A daunting challenge as Clifton faces Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s
After opening their season with a 49-0 thrashing of Durban Development this past weekend, Clifton College faces a serious challenge on Saturday when they make the trip up to Pietermaritzburg to take on Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s.
It would, under any circumstances, be a tough challenge – and College were unbeaten on their home ground in 2023 – but it was made that much more challenging by the past Saturday’s game between Kearsney and Maritzburg in Botha’s Hill, where College, unexpectedly, were beaten 16-14.
It was their first match of the season, and it was Kearsney’s third, and the benefit of those extra games told. College was inaccurate in their execution of the basics, although there was an improvement from the first half to the second.
Something that would have frustrated the coaches was the large number of penalties that were conceded. In the end, that was what cost the Red, Black and White as Daniel Eager slotted a last second penalty to win the match for Kearsney.
College, with another week of training under their belts, armed with the knowledge of what exactly needs to be worked on, playing at home, and upset with a loss in their first outing, will be a tough, motivated opponent for Clifton.
The College part of Clifton School – which celebrates its Centenary this year – was founded only 22 years ago. In that time, Clifton has made huge strides on the rugby field and earned the right to take on the other all-boys’ schools in KZN at all A team levels. On Saturday, they’ll debut their Centenary 1st XV rugby jerseys.
Clifton’s highly regarded Director of Rugby, Grant Bell, told SuperSport Schools: We are a very young school, and we are still in the process of establishing ourselves as a rugby school. We are proud of the massive strides we have made in a such a short period of time, but we are almost mindful that growing a rugby culture is not a sprint, it is a marathon, and one has to lay solid foundations first.”
A feature of KZN schools rugby the past couple of seasons has been the exceptional strength to be found in teams’ front rows, and Clifton is no exception, with their front-rankers – Bandile Nhlabathi, Khanya Mgabi and Lungani Ngcobo – also boasting the experience of having run out for the 1st XV in 2023.
They’ll be tested by a College front row that includes SA Schools’ loosehead Phiwayinkosi Kubheka and Sharks’ Craven Week tighthead Aiden Botha, but Kearsney College showed last week that they were up for the challenge. Why not Clifton?
The Durban side also has some good size at lock, with Lukhanyiso Nala and Lwazi Madikizela doing duty in the second row.
If one thinks back to last season, Clifton’s pack was well drilled and very adept at mauling. They’ll need an appetite for that kind of an arm wrestle on Saturday.
At the back, the spaces that were available against Durban Development will be closed down. How Clifton handles that additional pressure will be a key factor in the game. And how, on the defensive side of things, they handle College’s flying fullback Luyanda Kunene, will be crucial, too.
Kearsney did a good job of closing him down, but Kunene was still able to open his 2024 try scoring account this past Saturday. There will be many more to come.
Maritzburg College vs Clifton College at 14:40, Goldstones, Pietermaritzburg:
The teams:
Clifton College: 15 Handré de Bruin, 14 Enzo Marcon, 13 Nkanyiso Ntshangase, 12 Bradley Beeslaar, 11 Wandile Ngubane, 10 Adam Selikow, 9 Kyle Akal, 8 Asabonga Jiyane, 7 Richard Castle, 6 Jamie Brown, 5 Lwazi Madikizela, 4 Lukhanyiso Nala, 3 Lungani Nala, 2 Kanya Mgabi, 1 Bandile Nhlabathi.
Maritzburg College: 15 Luyanda Kunene, 14 Langelihle Makhathini, 13 Swelihle Mbatha, 12 Nkululeko Sithole, 11 Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein, 10 James Slevin, 9 Rayke Maartens, 8 Imivuyo Kemka, 7 Naz Isaacs, 6 Struan Oosthuizen, 5 Jake Jansen, 4 Wasi Vyambwera, 3 Aiden Botha, 2 Siyabonga Nyathi, 1 Phiwayinkosi Kubheka.
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