Grey High Rugby Festival: Parel Vallei impresses, Graeme edges out Kearsney
The Eastern Cape locals, Kingswood College, battled hard to hold off St Charles College 22-19 in the opening match of the Grey High Rugby Festival in Gqeberha on Saturday.
The Makhanda outfit scored just two minutes into the clash, with their captain and lock, Ross Thompson, sparking the move that led to a try.
He caused the initial dent in the St Charles’ defensive line, breaking through around the 10-metre line. Kingswood then turned to the pick-and-go, and Thompson finished what he had started.
Kingswood extended their advantage to 12-0 before the Pietermaritzburg school found their way onto the scoresheet just before the half-time break.
On the attack inside the opposition 22-metre area, scrumhalf Agape Nyawo sniped through a gap and hit the accelerator to cross for a try.
Thompson, meanwhile, continued to deliver for Kingswood. He set a fine example, generating line-breaking runs while also making an abundance of tackles when on defence.
Blindside flanker Josh Mackenzie was an outstanding workhorse, making tackle after tackle and causing Saints problems with his powerful carries. He was rewarded with a try from close range, dragging a handful of defenders across the whitewash before he dotted down.
It was a back-and-forth clash, but, in the end, a deserved win for Kingswood, with St Charles unable to overcome their early 12-point deficit.
Graeme College and Kearsney College produced a classic, in which Graeme ultimately finished as the 35-33 winners.
It took until the 11th minute for the scoring to start, and it continued to accumulate as the teams combined for 10 tries – five each.
Graeme flyhalf Ibenathi Kondile set the ball rolling by taking advantage of a poor pass by Kearsney to run in from 40 metres out. The Botha’s Hill boys appeared to have matters under control, though, when their right wing, Luke Grobbelaar, scored a similar try to put Kearsney 21-7 ahead. However, Graeme struck back before the end of the first half to halve their deficit.
They struck again early in the second half through their outside centre Erin Nelson, with Graeme again punishing Kearsney’s inaccuracy. He benefitted from a poor pass, turning over possession and running in for five points, untouched.
The Graeme captain’s biggest contribution, though, wasn’t his try. Rather, it was the fact that he converted all of his team’s tries. On the flip side, Kearsney’s no. 10, Daniel Miskey, had a conversion strike the left upright, and a last-minute penalty kick faded left of the posts, leaving Graeme with a heart-stopping two-point victory.
In a remarkable turnaround, Hoërskool Framesby took a 14-10 half-time lead over Parel Vallei, but then conceded 40 points without reply in the second half as the Somerset West school charged to a 50-14 victory.
The Gqeberha locals struck the first blow in the 18th minute, thanks to their fullback Jamiel Swarts, who danced his way past three defenders before rewarding scrumhalf Cariston Marney’s excellent support line, which took him across the try line unscathed.
In the second stanza, though, PV delivered some superb running rugby to exploit holes in a tired-looking Framesby defence. Fullback Shudley Rhoda tormented Framesby, putting on display an impressive variety of skills, which carried him across the whitewash four times, which was half of Parel Vallei’s eight tries.
With the win, the Bulldogs extended their 2026 record to a perfect six wins from six matches.
Scorers
Kingswood College 22 (12) – Tries: Ross Thompson, Kungawo Badi, Charl du Toit, Josh Mackenzie. Conversion: Christopher Zimmerman. St Charles College 19 (5) – Tries: Agape Nyowa, Njabulo Nala, Bonga Nkosi. Conversions: Njabulo Nala (2).
Graeme College 35 (14) – Tries: Thurston Williams (2), Ibenathi Kondile, Lucritia Magua, Erin Nelson. Conversions: Erin Nelson (5). Kearsney College 33 (21) – Tries: Lwazi Mbebe, Luke Grobbelaar, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, Keanu Williamson, Clement Makalele. Conversions: Daniel Miskey (4).
Hoërskool Parel Vallei 50 (10) – Tries: Shudley Rhoda (4), Joshua Buchweitz, Raphael von Loeper, Michael Kent, penalty try. Conversions: Stephan Niemann (4). Hoërskool Framesby 14 (14) – Tries: Cariston Marney, Calestin Felkers. Conversions: Miles Feltham (2).
