Northwood aims for back-to-back wins at Glenwood

Northwood visits Glenwood on Saturday for the second meeting of the schools’ 1^st XVs in 2024. After a first ever win on Dixon’s Field last season, the Knights will be favoured to record back-to-back victories over their rivals at Glenwood.

Coach Jacques Deen has led Northwood to a very successful season, with a powerful pack and a rugged defence creating opportunities for a dangerous backline to run in some fantastic tries.

Meanwhile, Glenwood, with a very young and inexperienced team, but under the experienced leadership of Derek Heiberg, has found the going tough. They have played some very good rugby at times, but consistency has been lacking.

Catch the action live on SuperSport Schools. Kick-off is at 14:30.

On 18 May, when the sides met on Reece-Edwards Field, the Knights caught the Green Machine cold, building up a 19-0 lead at the break, which they then increased to 31-0. It appeared as if the visitors were in for a nasty trouncing.

Glenwood, though, showed their renowned spirit and staged a gutsy fightback, scoring the last 24 points of the contest, but that left them seven points shy of a share of the spoils.

Based upon that game, both teams will feel they have unfinished business. Both Northwood and Glenwood played outstanding rugby for large parts of that clash. They’ll want to extend that to an entire contest this time around, however.

Coach Heiberg’s young Glenwood team has often finished matches strongly this season. All too often, though, they’ve found themselves out of the contest before mounting a fightback. They’ve undergone growing pains but will hope to put the lessons they have learned along the way together for their last outing of 2024.

A victory over a Northwood team, which has played with assurance and fire, would be a fine fillip for the hosts and cause for optimism that the tribulations of the season will serve to spur the team onto far greater heights next year.

The Knights have plenty to play for, not least of which is the aforementioned second win in succession on Dixon’s. As the favourites, too, they’ll be eager to preserve their record as a close number two to DHS in KZN.

They gave the Horseflies fits on Van Heerden Field this past weekend with the manner in which they contested every ball, whether in the set scrums, in the lineouts, or in the rucks and mauls. That stubbornly persistent effort enabled them to slow down the DHS attack, and they did it, also, when the teams shared a 7-7 draw at Northwood.

One of the questions ahead of Saturday’s showdown, though, will be just how much a brutally physical clash took out of the Knights. They left everything out on Van Heerden Field and their recovery will be one of the keys to a victory over Glenwood.

There are some changes to the Northwood lineup, with Savio Stevens, who came off the bench at DHS, starting at fullback. With outside centre Ramatuku Sikhakhane out of the game, the inclusion of Stevens ensures the Knights have a good goal kicker in their run-on XV.

Carlos Lovell moves from left-wing to centre in place of Sikhakhane, with Nokutenda Gunda taking over out wide.

Up front, there is one change, with Sphe Ntshangase, who was injured against DHS, being replaced at tighthead by Abulele Keleku.

It’s a second-last match of the season for the Green Machine, who face a daunting finale against Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s on 3 August. A win either on Saturday or in Pietermaritzburg would be very welcome but unexpected.

One thing that will never be in question, however, is the heart and desire of a Glenwood 1^st XV.  In Northwood, though, they meet a team which has done a better job in 2024 of turning heart and desire into execution.

TEAMS

Glenwood

15 Leo Weber, 14 Sthabiso Dube, 13 Sisipho Dwayi, 12 Lizwe Mtetwa, 11 Mevelo Mndwalane, 10 Juan Viljoen, 9 Ronan Rankin, 8 Jordan Hargreaves, 7 Tyler Conyngham, 6 Mkhululi Mhlongo, 5 Tylo Madaat, 4 Michael Ize-Iyamu, 3 Ethanda Moloi, 2 Martin van Wyngaardt (junior), 1 Ronald Petersen

Northwood

15 Savio Stevens, 14 Kwenzo Dlamini, 13 Carlos Lovell, 12 Bongane Khumalo, 11 Nokutenda Gunda, 10 Siya Nkosi, 9 Jed Mun-Gavin, 8 Vuyo Gwiji (c), 7 Ethan Macey, 6 Ayavuya Makula, 5 Titas Cesonis, 4 Lian Terblanche, 3 Abulele Keleku, 2 Werner van Nieuwenhuizen, 1 Reuben Vos

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Brad Morgan

A product of Clifton (Nottingham Road) and St Andrew's School (Bloemfontein), Brad Morgan played schools' provincial cricket and hockey. He has worked in radio, online and for newspapers. He also previously handled media matters for the Natal Canoe Club, which hosts the Dusi Canoe Marathon, and for the Midmar Mile. Brad has, furthermore, co-authored books on the Dusi Canoe Marathon and the Comrades Marathon. He holds no particular biases towards South African sports teams but, beyond South Africa's borders, is a big fan of the Green Bay Packers and Liverpool FC. Brad enjoys photography and music, and likes working to some good dub techno in the background.

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