DHS stages gritty fightback to beat Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s
Winter may be approaching, but the temperature was up in the 30s for the visit of Durban High School (DHS) to Goldstone’s in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, and Maritzburg College dialled up the heat in the early going, too.
Last season, DHS withstood a powerful College challenge on Van Heerden’s Field early in the season, before going on to remain unbeaten at home in 2023. College matched that achievement by going unbeaten on Goldstone’s.
Unfortunately for the Red, Black and White, that’s not going to happen in 2024 after the Horseflies fought back from a 12-point deficit at the break, holding College scoreless in the second half, to score a gusty 21-18 win and retain the Skonk Nicholson Trophy. It was 6-18 at half-time.
In front of raucous supporters for both sides, DHS made a bright start and surged onto the attack, but College quickly forced a penalty, kicked downfield, and set up a lineout in the visitors’ territory, before putting a slow squeeze on them.
Mahle Sithole and his team have, however, proven themselves to be a very stubborn defensive unit and it took College until the 13th minute to get onto the scoreboard, with flyhalf James Slevin kicking a penalty to open the scoring.
Soon, though, it was 3-3, when Allston Cedras nailed a penalty from just outside the hosts’ 22m line.
Cedras, then, rescued DHS, ducking under two attackers near his own try line while on defence to escape a precarious position after College launched a counterattack. The pressure was on, though, and Maritzburg College picked up another three points when Slevin slotted his second penalty after 19 minutes.
With good recycling and use of the width of the field, College exited their 22 after the restart and wound their way up the field with swift movement of the ball. Eventually, they manufactured space out on the right and Nkululeko Sithole ran a good support line to take a short pop-pass and go over for a brilliant first try of the game.
Slevin was unable to convert, but College enjoyed an 11-3 lead and were good value for their eight-point advantage.
After half-an-hour, however, DHS brought themselves to within a try of the home side, when Cedras landed a second penalty.
Just before the half-time whistle, College went to lock Jake Jansen at the back of a five-metre lineout. With a superbly controlled driving maul, they knocked DHS backwards and hooker Siya Nyathi crashed over for another try. Slevin tacked on two further points and Maritzburg College were well in control at the break, leading 18-6.
For the first 10 minutes of the second half, it was also all College, who played the game in the DHS half, but School finally wrestled their way out and a counterattack took them into the home team’s 22. It was, however, a throw-in to College.
In a decisive moment in the contest, the hosts failed to secure the lineout and DHS scrumhalf Marcwin Nero darted through to snaffle the loose ball. He made five metres before picking out a supporting runner. Maritzburg College halted the charge five metres shy of their tryline, but DHS still had control of the ball.
With a strong leg drive, Unaye Mndau broke off the ruck and powered to within two metres of the line. Then, when DHS sent the ball down their backline, good quick passing created an overlap and Zenkosi Mthiyane was over in the left-hand corner.
The conversion kick was off target, but the visitors had drawn to within a converted try of the hosts.
When Cedras landed a third penalty in the 54th minute, DHS was a try away from taking the lead. The momentum had swung and College, dominant for so long in the game, were determinedly fending off their rivals’ attacks.
A stunning try that swept DHS from their own 22 over the Maritzburg College try line then gave the Durban boys the lead. It began with a decision to run the ball from deep. As College’s defence shifted across, a beautifully judged grubber through the defensive line sat up nicely for right-wing Adriano Jackson, who gathered and raced into the home side’s half.
When he was tackled, he popped up a pass to Cedras and he took the ball down the right touchline and midway into the College 22, before grubbering inside, looking for his support. His halfback partner Nero was there. He slowed down briefly, took possession of the ball and then fell over the line for the five-pointer.
Cedras made it a seven-point score with the simple conversion and DHS led 21-18.
With time up, College had a chance to steal a victory when they won a penalty and kicked to touch, to set up a lineout just five metres from the DHS line. The visitors, though, got a hand in front of the throw-in, took possession of the ball, and then nudged it into touch to secure the win.
DHS Director of Rugby Peter Engeldow was thrilled with how his players had dug deep to turn the game around. “It was massive,” he said. “I noticed our energy levels were very low when College scored, and some of the guys had their hands on their knees already. I said alright today is all about effort, about staying in the fight. We had to keep going. And I needed the guys to keep driving.
“Our heads were gone. We were out. And that’s what I am so proud of.
“That was our topic the whole week. We were very poor in our work-rate and our effort against Northwood [last week]. It was our poorest game ever. This was a hard week. We made some big changes. I’m delighted for the boys. There were a lot of life lessons this week.”
Goldstone’s is a tough fortress, which makes winning on Maritzburg College’s main rugby field very special. “I’m proud of the boys for the effort,” Engeldow said.
“It’s my second time visiting Goldstone’s and it’s a second win here. Fortunately, I’ve had a really good run against College, and may it continue for a long time.
“For me, today, it’s the Blue and Goldstone’s and I am very proud of the boys.”
Scores
Maritzburg College 18 (18) – Tries: Nkululeko Sithole, Siya Nyathi. Conversion: James Slevin, Penalties: James Slevin (2). Durban High School 21 (6) – Tries: Zenkosi Mthiyane, Marcwin Nero. Conversion: Allston Cedras. Penalties: Allston Cedras (3).
Results
u19 – Maritzburg College II 10 DHS II 45; Maritzburg College III 15 DHS III 12; Maritzburg College IV 19 DHS IV 6; Maritzburg College V 49 DHS V 0; Maritzburg College VI 29 DHS VI 0; Maritzburg College VII 24 KZN Development 19; Maritzburg College VIII 0 Michaelhouse VII 35; Maritzburg College IX 5 Michaelhouse VIII 14; Maritzburg College X 52 Michaelhouse IX 7
U16 – Maritzburg College A 14 DHS A 17: Maritzburg College B 10 DHS B 7; Maritzburg College C 31 DHS C 7; Maritzburg College D 43 DHS D 7; Maritzburg College E 14 Michaelhouse 35; Maritzburg College F 25 Michaelhouse 26
u15 – Maritzburg College A 16 DHS A 11; Maritzburg College B 25 DHS B 24; Maritzburg College C 46 DHS C 0; Maritzburg College D 39 DHS D 7; Maritzburg College F 10-32 Northwood
u14 – Maritzburg College A 7 DHS A 33; Maritzburg College B 3 DHS B 27; Maritzburg College C 19 DHS C 12; Maritzburg College D 24 DHS D 7; Maritzburg College E 45 DHS E 5
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