Kearsney tackles St Stithians in King Price clash, St Charles home to St David’s
Kearsney College welcomes St Stithians College to Botha’s Hill on Saturday, for a King Price Derby Series clash on their Founders Day.
The make-up of the sides suggests fantastic fare is on the menu.
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They’ve faced a number of common opponents, among them Michaelhouse.
Saints took down Michaelhouse in Johannesburg, winning 27-21 at home, while ‘House handed Kearsney a 50-17 loss. However, that was Michaelhouse at their worst against Saints and at their best against the One-Stripe.
A more accurate measure would be the teams’ results against Pretoria Boys High. The Candies claimed a narrow 29-27 win over St Stithians in Pretoria, while Kearsney beat Boys High 28-26 at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival. That feels like a truer reflection of the sides.
Kearsney will be desperate to deliver a win in front of their old boys. They’ve played some fantastic rugby in 2025. However, they’re on a run of four losses against some tough opposition – Westville Boys’ High, Maritzburg College, Durban High School, and Michaelhouse – and there would be no better occasion than Founders’ Day to arrest that slide.
St Stithians has put together a good season. An early season 13-13 draw with Queen’s College looks better and better as the Komani boys continue to rack up wins.
Their previously mentioned win over Michaelhouse is another of their standout results. Most recently, they beat St Charles College 38-20 at home, and St Charles, on their Old Boys’ Weekend, pushed Maritzburg College hard, going down 16-26, which is a useful reflection on the quality of Saints. College ran out 35-20 winners over Kearsney on College’s Reunion Weekend.
Both Kearsney and Saints are at their best when the game loosens up a little. They’re capable of searing counterattacks that combine pace and imagination. If that’s what unfolds on Saturday, spectators will be in for a treat.
St Charles College vs St David’s Marist Inanda
In Pietermaritzburg, in another King Price Derby Series match, St Charles College welcomes St David’s Marist Inanda to Old Orchards.
The home team’s coach, Craig Dwyer, has caught the eye with an interesting change, moving André Bosman from flyhalf to fullback, and Phiwe-Junior Dlamini from the number 15 jersey to number 10.
Bosman owns a cultured boot, while Dlamini is more of a running threat, so that would seem to suggest that the home team school is intent on letting the ball do the work by leaning on their quick offloading game more than ever.
While it hasn’t been a vintage season for St David’s, they’ve convincingly won their last two matches, beating Clifton College 39-7 and St Benedict’s College 47-5.
St Charles faced Clifton a week after the Durban school took on St David’s and scored a 52-10 victory. In May, they beat Clifton 47-14.
St David’s best win of the season is, arguably, their 30-24 defeat of St Alban’s College.
St Charles, meanwhile, has shown up strongly in three defeats against top-quality opposition.
They went down 14-19 to a St Andrew’s College team that has suffered only one loss in 2025, and 16-26 to Maritzburg College in a fiercely contested clash on Old Boys’ Weekend, when St Charles celebrated its 150th anniversary. They also pushed Wynberg Boys’ High hard, going down 10-19 to the Cape Town school early in the season.
If the home team gets quality ball from their pack, St David’s will have to ensure their defensive structures are sound. St Charles plays with flair and likes to attack down the flanks, getting the ball wide with swift ball movement.
If Craig Dwyer’s charges get that right, the Johannesburg school will be in for a tough outing.
Teams
Kearsney College: 15 Lwazi Mbebe, 14 Bukho Hlwatika, 13 Doan Nel, 12 Keanu Williamson, 11 Lwandle Mkhize, 10 Jayden Jonsson, 9 Fynn Verbaan, 8 Nhlanhla Ndlovu, 7 Oliver Ludwig, 6 Simanye Mlakalaka, 5 Thomas Francke, 4 Joseph Roylance, 3 Azania Thela, 2 Micah van Wyk, 1 Luke Fauré.
St Stithians College: 15 Omphile Maphira, 14 Calvin Wagner, 13 Sicelo Sakawuli, 12 Reece Hubner, 11 Cade Elsey, 10 Oliver Wilson, 9 Rory Bezuidenhout, 8 Jonathan Caveney, 7 Ross Turner, 6 Siphosamandosi Cele, 5 Kulani Tlakula, 4 Luke Thorrold. 3 Jean Anthony Eblen, 2 Oliver Groves, 1 Ethan Coetzee.
St Charles College: 15 Andre Bosman, 14 Likuthi Mbalana, 13 Carl Chekera, 12 Athenkosi Qumo, 11 Mathew Ludick, 10 Phiwe-Junior Dlamini, 9 Thandokuhle Nyawo, 8 Eben Crafford, 7 Thomas Borgen, 6 Joshua Milne, 5 Joshua Harris, 4 Raphael Ajibade, 3 Braydon Joese, 2 Dresden Coetzee, 1 Raiden Reid
St David’s Marist Inanda: 15 Kaden Waldbaum, 14 Tristan Lambe, 13 David Latilla-Campbell, 12 Dominic Taylor, 11 Nathan Hwindingwi, 10 Luca Cabion, 9 Valentino Yiallouris, 8 Mathew Scott, 7 Ronin Hallowes, 6 James Askew, 5 Julian Steven-Jennings, 4 Chris Theorides, 3 Marco Bitter, 2 Ben Archer, 1 Dev Vallabhjee.
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