Newcomers Worcester Gimnasium steals the show during opening day at KERF
42 – That is the number of tries scored on day one of the Standard Bank Kearsney College Easter Festival at the Stott field.
The opening day produced six highly contested matchups and saw some unexpected upsets, with only three teams (Monument, Westville Boys High, and Glenwood High School) running away with convincing victories.
Newcomers Worcester Gimnasium pulled off a 36–31 shock victory against Durban High School in the second match of the day. Two tries by wing Alungile Mothibe and 11 points from the boot of inside center Carick Kustoor secured the historic win for the Western Cape side.
After trailing 20-5 early in the second half, Dale College edged host Kearsney College (23-21) with a penalty kick from the boot of Lindo Ndlela in the dying seconds of the match.
The most anticipated match of the day was undoubtedly the clash between Dr. EG Jansen and Hartpury College from Gloucestershire (England).
The South Africans started the brightest, opening the scoring after a tense 10 minutes through lock Reon Pretorius. However, it only took the visitors two minutes to hit back as they camped in EG’s half, playing several phases before a gap opened for Sam-Morton-Smith (scrumhalf), converted by his half-back counterpart Sonny Greenman.
Fullback Toby Maddock added to his team’s tally to see Hartpury take a 14-7 lead to the interval.
The second stanza resumed with an even higher intensity, as it only took four minutes for the UK side to register on the scoreboard. Explosive hooker Henry Walker brushed off four defenders on his way to scoring in the far corner.
EG looked dead and buried until a charge-down score by Juandre Jacob and a penalty try (for illegally collapsing the maul) in the 45th minute brought them back into the game.
Tied at 28-all with nine minutes to go, EG Jansen had an opportunity to win the match, but scrumhalf Gordon Smith passed the ball to his teammate, resulting in a knock-on and scrum for the visitors. The match ended 28–28.
Lock, Reon Pretorius, and vice-captain David Twala played well, whereas Toby Maddock, Sonny Greenman, and Mason Watkin put their hands up for Hartpury.
In other matches, Hoërskool Monument proved too strong for Gqeberha side Hoërskool Framesby, and a brace by Likhona Finca earned Westville a hard-fought 31-19 victory over Noord-Kaap.
Glenwood concluded the day’s proceedings with a 22-10 win over Marlow. Zuki Tom played well and scored two tries in the first half.
Scorers:
EG Jansen 28 (7) – Tries: Reon Pretorius, Juandre Jacob, Ruan van Heerden, Penalty Try. Conversions: David Twala (3). Hartpury College 28 (14) – Tries: Sam-Morton-Smith, Toby Maddock, Henry Walker, Sonny Greenman. Conversions: Greenman (4).
Dale College 23 (5) – Tries: Cole van Staden, Lindokuhle Xozwa, Linamandla Peter. Conversion: Lindo Ndlela. Penalties: Ndlela (2). Kearsney College 20 (15) – Tries: Junior Dlamini, Siso France, Salusiwe Mqobongo, Chad Croshaw.
Worcester Gimnasium 36 (10) – Tries: Alungile Mothibe(2), Alton Hendricks, Ryan Jacobs, Hope Dliso. Conversions: Carick Kustoor (4). Penalty: Kustoor. Durban High School 31 (17) – Tries: Florensen Ockhuis, Ntando Mavuso (2), Maurice Willemse, Khanyisa Stamper. Conversions: Deano Boesak (3).
Monument 28 (14) – Tries: Ceano Everson (2) Nathan Erasmus, Michiel Burger. Conversion: Daylon Myners (4). Hoërskool Framesby 7 (0) – Tries: Jaco Pretorius. Conversion: Logan Muller.
Westville Boys High 31 (19) – Tries: Likhona Finca (2), Michael Satade (2), Tshegofatso Ramaloko. Conversion: Ramaloko (2) Unathi Mlotshwa. Noord-Kaap 19 (12) – Tries: Liam Harmse, Junior Kettledas, Shaw Lourens. Conversion: Eldridge Jack (2).
Glenwood 22 (17) – Tries: Zuki Tom (2), Sisipho Dwayi. Conversions: Johandre Van Rooyen (2). Penalty: Van Rooyen. Marlow Landbou 10 (5) – Tries: Leonard Booysen, AK Schenk.
