Northwood vs Westville in clash of KZN top dogs, College hosts Glenwood
Two matches are in the spotlight in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend: Northwood versus Westville Boys’ High, on Reece-Edwards Field, and Maritzburg College versus Glenwood, on Goldstone’s.
The match at Northwood brings together two unbeaten teams.
The Knights‘ two matches in KwaZulu-Natal have been hard-fought, tight affairs, with Northwood beating Michaelhouse 15-13 and Maritzburg College 24-21.
On both occasions, the Durban side had to stage late fightbacks to snatch the win. Coach Jacques Deen will want to see a better start from his side on Saturday. Their late-game finishing has been top-notch, however.
More recently, they were in action at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival where they produced more emphatic performances and blanked Dale College 24-0 before outplaying Kingswood College 33-14.
There aren’t many matches in which teams score freely against Northwood, although Westville has the potential to change that narrative. Still, the Griffin will need to be on point with their defence to have a shot at victory.
The sides met in the last match of 2024 for both, with the Knights snatching a last-gasp 30-27 victory on Bowden’s after an enthralling encounter.
Westville has played three games this season so far and they have impressed. They opened with a 23-15 win at Hilton College, which was no mean feat. Then, they overran Selborne College at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival, charging to a 45-12 win, before signing off with a 28-13 defeat of Dale College.
Together with Durban High School (DHS), Northwood and Westville have, thus far, been the most impressive of KZN’s 1st XVs.
Northwood and Westville look a lot like one another: Both boast rugged, physical packs and, behind them, some game-breaking runners.
Jaydon Smith‘s game-winning try for Northwood at Maritzburg College is one of the best solo efforts that will be seen this season (see YouTube highlights below). Westville, meanwhile, has the dangerous SA Schools’ fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya ready to punish any wayward kicking.
It should be a fascinating, evenly contested clash.
On Goldstone’s, Maritzburg College hosts Glenwood in a fixture that has been played since 1921.
Last year, at home, College won 39-20 to complete a first double over the Green Machine since 2005. They had won 18-7 on Dixon’s Field in an early season match.
While 2024 was not a good year for Glenwood’s 1st XV, the signs are that they’re a far more competitive outfit in 2025. There is a familiar look to many names in their lineup, but they’re now battle-hardened after a year of playing against, mostly, older opposition.
Glenwood’s team also includes a settled halfback combo of Lian Lochner, at scrumhalf, and Juan Viljoen, at flyhalf, and having an experienced pair of decision-makers is a big plus.
College, on the other hand, has different halfbacks from when they took on DHS in Durban on 15 March. Ryland Armoed and Jordan Thackeray were in the nine and 10 jerseys that day. This weekend, it will be Dominic du Toit and Liyema Tsoko doing duty. Du Toit is the brother of Luc du Toit, who enjoyed a superb season at flyhalf for College in 2023.
Glenwood beat St Charles College 38-0 in their opening match of the season and scraped a 7-5 win over a good HTS Middelburg side at the Glenwood Rugby Festival. That’s a small sample size, though, and there is a lot still to be learned about coach Derek Heiberg‘s side. Their status should be far clearer after Saturday’s showdown.
College has also played only two games: the narrow 21-24 loss to Northwood, which they led 21-10 with only 10 minutes to play, and the 13-29 defeat to DHS. There could be no better salve for the hurt sustained in those losses than a win on Goldstone’s over their old rivals, Glenwood.
Saying that and doing that are different things, of course.
TEAMS
Northwood vs Westville Boys’ High, Reece-Edwards Field, 15:00
Northwood: 15 Trevor van Volenstee, 14 Aphiwe Maphisa, 13 Bongani Khumalo, 12 Tristan Parkinson, 11 Jaydon Smith, 10 Savio Stevens, 9 Jed Mun-Gavin, 8 Jamie Wimble, 7 Lian Terblanche, 6 Mpendulo Hleleni, 5 Asanda Zama, 4 Chad Howe, 3 Janco Visagie, 2 Aya Makula, 1 Sphephelo Ntshangase
Westville Boys’ High: 15 Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Phumula Xulu, 13 Jadrian Afrikaner, 12 Sean McGough, 11 Avumila Lisa, 10 Luxolo Sonkononkono, 9 Liam Simpkins, 8 Wandile Simelane, 7 Wandile Mlaba, 6 Brandon Eke, 5 Omphiwe Dladla, 4 Mustaphar Gcina, 3 Bandile Mcwango, 2 Ross Calvert, 1 Sibusiso Hlongwa
Maritzburg College vs Glenwood, Goldstone’s, 14:45
Maritzburg College: 15 Lungelo Hadebe, 14 Caleb Scheepers, 13 Amahle Hadebe, 12 Olwethu Kosani, 11 Adam Cahill, 10 Liyema Tsoko, 9 Dominic du Toit, 8 Mumbere Vyambwera, 7 Cyril Cherayi, 6 David Colenbrander, 5 Rory Stanton, 4 Connor Mountford, 3 Alande Ngubane, 2 Theo Boshoff, 1 Indiphile Mlotshwa
Glenwood: TBA
