Michaelhouse brings up ton in style as Muziva shines

Michaelhouse recorded their hundredth win over rivals Hilton College, in a dramatic fashion, winning in the final five minutes of the match 18-15, following an excellent passage of offensive play from the away side.

In the 206th time that these two prestigious schools have faced each other and what has been a long time coming and much spoken about a century of wins.

Michaelhouse entertained a packed Gilfillan Field to bring up the momentous occasion for the school.

The last time the school tasted victory was back in 2016 on the same field winning 21-17 and it has taken seven years to break what some would have started to think was an unbreakable curse.

This classic clash over the years has produced some nail-biting games and this will go down as one of the best as both teams showed no signs of giving up in some high-pressure situations. A match that was played with a high tempo and a number of exciting moments, going right down to the wire.

Rewatch the match on SuperSchools (www.supersportschools.com).

Hilton’s opening points of the match came in the form of a strong drive from eighth man Akhona Kunene, who muscled his way through the Michaelhouse forward pack to find the touchline, leaving the away side scratching their heads.

Luke Davidson kicked with precession, making sure he slotted over his two penalties in the firsthalf to get his side into a fighting position going into the second half.

By the halfway point, the match was sitting evenly with the scoreline reading 6-5 to Michaelhouse. Both teams showing resilience and determination.

Michaelhouse winger Leo Muziva, was brilliant in attack, he managed to charge down a kick from Hilton’s backline looking to clear the ball up field, gathering it on the bounce and giving way to an open left corner, capitalizing on the smallest of chances.

Hilton bounced back with flanker Matthew Stewart scoring after applying some pressure on Michaelhouse, in a period of play which saw a wave of attacks as the hunt for the touchline

Muziva’s second match-winning try in the dying minutes of the match ensured that the away team walked away victorious, after creating space from an overlap to find the same corner as his first try.

In the last few minutes of the match Hilton College needing to either force a penalty or score a try, the home-side threw the entire kitchen sink at the away team, trying to find a crack in the Michaelhouse defense.

A couple of missed kicks from the home team ultimately made the difference in points, if one or two of the opportunities had gone through the poles, a very different outcome might have followed.

When the final whistle blew at the end of the game, the scenes were electric with a large number of Michaelhouse fans swarming the field, like bees drawn to a pot of honey, to celebrate with the heroes of the day.

This Michaelhouse side will be remembered for showing tenacious fightback and not giving up against a powerhouse Hilton College side, who have had one of their most successful seasons. The lead-up to the match gave the red and white the momentum.

What does 2024 hold for these two schools? Michaelhouse will aim to hold off Hilton College as they look for their very own hundredth win, with the school sitting currently on 96 wins.

How long can Hilton be kept away from enjoying their own celebrations?

Scorers: 

Michaelhouse 18 (6) – Tries: Leo Muziva (2). Conversion: Luke Davidson Penalties: Davidson (2). Hilton College 15 (5) – Try: Akhona Kunene. Conversion: Christopher Horak Penalty: Horak.

The teams:

Hilton College: 15 Ivan Jjuuko, 14 Rukudzo Madinga, 13 RD Engelbrecht, 12 Ivan Lockem, 11 Tayedza Jaravaza, 10 Christopher Horak (captain), 9 Luke Watt, 8 Akhona Kunene, 7 Matthew Stewart (vice-captain), 6 Ross Brown, 5 Luke Warren, 4 Hanu Pieterse, 3 Ben Le Roux, 2 Murray Brink (vice-captain) 1 Bunono Jabvu.

Michaelhouse: 15 Murray Baker (vice-captain), 14 Aya Mkhokeli, 13 Campbell Ridl, 12 Tom Baguley, 11 Leo Muziva, 10 Luke Davidson, 9 Josh Aissing, 8 Carlyle Hawkins, 7 Fortune Mpofu (captain), 6 Tristan Arde, 5 Michael Thornton, 4 Jordyn Kleynhans, 3 Luthando Buthelezi, 2 Thabo Njapha, 1 Aphiwe Shelembe.

Results:

u19A: Michaelhouse 18, Hilton College 15
u19B: Michaelhouse 21, Hilton College 19
u16A: Michaelhouse 5, Hilton College 17
u15A: Michaelhouse 14, Hilton College 19
u14A: Michaelhouse 18, Hilton College 22