DHS scores handsome win at Northwood
Playing away, under lights on Reece-Edwards Field on Friday evening, Durban High School (DHS) made themselves at home, powering their way to an emphatic 36-5 victory over Northwood.
Recent clashes between the Durban rivals had been tight, hard-fought affairs. Earlier in the season, at DHS, School won 22-19 after trailing 0-12 at halftime. This time around, the result was not in doubt.
Peter Engledow‘s charges led only 10-0 at the break, but they pulled clear early in the second half, bolstering their advantage until they had put victory out of Northwood’s reach. After 10 minutes of the second stanza, the Horseflies led 29-0, and there was no coming back for the Knights.
The enthusiastic support for the home team had quietened down, but the DHS supporters felt a lot better about the state of the game and made themselves heard.
DHS was accurate, executed the basics well and, like they had done against Jeppe the previous Saturday, they hurt the opposition out wide by moving the ball smartly to the touchlines, with the left flank, especially, bringing them great success.
It took a while to get the scoreboard moving, but after 15 minutes captain Daniel Ikotela and his men at last breeched the stubborn Northwood defence, scoring from a lineout inside the hosts’ 22. It began on the right and ended in the left-hand corner, with a solid rolling maul setting the Knights on the back foot.
The home team’s defence was dented with a hit-up from the midfield, and when DHS received quick ball from that move Northwood was in trouble. The ball went swiftly through the hands to left-wing Zenkosi Mthiyane, and he finished in the corner.
An excellent conversion kick from the touchline by flyhalf Jordan van Wyk made it 7-0.
DHS did a fine job of playing the game in Northwood’s half, keeping the pressure on the home side. That would come to bear with time the further the contest progressed. However, for all their endeavour and hard work, School had only a penalty to show for the remainder of their efforts in the first half, with Cilermo Carolus slotting a simple kick from almost in front, 22 metres out.
Towards the end of the half, Northwood, finally, was able to spend considerable time in the DHS 22, but the visitors stood firm and the Knights went unrewarded.
DHS was back on the attack early in the second stanza, but a missed five-metre lineout robbed them of another try-scoring opportunity. Soon, though, they were back at it, forcing Northwood deep into their 22.
The Knights couldn’t escape their half. DHS coach Peter Engledow must have been very pleased with how his side managed the territorial game.
As was the case in the first half, it took 15 minutes before DHS cracked the Northwood defensive line again. After making good ground up the left flank, School stayed patient and hit the ball up through eight phases before Okhule Mbanjwa crashed over for a try.
Van Wyk nailed the conversion and DHS led 17-0. Northwood, forced to play from deep, had, thus far, posed few threats to their Durban rivals.
When they made ground into the visitors’ 22, however, they found themselves torched by a scintillating DHS counterattack.
A scorching breakout that turned defence into attack saw DHS make 50 metres up the left-hand touchline. Very briefly, their charge was halted, but a sharp scissor move gave the skipper Daniel Ikotela a sniff of the try line and he pumped his legs hard to drag a defender over the whitewash with him, which put DHS 22-0 up after 20 minutes of the second half.
Van Wyk’s conversion attempt never happened because the referee ruled that he had taken too long to get his kick off. Still, the boys in blue were well in command.
It didn’t take long for them to extend their advantage, either. Again, from a lineout around the halfway line, they found success down the left touchline, thanks to their accurate, fast movement of the ball. When scrumhalf Marcwin Nero went over, the visitors celebrated with more freedom. They knew it was all over bar the shouting.
This time, Van Wyk neatly split the uprights, and the gap grew to 29 points.
Northwood had few answers. DHS took charge of territory once more, forcing the Knights to play from deep. They did well to eventually extricate themselves from their half, but when DHS turned over possession on their 22, they burst down the left flank through centre Nathan Aneke.
Northwood was scrambling to catch up. They couldn’t, and Aneke rounded the home team’s defence in the left-hand corner before running in towards the poles and finishing with a flourish.
Van Wyk knocked over the easy conversion and DHS was out of sight at 36-0 in front.
To their credit, Northwood kept working hard and they avoided the egg by scoring the last points of the game after, for pretty much the first time in the match, being able to spend considerable time in the DHS 22.
They scored in a familiar manner, opening up an opportunity from a rolling maul, which Chulumanco Kholisa finished to being a roar out of the home supporters. The die had long been cast, however, and DHS improved their record on the season to an impressive 14 wins and only two losses.
Scorers
Northwood 5 (0) – Try: Chulumanco Kholisa; Durban High School 36 (10) – Tries: Zenkosi Mthiyane, Okhule Mbanjwa, Daniel Ikotela, Marcwin Nero, Nathan Aneke. Conversions: Jordan van Wyk (4). Penalty: Cilermo Carolus.
Results
u19 – Northwood I 5 DHS I 38; Northwood II 17 DHS III 35; Northwood III 5 DHS III 24; Northwood IV 10 DHS IV 12; Northwood V 5 DHS V 36.
u16 – Northwood A 21 DHS A 17; Northwood B 8 DHS B 14; Northwood C 42 DHS C 5
u15 – Northwood A 13 DHS A 19; Northwood B 0 DHS B 31; Northwood C 22 DHS C 22; Northwood D 5 DHS D 60
u14 – Northwood A 0 DHS A 17; Northwood B 0 DHS B 49; Northwood C 14 DHS C 52
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