Monkoti sets tries record as KES dominates, Jeppe crushes Parktown

King Edward VII (KES) beat Maritzburg College 47-21, with left-wing Haniel Monkoti crossing for four tries to secure an important win for the Red Army on Saturday in Johannesburg.

It is thought that Monkoti’s 22 tries are a KES record, but some of the older record-keeping makes matters a little murky.

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It was a tough challenge for Maritzburg College, who travelled up to Gauteng for a second weekend in succession. They had a few injuries in their ranks, while SA Schools’ loose-forward Kebotile Maake sat out for KES because of an ankle injury.

Monkoti’s magic, though, was a deciding factor in the battle between two of South Africa’s fiercest competitors. He took full advantage of a side that struggled to find its legs in the first half, which left the Red, Black and White trailing 0-19 with only 20 minutes played.

Monkoti raced in for two tries in rapid succession down the left-hand side, which were followed by scrumhalf Regan McGurk bursting away down the middle of the field to score under the posts.

One of the hallmarks of Monkoti’s exceptional try scoring record has been his partnership with flyhalf Vusi Moyo. Many of his tries have come from the Moyo’s bullet skip pass, which is testament to the wing’s good hands. Like peanut butter and jam on toast, the duo has proved itself a winning combination.

College’s first points came from Ntsika Mkhize, who chased down a ball that had been charged down and pounced on it in the in-goal area to grab a try. At half-time, though, the visitors trailed 7-26.

KES, then, padded their lead early in the second half, before College hit back with a powerful scrum, which put scrumhalf Rayke Maartens in for an easy five-pointer. James Slevin added the extras, leaving the Red Army in a 33-14 lead.

Soon, Monkoti darted through College’s defences to notch his fourth try of the match, which gave him the KES try-scoring record. The conversion was an easy one and the home team was cruising at 40-14.

The KES coaches said whether or not Monkoti holds the record is not that important in a team game. What matters is that he a good, humble young man who deserves the accolades that he has received.

Nkululeko Sithole scored a consolation try for College, but by then the result had long ago been decided.

For KES, their SA Schools’ flyhalf Vusi Moyo orchestrated the backline with precision, directing play with crisp passes and strategic kicks. The number 10 converted four tries before being rested in the second half.

The fixture list did not help College. Making two long trips to Gauteng on successive weekends, ferrying 700 boys, is quite some task, and a rethink about such demands is probably on the cards.

Down the road, Jeppe High School for Boys was dominant against Parktown Boys’ High School, cantering to a 69-7 win in their final match of the season on Collard Field.

With eight different players scoring tries, it was a points’ fest for the black and white. Inside centre Khuthadzo Rasivhaga notched a hattrick, ripping apart Parktown’s defences, while wing Leruo Dithagiso crossed for a brace. The referee also awarded Jeppe a penalty try.

In the first half, the hosts eased into a 31-point lead. After the break, they were brutal, maintaining their intensity as they took the game to Parktown.

The visitors, at least, managed a second half try from lock Kingsley Okonkwo and flyhalf Kelvin Kotey added a conversion to prevent a shutout.

Point Scorers

KES 47 (19) – Tries: Haniel Monkoti (4), Regan McGurk, Olunje Mehlomakulu, Chinedu Amadi. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (4), Andrew Jackson (2). Maritzburg College 21 (7) – Tries: Rayke Maartens, Nkululeko Sithole. Ntsika Mkhize. Conversions: James Slevin (2), Jordan Thackeray.

Jeppe 69 (31) – Tries: Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (3), Leruo Dithagiso (2), Risima Khosa, Nathan Claasen, Sanele Simelane, Luca Trevisan, Talent Sithole, Penalty try. Conversions: Matthew Coetzee (6), McMillen Mongwana. Parktown 7 (0) – Try: Kingsley Okonkwo. Conversion: Kelvin Kotey.