DAY 3| KES| Reiback influential as Rondebosch claims KES title
Rondebosch Boys’ High‘s Noah Reiback scored four goals in the final of the Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament on Sunday to lead his side to a comfortable 11-7 win over St John’s College.
The title was Rondebosch’s second at the tournament. They previously claimed top honours in 2018.
Leading up to the showdown, the Cape side and the two-time defending champions, St John’s, were unbeaten throughout the weekend, with both playing an attractive and winning brand of water polo.
In the quarterfinals, Rondebosch eliminated Hilton College, winning 12-10, before edging out their Cape Town rivals, Bishops, 12-11, in the final four.
Coach Vlado Trninic’s St John’s side was also dominant and held off St Stithians College 12-11 in the quarterfinals before outscoring SACS 11-8 in their semi-final.
The final was heated, and it began at a high tempo. as Rondebosch opened the scoring early through a five-metre penalty, which was converted by Reiback.
He quickly rushed to his way to a first chukka hattrick, but goals from Greg Pryce and St John’s skipper, Ross Rovelli, kept the defending champions in the match as they trailed 2-3 after the first quarter.
The second chukka saw both keepers, Kamogelo Thobejane (St John’s) and Pierre Du Plessis (Rondebosch), pull off some fine saves, but Rondebosch managed to add three more goals to their tally – through Matthew Galpin, Luke Cartwright, and Rieback – to open up a 6-2 lead at the break.
Coach Jared Wingate-Pearse’s side kept its scoring form in the final two chukkas, adding five goals through Bradley Warneke, Matthew Galpin (2), Matthew De Villiers, and Luke Burger, but St John’s hit back time after time, with goals from Nicholas Searle and Simon Mussett, while the outstanding Pryce added to his tally to claim a hattrick.
The St John’s fightback was in vain, however. The second chukka proved to be the difference as Rondebosch maintained their four-goal cushion, with each side scoring only once in the final quarter.
Rondebosch could have stretched their lead, but both Luke Burger and Bradley Warneke were unsuccessful from the penalty spot.
Those missed opportunities didn’t come back to haunt ‘Bosch as they captured their second KES title six years after their first.
In the playoff for third, Bishops sneaked by SACS 3-2 on penalties. After regulation time, they had been deadlocked at 5-5.
There was also a penalty shootout win for St Stithians College over Hilton College, in the fifth-place playoff, while Paul Roos claimed seventh with a resounding 7-3 victory over the hosts.
Selborne College finished in 10th place, and Clifton College were relegated to 12th place after going down 4-5 to St Andrew’s College.
You can rewatch all the action on SuperSport Schools
Scorers in the final
Rondebosch Boys’ High: Noah Reiback (x4), Matthew Galpin (x2), Luke Cartwright, Harry Soboil, Luke Burger, Bradley Warneke, Matthew De Villiers. St John’s College: Gregory Pryce (x3), Ross Rovelli (x2), Nicholas Searle, Simon Mussett.
Results: Day 3
Westville Boys High 6-4 Clifton College
Selborne College 6-3 St Andrew’s College
Rondebosch 12-11 Bishops
St John’s 11-8 SACS
Jeppe 6-3 Pretoria Boys High
Northwood 5-4 Grey High
St Andrew’s College 5-4 Clifton College
Westville Boys’ High 5(3)-5(2) Selborne College
Paul Roos 7-3 King Edward VII
St Stithians 5(6)-5(5) Hilton College
Bishops 5 (3)-5(2) SACS
Rondebosch 11-7 St John’s
Full Standings
Rondebosch Boys’ High
St John’s College
Bishops Diocesan College
South African College High School
St Stithians College
Hilton College
Paul Roos
King Edward VII
Westville Boys’ High
Selborne College
St Andrew’s College
Clifton College
Northwood School
Grey High
Jeppe High for Boys
Pretoria Boys High
