Northwood powers past Jeppe in Durban
There was extra motivation for Northwood when they ran onto Reece-Edwards Field on Saturday. The last time Jeppe had visited Durban, the Johannesburg side handed the Knights a bruising 32-point defeat. Added to that, it was the final home game for Northwood’s matric class.
The response from Jacques Deen‘s charges was emphatic. Led superbly by Jamie Wimble, the Knights produced one of their most complete performances of the season to outplay Jeppe 30-6.
Their pack owned the set scrums, and their defence rejected everything Jeppe threw at them.
Looking slightly different in dark shorts instead of their usual strip, Northwood exploded out of the blocks. From the opening scrum, they sent Jeppe backwards, immediately laying down a marker up front.
Moments later, fullback Trevor van Volenstee carved through the defence for the game’s first major line break, surging to within metres of the tryline. The Knights thought they had scored when the ball was shifted left, but the assistant referee’s flag was raised, and Jeppe escaped.
The second scrum only reinforced Northwood’s dominance, although Jeppe briefly relieved the pressure through scrumhalf Luxon Zwane, who broke from near his own line and hacked ahead into the hosts’ half. It was a rare moment of respite for the visitors in an opening quarter largely controlled by the Knights.
Jeppe earned a penalty and kicked to the corner after almost nine minutes without meaningful possession in attacking territory. Yet, when they attempted to build pressure, they were smashed backwards in another scrum and conceded a penalty. For coach Deen, a former forward himself, seeing that would have been deeply satisfying.
Northwood’s territorial superiority finally yielded points in the 13th minute when flyhalf Sondelani Sheleni slotted a penalty from just outside the Jeppe 22.
The visitors hit back through the boot of Luthando Marangxa after Northwood were penalised close to their line. Jeppe initially looked intent on driving over from a lineout maul, but after receiving another penalty, opted for the safer three points to level matters at 3-3.
Sheleni restored the home side’s lead six minutes later with a magnificent long-range penalty struck from just shy of halfway.
Jeppe threatened again when left wing Lethabo Mashao burst into the Northwood 22, but the Knights’ scrambling defence, one of their trademarks this season, rescued them. Scrumhalf Ludi van der Walt contested fiercely at the breakdown and won a relieving penalty.
Northwood continued to probe. Anesu Kuzonyei, dangerous under the high ball all afternoon, linked with Tristan Parkinson down the right touchline in another threatening movement. Jeppe survived only because Dalitso Milanzi‘s desperate tackle forced Kuzonyei into touch just as the attack opened up.
The home side spent much of the remainder of the half camped inside Jeppe territory, and Sheleni added a third penalty to stretch the advantage to 9-3. Jeppe threw everything at the Knights late in the half, but Northwood’s defence refused to crack.
Early in the second stanza, Marangxa reduced the deficit with an excellent long-range penalty, but those three points proved to be Jeppe’s final points of the afternoon.
There was an interesting parallel with the teams’ 2023 meeting on the same field. On that occasion, Jeppe led only 8-3 at halftime before running away to a 40-8 victory. This time, Northwood’s one-point larger halftime advantage became the platform for a dominant finish that yielded 21 unanswered points.
Another powerful scrum laid the foundation for the game’s opening try. From quality possession outside the Jeppe 22, Van Volenstee stepped into the flyhalf channel and combined cleverly with Sheleni and Jadon Smith. Smith’s direct running fixed defenders in place, allowing Van Volenstee to loop around, show the ball brilliantly, and slice through a gap before stepping inside to score.
Sheleni converted to push Northwood 16-6 ahead.
The Knights remained patient and continued to squeeze the visitors. Midway through the half, sustained pressure from a scrum attack created the second try. The ball swept left before being brought back right, where Phinda Nkosi burst through the extended defensive line and dived over in the corner.
Sheleni nailed another excellent conversion from the touchline to extend the lead to 23-6 with under 10 minutes remaining.
Jeppe spent much of the closing stages inside the Northwood 22, but anyone familiar with Deen’s side knows their goal-line defence borders on ferocious. Time and again, the Knights repelled wave after wave of attack.
Then, with the clock winding down, Northwood delivered the knockout blow.
From a scrum inside their own half, they shifted play wide left before swinging it back right into open space. Lock Nala Shabangu showed outstanding pace down the touchline before drawing the final defender and sending Nkosi away on the inside. The winger finished with an extravagant dive beneath the posts to seal the Knights’ third try.
Sheleni added the simple conversion to complete a polished 30-6 victory and finish with a personal tally of 15 points, equalling the combined contribution of Northwood’s three try scorers.
Scorers
Northwood 30 (9) – Tries: Phinda Nkosi (2), Trevor van Volenstee. Conversions: Sondelani Sheleni (3). Penalties: Sondelani Sheleni (3).
Jeppe 6 (3) – Penalties: Luthando Marangxa (2).
Other results
u19
II: Northwood 27 Jeppe 24
III: Northwood 12 Jeppe 3
IV: Northwood 24 Jeppe 12
V: Northwood 10 Jeppe 7
VI: Northwood 24 Jeppe 19
VII: Jeppe 49 Northwood 7
u16
A: Northwood 25 Jeppe 14
B: Jeppe 33 Northwood 24
C: Northwood 52 Jeppe 0
D: Jeppe 49 Northwood 5
u15
A: Jeppe 41 Northwood 0
B: Jeppe 59 Northwood 5
C: Jeppe 12 Northwood 10
D: Jeppe 35 Northwood 7
u14
A: Jeppe 14 Northwood 12
B: Northwood 35 Jeppe 22
C: Northwood 29 Jeppe 7
D: Northwood 12 Jeppe 5
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