Michaelhouse chases season sweep of Hilton College
When the Hilton College and Michaelhouse 1st XVs run out onto Meadow’s at 14:30 on Saturday afternoon, their records won’t be as pristine as those recorded by the 2023 teams, but those records may be misleading, and the stakes are undiminished.
When they did battle in 2023, it was in home and away meetings of the best teams in KwaZulu-Natal. They finished one-all on the season. In 2024, the label of KZN’s best, though, so far, belongs to Durban High School (DHS).
The event also serves to create awareness of, and to raise funds for, BravHER, a foundation established by Michaelhouse learners Makabongwe Mace, Nhlohlori Shikati and Tshiamo Boikhutso to assist underprivileged women and children. Click the banner above to learn more.
The great rivals have both lost more games than they would have expected this season, but they’ve been competitive in each and every one.
A 10-23 loss at DHS at the beginning of the month was ‘House’s biggest of 2024, but they’ve been within seven points or less in their other five defeats. In those losses, their negative points’ difference is just 19. Carlyle Hawkins and company are always in the game.
Hilton, meanwhile, also has one loss by double digits and it was one that stung. They led Westville 23-8 on Bowden’s on 25 May before going down to a 26-40 defeat. They’ve lost four other matches by a mere 11 points combined.
Of course, contained within those losses was a 23-24 defeat against Michaelhouse on Gilfillan Field on 4 May. That victory was a second in succession for ‘House against Hilton, with both coming away from home.
Before their 18-15 win on 17 June 2023, the Balgowan Boys had last won against their rivals almost exactly seven years previously, when they triumphed 21-17 on Meadows on 18 June 2016.
When it comes to Hilton vs Michaelhouse, there is always plenty to play for. The rivalry began in 1904 and when the red and white won at Hilton last year, they reached 100 victories before their rivals did. Now, in 2024, the record reads as follows: Michaelhouse 101 wins, Hilton College 95 wins, and 10 draws.
One has to go back to 1987 for the last draw, but, astoundingly, it happened in both matches that season, which ended 7 -7 and 9-9.
Heading into Saturday’s super showdown – it’s the only big derby game on the menu in KZN – Michaelhouse will be hurting after an upset 15-19 loss at Kearsney College last time out. The One-Stripe delivered an inspired performance on their Founders Day, but they might have done ‘House a favour.
Playing at home, with the bitter taste of that defeat still in their mouths, Michaelhouse will surely be chomping at the bit and intensely focussed on taking down Hilton again to get their season back onto a winning track. Playing with a chip on one’s shoulder can help lift a team to new heights.
Certainly, their win at Hilton earlier in the season was one of their better performances of the year. The match was already won when the home side scored in the last movement of the game to pull within a point.
Should they win, it would be the first time since 2015 that Michaelhouse completes the double over Hilton. That season, Michaelhouse was undefeated, playing 13 and winning 13.
The Craven Week team’s halfback pairing that year was Hilton captain Matt Dahl (scrumhalf) and Michaelhouse captain Bader Pretorius (flyhalf) – rivals and good friends. Both were named in the South African Schools A side.
Interestingly, that Michaelhouse team included lock Jordan Sesink-Clee, who made the Craven Week team, too. On Saturday, Dom Sesink-Clee will run out in the second row for ‘House, hoping to emulate his older brother.
From 2017 to 2022, it was all Hilton, who did the double each season. Michaelhouse, now, would love nothing more than to put together a streak of their own. They’ve made a start to it, but they’ll need to make sure the visitors don’t win for a fourth match in succession if they’re to build upon it.
Both teams draw inspiration from and feed off the examples set by their no. 8s and captains – Caryle Hawkins (Michaelhouse) and Hanu Pieterse (Hilton) – both of whom have been selected for the Sharks’ Craven Week squad.
Pieterse’s return to the starting lineup is a big boost for Hilton, who have a settled look to their lineup, but there is also a return to the right wing for Seb Gaboreau.
Rukudzo Madinga, whose two interception tries were the difference between victory and defeat against St Charles, moves to outside centre.
Michaelhouse puts out an unchanged team from the one that was upset by Kearsney on Stott Field.
It’s a simple maxim but they’ll know Saturday’s clash will be decided by which team makes better use of its opportunities. At Kearsney, Michaelhouse had ample opportunities to score but their finishing was not up to scratch. Fix that, and a season’s sweep could be their reward.
Saturday’s 1st XV game, and the u15A match, will be refereed by Aimee Barrett-Theron. She is the first professional female rugby referee in South Africa and one of only three in the world.
Barrett-Theron was the first South African woman to referee Varsity Cup, Currie Cup, Super Rugby and the URC.
She is the highest capped women’s test referee in the world and has refereed at an impressive array of prestigious international tournaments, including the Rio Olympics (2016), the Commonwealth Games (2018), and the Women’s Rugby World Cup (2017 and 2021).
Barrett-Theron has a Masters’ degree in Sports Science and is a qualified biokineticist, running her own practice in Cape Town.
TEAMS
Michaelhouse
15 Aya Mkokheli, 14 Lwandle Nzama, 13 Rourke O’Sullivan, 12 Tom Baguley, 11 Connor McAlpine, 10 Luke Davidson (vc), 9 Jack Hughes, 8 Carlyle Hawkins (c), 7 Robert Combrinck, 6 Riley Gehren, 5 Dominic Sesink-Clee, 4 Alexander Ardé, 3 Koketso Bopape, 2 Oliver Davis, 1 Aphiwe Shelembe
Hilton College
15 Ivan Jjuuko, 14 Sebastian Gaboreau, 13 Rukudzo Madinga, 12 Daniel Sweeney, 11 Requilme Adonis, 10 Xola Bakana, 9 Zander Vorster, 8 Hanu Pieterse, 7 Meyer Malherbe, 6 Stewart Falconer, 5 Kieran Hunter, 4 Trent Chubb, 3 Ben le Roux, 2 Josh Grant, 1 Oliver Proudfoot
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