DHS off to strong start, Maritzburg on fire, Northwood stun Hilton
The Durban High School (DHS) 1st XV faced a tricky opening rugby fixture on Saturday, at Kearsney College, who had already notched three wins in three starts, including a 16-14 upset of a highly favoured Maritzburg College the previous weekend.
Problem? Not for coach Peter Engeldow‘s outfit. Not only did they win, but they held the One-Stripe scoreless, emerging from a hard-fought contest with a 23-0 victory.
It’s not as if Kearsney didn’t threaten. They did. But staunch and determined DHS defence kept them at bay.
Khanyisa Stamper, at 8th-man, set the standard for the Horseflies, delivering a man of the match-type performance. He was sound on defence and a strong ball-carrier on the offence. His fellow loose-forward, Daniel Ikotela, was also a defensive standout.
Kearsney had stood up well to Maritzburg College’s powerful pack the previous weekend, but DHS proved that they, too, are talented up front and handled the Kearsney pack well. They also performed smoothly in the lineouts, which not many teams have managed in their first outings.
Flyhalf Aka Boqwana has big shoes to fill, following the departure of the outstanding Deano Boesak, who has signed a contract with Western Province. On Saturday, given sharp service from Marcwin Nero, he did a fine job, twice crossing for tries while also controlling the game with his tactical kicking.
Outside of Boqwana, hard-running Zingce Simka and Adriano Jackson caused the Kearsney defence problems.
It was an encouraging start to the season for DHS, who will have high hopes for 2024 after a very good 2023. However, knock-ons and penalties are areas that will require improvement going forward.
In Pietermaritzburg, Clifton College had the misfortune of running into a talented Maritzburg College team that was deeply disappointed by its first outing of 2024, and ready to take out that disappointment on Clifton on Goldstone’s.
College was simply too slick and too fast for their opposition, and no one was more slippery or fast than their SA Schools’ fullback, Luyanda Kunene, who sliced through the Clifton defence for five tries.
His fellow SA Schools’ star, College captain Rambo Kubheka crossed the whitewash twice and was matched by Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein as College tallied 12 tries. It didn’t help Clifton that James Slevin kicked well. He struck 10 conversions and added a penalty.
To their credit, Clifton kept going at it and twice forced their way over for tries from close range. Their second was also the last of the contest, which spoke volumes about their spirited resistance.
Just up the road, at Hilton College, a shock was in store for the hosts. They took on a Northwood team that was full of running and looked dangerous when they got the ball down their backline, and it brought them an exciting 10-7 victory.
The opening try, in the 12th minute, was a beauty, which began with a lineout just outside of Northwood’s 22m. They secured the throw and then, under heavy pressure from Hilton, got the ball out wide with a long skip pass. A clever dummy and a slipped tackle saw the Knights racing down the right-hand side of the field.
An offload to the inside and another dummy opened up a route to the tryline and they were over after covering more than three-quarters of the length of the field. It was a sensational score.
Then, a deep foray into Hilton’s territory brought Northwood to within five metres of the tryline. Hilton, though, turned over possession and launched a kick down the field. After catching the ball on the halfway line, the Knights countered with a swift attack to the left. Hilton was outflanked and the visitors were in for a second try.
Their 10-point lead lasted only three minutes, however. Skip passes had helped them get on the outside of the Hilton defence on a number of occasions. This time, it got them into trouble as a long pass was intercepted by Khazimla Makali.
He sprinted down the field but was hauled in from behind. Still, he got a final pass off and Rukudzo Madinga provided the finish. Liyema Nela added the extras and only three points separated the sides.
Northwood, though, had proven a tough nut to crack and they didn’t allow Hilton another point to record a cherished victory on Gilfillan Field.
Scores
Durban High School 23 (11) – Tries: Aka Boqwana (x2), Allston Cedras. Penalties: Allston Cedras (x2). Conversions: Allston Cedras. Kearsney College 0 (0).
Maritzburg College 83 (36) – Luyanda Kunene (x5), Phiwayinkosi Kubheka (x2), Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein (x2), Imivuyo Kemka, Siyabonga Nyathi, Swelihle Mbatha. Penalty: James Slevin. Conversions: James Slevin (x10). Clifton College 10 (5)
Northwood School 10 (5). Hilton College 7 (0) – Try: Rukudzo Madinga. Conversion: Liyema Nela.
