Northwood D 17 Glenwood D 18
u14 – Northwood A 5 Glenwood A 7; Northwood B 19 Glenwood B 19; Northwood C 22 Glenwood C 5; Northwood D 17 Glenwood D 18
