Michaelhouse favoured against Candies on Meadows, Glenwood hosts Clifton
Michaelhouse vs Pretoria Boys High
Michaelhouse will be the hot favourite to win when they host Pretoria Boys High on Saturday, and they’ll do it on Meadows, their traditional 1st XV ground. The field’s surface has undergone extensive rehab, and one of the country’s most scenic grounds is now ready to host more history-making matches.
In a big boost for coach Marco Engelbrecht‘s boys, their captain, Sharks’ Craven Week tighthead prop, Nicolas Salamousas, returns from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for over a month. Otherwise, ‘House is fit, and the line-up is familiar.
One needs only to look at Boys High’s last two results – a 7-44 defeat to Hilton College and a 12-19 loss to St John’s College – to make the case for a Michaelhouse victory.
Hilton needed a last-second penalty kick to edge out ‘House, at Hilton, earlier this season by 23 points to 21. Then, a week before St John’s visited Pretoria, Michaelhouse trekked to Johannesburg, where they outplayed St John’s 34-14.
Michaelhouse pushed DHS to the final whistle on Van Heerden’s Field, lost by two at Hilton, and by only one against Kearsney College at the Sharks Schools Rugby Day. In their most disappointing result of the season, they lost 19-28 at Grey High after leading at halftime.
Countering that, though, are a 29-27 win over Affies in Pretoria, and a 28-14 win over Northwood in their only previous match in Balgowan. That wasn’t on Meadows, and playing on their treasured home ground will be something special for the Michaelhouse team, which will also provide them with extra motivation.
The Candies‘ best result this campaign is a 35-34 win over a gritty SACS 1st XV, but they’ve also suffered some big losses, the worst of them on their last visit to KZN when Maritzburg College, who are playing excellent rugby, powered their way to a 61-5 victory.
Trying to break down a Michaelhouse team that is playing cohesive, physical rugby is going to be a tough challenge. The synergy between the ‘House forwards and backs is outstanding. That’s what enabled them to push Hilton College – another team with those qualities – to the brink on Gilfillan Field. And that’s what carried Hilton to a big win over Boys High.
Unless the Candies have found the recipe to halt that approach in the past fortnight, they’ll be in for another challenging day in the KZN Midlands.
Glenwood High vs Clifton College
Glenwood High hosts Clifton College on Dixon’s Field on Saturday. Both went down in their last matches, but will feel very differently about them.
A young Glenwood side was outplayed by Westville Boys’ High, who played the kind of rugby their opponents fear they might dish up, thanks to a healthy team that has, at last, hit its stride.
Clifton narrowly went down to St David’s Marist Inanda. It’s a match they could have won, but they’ll take many positives out of their performance. Their physicality and tackling were good, and they will need more of the same if they are to challenge Glenwood.
The Green Machine, no matter the state of the game, always fronts up, and, given some good ball and space, they’ve shown they possess a cutting edge, too, with Elgenio Oerson and Rosco Williams, both selected for the Sharks Academy Week team, their danger men.
Clifton’s outside centre, Tor McLean, has been a top performer this season. He runs hard and straight. If the man in front of him isn’t well-positioned, tackling McLean is difficult. Thusi Mduduzi, at fullback, has the quick feet to set counterattacks in motion.
Both teams have fine scrumhalves. Vincenzo Loutz, of Glenwood, is more likely to try a snipe or two, while Clifton’s Jack Snaith presents a fantastic service. Unfortunately for the visitors, Izah Roux, who sparkled against St David’s at flyhalf, won’t be in action. Thankfully for Clifton, their captain, Troy Young, moves from left wing into the no. 10 jersey. He knows the position well.
Up front, Glenwood’s hooker Tyler Leon is good for a couple of eye-catching runs every game. He’s a brickhouse with a good turn of speed. Less physically imposing, but equally industrious, is Clifton’s vice-captain, Cole Nienhuser, who has mostly played in the loose trio this season, but ran out at lock last weekend. His work rate is excellent, and it brought him a try against St David’s.
Considering how well they played together against St David’s, Clifton will have some concerns about their team cohesion because they’ve been forced into one change and one positional switch in the backline. Up front, though, there are four changes to the pack.
Saturday’s match will also be a return for Clifton’s coach, Jose Dos Santos, to Glenwood, where he was once on staff and part of the coaching team that oversaw an unbeaten 2018 season, which included a famous 25-25 draw with Grey College on Dixon’s.
That team included three South African Schools’ players: Thabiso Mdletshe, Lunga Ncube, and Jaden Hendrikse, who made it for a second successive year. Also part of that formidable side were Jordan Clarke and Conan le Fleur, who both made the SA Schools side in 2017.
TEAMS
Michaelhouse vs Pretoria Boys High, Meadows, Balgowan, at 13:30.
Michaelhouse: 15 Reece Cole, 14 Laird Hamilton-Brown, 13 Fabiano Fierro, 12 Alex Jankowitz, 11 Barend de Bruyn, 10 Jack Carmody, 9 Ben Hughes, 8 Oliver Guy, 7 Jed Reilly, 6 Kumkani Dwenga, 5 Reece Malga, 4 Trezeguet Hawkins, 3 Nicolas Salamousas, 2 Max Oliva, 1 Aphelele Chamane.
Pretoria Boys High: 15 Blake Mager, 14 Kaiden Darvall, 13 Ofentse Matlebjane, 12 Vukosi Ndlovu, 11 Ayabonga Mabuza, 10 Reinier Kruger, 9 Mashego Mabuto, 8 Mbala Ndima, 7 Matimu Maluleke, 6 Kwetsima Dlamini, 5 Xavier Martin, 4 Troy Reyneke, 3 Thendo Ramakokovhu, 2 Liam Freeman, 1 Liam Joao-Palm.
Glenwood High vs Clifton College, Dixon’s Field, Durban, at 11:50.
Glenwood High (likely): 15 Rosco Williams, 14 Siya Kheswa, 13 Cade Isaacs, 12 Elgenio Oerson, 11 Jakub Bednar, 10 Jonah Chaita, 9 Vincenzo Loutz, 8 Inganathi Pepu, 7 Josh Edwards, 6 Andile Mbokazi, 5 James Swift, 4 Cody Soll, 3 Zazi Msimango, 2 Tyler Leon, 1 Bonga Cibane.
Clifton College: 15 Thusi Mduduzi, 14 Thomas De Charmoy, 13 Tor McLean, 12 Dhilan Bhoola, 11 Troy Rencken, 10 Troy Young, 9 Jack Snaith, 8 Liam Stocks, 7 Cole Nienhuser, 6 Danyaal Motala, 5 Daniel Nothard, 4 Luke Pottow, 3 Azriel Yanelowitz, 2 Athembile Mkhize, 1 Jonathan Masumbuko.
