Jansen on top against Kearsney, while the Horseflies prove too strong for Rusties

Dr EG Jansen triumphed 29-24 over Kearsney College in the fourth match of the opening day’s play at the Standard Bank Kearsney College Easter Festival.

As good as the boys from Boksburg were on Thursday, they were helped in part by a number of unforced errors from the hosts, whose basics let them down.

Still, the teams produced one of the most competitive games of the day.

Jansies weren’t hanging around early on and were quickly rewarded for their bold, expansive play when Deashean Pietersen and Otlotleng Zulu finished off great counterattacks from deep before an ensuing breakaway try from Juan van Aswegen made it 19-0.

Just before halftime, Kearsney launched an all-out assault on the EG Jansen try line but couldn’t unlock the visitors’ defence, with their passing accuracy and the opposition’s gain-line dominance ensuring Reghardt Botha’s charges headed into halftime the happier of the sides.

Kearsney came out firing at the start of the second half, with winger Lwandile Mkhize running in their festival opener from 80-odd metres out. That fast start was just what the doctor ordered, and skipper Simanye Mlakalaka scored another soon thereafter to make it 12-19.

EG Jansen hit back after setting up camp deep inside Kearney’s territory, and they finally picked up their first points of the half when left winger Jordan van der Westhuizen dived over out wide.

The teams continued to trade tries, with Joseph Roylance, De Wet Muller, and Doan Nel all going over in what became a topsy-turvy affair in the second half. Ultimately, though, it was the Gauteng school that held out for an all-important win.

Durban High School scored a comprehensive 41-7 win over Hoërskool Rustenburg in the third game of the festival.

The result ensured the unbeaten Horseflies extended their winning run to six matches this year, and you’d have to be a brave man to bet against them going unbeaten at KERF yet again.

DHS withstood an effervescent start from the North West side to score through right-wing Richard Gyamfi. It wasn’t long before they took control of proceedings, with flyhalf Jordan van Wyk knocking over a penalty to add to their advantage.

Rustenburg showed promising signs with the ball in hand and did well to switch up play on attack, but they were unable to finish off the chances they created for themselves. When Mthiyane Zinkosi dotted down for DHS against the run of play, just before the break, their job became even harder.

Things soon got worse for Rustenburg, who struggled to get out of their half, and they conceded again when a powerful driving maul teed up SA Schools A midfielder Zingce Simka for DHS’s third.

MJ Otto hit back for the boys in green, but another Simka effort, as well as two tries from Milisuthando George, sealed the deal for the Durban boys.

SCORERS

EG Jansen 29 (19) – Tries: Deashean Pietersen, Otlotleng Zulu, Juan van Aswegen, Jordan van der Westhuizen, De Wet Muller. Conversions: Van Aswegen (2). Kearsney College 24 (0) – Tries: Lwandile Mkhize, Simanye Mlakalaka, Joseph Roylance, Doan Nel. Conversions: Lwazi Mbebe, Nel.

Durban High School 41 (15) – Tries: Zingce Simka (2), Milisuthando George (2), Richard Gyamfi, Mthiyane Zinkosi. Conversions: Jordan van Wyk (3), Roberts. Penalty: Van Wyk. Hoërskool Rustenburg 7 (0) – Try: MJ Otto. Conversion: Ricardo Enos.