PBHS finishes clinically, St Alban’s cruises, Parktown extends winning streak

Pretoria Boys High School clawed their way back into the game, after trailing at the break, to claim a 36-24 win over St John’s College on Brooks Field on Saturday.

After being forced onto the back foot in the first half, the home side dialled up the pressure, threw in some big hits, and scored 26 points in the second stanza.

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Boys High scored first when their hooker Thapelo Mphela crashed through the defensive line to start the scoreboard ticking.

However, the Blues‘ number eight, Kyle Watson, was in the thick of the action, twice crossing for tries to give the visitors the edge in the first half.

His first five-pointer came from a lineout variation, which opened up the left flank of the field, resulting in Watson taking the Boys High defence by surprise. Hats off to the coaching staff for coming up with the manoeuvre. The opposition was caught completely unawares.

With five minutes left of play in the first half, Watson, the Blues’ skipper, was stretchered off after he sustained a serious leg injury.

At the halfway mark, St John’s College was in front, leading 14-10. They looked well poised to build upon that advantage, but the Candies had other ideas and came back strongly, scoring three minutes into the second half.

A strong driving maul, which has been a feature of Boys High’s play this season, resulted in flank Jeffrey Singo going over for a try. Much like he did against Maritzburg College, he timed his break off the maul perfectly to exploit a gap in the defence.

Then, speedster Jack Tsanwani made a sniping run down the field to score an excellent try, which left St John’s with a mountain to climb.

An overlap in the final phase of the match saw the Johannesburg school reduce the deficit to 12 points, with wing ⁠Jacob Smith dotting down the consolation try with ease.

With a win in the bag, Boys High will head into the break with a confidence boost, but some very tough fixtures await them later in the season, including clashes with KES, Maritzburg College, and Affies.

Also in Pretoria, St Alban’s College stormed to a convincing 42-7 victory over St Benedict’s College to avenge the two losses they suffered at the hands of the side from Bedfordview in 2023.

St Alban’s struck first with a cleverly executed try from JJ Steenkamp, who sliced through the Bennies’ defence with ease and grace. Later, the talented flyhalf added a second try.

Against the run of play, Bennies scored when their number eight Jason Cutler executed a textbook pick-and-go before surging over the try line. Braeden Le Roux was successful with his conversion attempt.

The game’s pace never waned, with both sides defending resolutely and attacking with creativity, but the hosts held the upper hand, regularly tacking on points to increase pressure on the visitors.

Hoops’ scrumhalf Joshua Verster had a fantastic day with the boot, successfully converting all but one of the seven tries St Alban’s scored. He also delivered excellent service throughout the contest, quickly recycling the ball to help his team maintain its attacking momentum.

In the dying minutes of the match, another freak injury occurred. St Alban’s College lock Tim Garnett broke a leg after colliding with one of his fellow teammates, and he will have to undergo surgery.

The St Benedict’s coaching staff, who were closest to the incident, jumped in immediately to assist the player and were commended by the St Alban’s parents for their swift response.

Bennies will be scratching their heads after another disappointing result. Their forthcoming schedule includes a return to St Alban’s for the u18 Independent Schools Rugby Festival (ISRF) at the end of June.

Parktown, meanwhile, continued their turnaround with a 24-19 victory over St David’s Marist Inanda, away on La Valla Field.

With five minutes remaining in the contest, the visitors stole a win from the hosts. Ben Nettleton scored the winning try, which was converted by flyhalf Kelvin Kotey, to give Parktown the victory.

SCORES

Pretoria Boys High School 36 (10) – Tries: Jeffrey Singo (2), Thapelo Mphela, Stephen Adams, Jack Tsanwani, penalty try; Conversions: Seth Venter (3) St John’s College 24 (14) – Tries: Kyle Watson (2), Jacob Smith; Conversions: ⁠Bryson Walker (3); Penalties: ⁠Bryson Walker

St Alban’s College 42 (28) – Tries: JJ Steenkamp (2), Matthew Nelson, Craig Milne, Patrick Weir, Ben Stevenson, Andreas Phillipou; Conversions: Joshua Verster (6); St Benedict’s College 7 (7) – Try: Jason Cutler. Conversion: Braeden Le Roux.

St David’s Marist Inanda 19 (6) – Tries: Connor McWilliams; Conversions: Diego Ferreira; Penalties: Diego Ferreira (4). Parktown Boys’ High School 24 (10) – Tries: Tshephiso Tladi, Kebelo Jwili, Ben Nettleton; Conversions: Kelvin Kotey (3); Penalties: Kelvin Kotey.