Northwood defies DHS, scores long-awaited win after epic try line stand
Some of the most physical and tightest battles in KwaZulu-Natal in recent seasons have been between Northwood and Durban High School (DHS), with DHS, apart from a 7-7 draw at Northwood in 2024, claiming the edge. On Saturday, the Knights turned the tables, scoring a heart-stopping 17-14 win on Reece-Edwards Field.
“We’ve been waiting for that one for a while. The last three years, it has been tight, including a 7-7 draw here,” Northwood’s coach, Jacques Deen, said after the game, in between shaking the hands of beaming supporters of the home team.
“Today, the boys stuck to what they needed to do. We said from the beginning that we’re going to put pressure on them, and keep the ball away from them, and we did a good job of that, either from a tackle or defensive point of view. All systems worked nicely.”
Northwood started strongly, forcing a string of penalties out of DHS, which they used to kick to the corners. Eventually, that brought them a reward in the 13th minute when Kevin van Volenstee was driven over the line in the left-hand corner. Ludi van der Walt added a tough conversion to put the Knights 7-0 ahead.
Once Northwood had scored, though, DHS was able to loosen the shackles. Much like Northwood’s pressure had brought them a flurry of penalties, so did DHS’s pressure deliver a similar result. Yet, when the Horseflies had an opportunity to kick to the corner, they instead opted for a kick at the posts, and Tanwil Onkers made it 7-3 in the 18th minute with a successful penalty from inside the home side’s 22.
Again, when DHS won a penalty inside the Knights’ 22 in the 26th minute, Onkers kicked for goal. They could have set up a five-metre lineout, but, in a change from their norm, they opted for the kick, and Onkers reduced the deficit to one point.
Northwood responded with a Ludi van der Walt penalty a couple of minutes later, but Onkers landed his third penalty kick right on the halftime whistle, and the Knights led 10-9 at the break.
Questioned about his side’s decisions to kick for touch and DHS opting for kicking penalties, Northwood coach Jacques Deen commented: “Maybe it was a technical thing. For us, it was more about playing with the wind. We’ll go for the corners and back our lineouts, and we scored two tries [from them].”
In the second half, errors, forced and unforced, stymied the flow of the game.
DHS seemed strangely lifeless; their performance echoed their 7-7 draw with Northwood two years earlier. Then again, teams can play only as well as their opponents allow them to play.
From the sideline, DHS forwards’ coach Ronnie Uys exhorted the Horseflies to lift their energy. That got a response, with right-wing Richard Gyamfi going over in the corner from a chip and chase after 20 minutes.
It appeared that School, who had been on the back foot for much of the game, might snatch a win. But Northwood wasn’t done.
They drove into DHS territory, won a couple of penalties, and turned those into lineouts, from which they could attack. With only two minutes to play, they forced their way over, with Kevin van Volenstee again providing the finish.
The game was far from over, however.
As time wound down, the Knights found themselves camped on their own try line. Despite doing so much right, the result came down to a try line stand, with DHS threatening a smash-and-grab.
Coach Deen shared what was going through his mind watching his charges defending as if their lives depended on it: “I asked them a simple thing: put your bodies on the line. Do everything that you can do.
“I said to them at halftime, you’re not just representing yourself. You’re also representing your families and your school. You’re representing that one important person in your life. Let’s go. We have nothing to lose. They showed it today.”
There were only centimetres in it at the end. DHS substitute Sterling Padi raced into a gap, which quickly closed. He stretched out to ground the ball but lost it forward in a tackle. Knock on.
The final whistle blew, and Northwood’s supporters rushed the field as their exhausted players raised their arms in triumph.
It was a momentous win, a victory in which Northwood had, at last, removed a pesky monkey from their back.
“The good thing is that we had a lot of grade 11s on the field,” coach Jacques Deen said. “We brought [regular starters] Tristan Parkinson and Jamie Wimble onto the field only later in the game.
“Those boys became men today. It’s not every day you beat DHS. They’re a powerhouse. Peter Engledow and Ronnie Uys do a great job.”
Scores
Northwood 17 (10) – Tries: Kevin van Volenstee (2). Conversions: Ludi van der Walt (2). Penalty: Ludi van der Walt.
Durban High School – Try: Richard Gyamfi. Penalties: Tanwil Onkers (3).
Results
u19
Northwood I 17 DHS I 14
Northwood II 12 DHS II 40
Northwood III 21 DHS III 49
Northwood IV 10 DHS IV 28
Northwood V 24 DHS V 10
Northwood VI 34 DHS VI 15
Northwood VII 26 DHS VII 31
u16
B: Northwood 0 DHS 31
C: Northwood 31 DHS 14
D: Northwood 0 DHS 27u15A: Northwood 0 DHS 22
B: Northwood 14 DHS 50
C: Northwood 0 DHS 27
D: Northwood 10 DHS 27u14
C: Northwood 0 DHS 40
D: Northwood 0 DHS 50
