Spotlight on DHS vs Northwood as KZN teams face stiff tests
Durban High School (DHS), unbeaten thus far in 2026 – which is something that not many teams can claim – visits Northwood on Saturday for a showdown on Reece-Edwards Field. A demanding test awaits the Horseflies.
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The Knights have played DHS as well as any other team in School‘s recent highly successful seasons. They’ve made each meeting a down-and-dirty battle, limiting DHS’s opportunities to bring their backline into the game.
Last year, DHS won only 22-19 at home before firing on all cylinders in a 38-5 win at Northwood late in the season.
In 2024, when coach Peter Engledow‘s charges boasted the best defensive record in the country – they conceded 20 points only once, and that was 20 exactly in a 24-20 win over Jeppe – they were held to a 7-7 draw at Northwood and won 18-11 on Van Heerden’s Field.
DHS was last in action during the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, where they beat a feisty Hoërskool Zwartkop 31-14, Hoërskool Rustenburg 38-7, and Helpmekaar Kollege 39-27. Northwood, meanwhile, thumped Marlow Landbou 47-7 and St Andrew’s College 52-21 at the KES Easter Festival.
Last weekend, the only thing separating the Knights from high-flying Westville Boys’ High on Bowden’s Field was the accurate boot of Westville flyhalf, Jade-Will Koopman. Both teams scored five tries, but Koopman converted all five for Westville to give his side a hard-fought 35-29 win.
Northwood is a rugged outfit, strong in the set pieces, which is a reflection of their coach, Jacques Deen. Typically, they make life difficult for their opposition at lineout time, and they contest everything on the ground.
That recipe has slowed down DHS in some of the recent meetings of the Durban rivals. It’s what they’ll need to focus on again on Saturday. If they don’t, DHS scrumhalf Richard Kriel will test them around the fringes of rucks and mauls. He showed against Helpmekaar that he can be a match-winner.
Accurate tactical kicking will be crucial, too. Last year, in a narrow 14-16 loss to Westville Boys’ High, one loose kick led to the Griffins‘ outstanding SA Schools’ fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya running in a stunning try. While Cilermo Carolus is not in Siyaya’s class, he’s a superb player in his own right, and he instigates many DHS counterattacks.
DHS also has excellent finishers, and their centre combination is outstanding. Byron Klaasin, at inside centre, delivers a physical onslaught, much like his predecessor, Zingce Simke, while outside of him, SA Schools’ centre Nathan Aneke is a smooth operator, who regularly slices through opposing defences.
Northwood’s backs, coached by Jeremy McLaren, showed at KES that they’re an exciting bunch. They turned cross-kicks and high kicks into devastating weapons in their win over St Andrew’s College. That was made possible by their pack, under the guidance of former Springbok prop Heinke van der Merwe, giving their backline good ball.
While Northwood has had to make do without their captain and Sharks no. 8, Jamie Wimble, they have in Kevin van Volenstee, a member of the Sharks’ Grant Khomo-winning team of 2026, a very capable replacement. One of the big questions about Saturday’s game is whether or not the inspirational Wimble will be available.
Reece-Edwards Field provides an impressive backdrop to the fixture. With the Indian Ocean in the background, and high stands on three sides of the field, it paints a pretty picture, but that peaceful venue will find itself enveloped by a wall of sound on Saturday.
Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys’ High
Maritzburg College hosts Pretoria Boys High on Goldstone’s on Saturday. Recent history favours the Red, Black, and White.
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In 2025, they won 25-28 in Pretoria and 36-5 at home. In 2024, College triumphed 42-15 on Goldstone’s and 19-18 at Boys High. Going a little further back, College won by only five points and one point in 2019. But it was in 2017 that Pretoria Boys High last beat Maritzburg College. The good news is that they achieved that 17-10 win on Goldstone’s.
The home side’s recent form is good, however. They’ve won three in a row, conceding no more than 13 points in those games – beating Jeppe 35-12, SACS 24-7, and Glenwood 33-13 – and that’s something that will take a side a long way.
The Candies have been involved in higher-scoring clashes, winning three – 31-24 vs St Stithians, 35-34 vs SACS, and 14-3 vs Parktown Boys’ High – and losing two – 14-45 to Paul Roos and 20-43 to Rondebosch.
The key to victory lies in those aggregates. College would like to keep the game tighter, and Boys High would like to open it up. They have plenty of pace in their backline and have scored some thrilling tries this season.
Maritzburg College will aim to grind down the visitors. They have a solid pack, which is good in the set pieces, and strong when mauling. College possesses one of the best goal-kickers in the game in scrumhalf Dom du Toit, so PBHS will have to be disciplined when put under pressure by the College forwards.
Typically, matches between the schools have been entertaining affairs played in good spirits, so expect more of the same on Saturday.
Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High
Westville Boys’ High‘s unbeaten season in 2025 did not include a win over Jeppe High School for Boys. Heavy rains put paid to that clash on Bowden’s Field, so Saturday’s match on Collard Field will be a first meeting between the sides since 2024. That day, they dished up a delicious feast, with Jeppe scoring an exciting 31-24 win.
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They also won 43-31 on Bowden’s Field in 2023, so Westville’s last win over the Kensington school dates back to 2022, when they blanked the Zebras in Johannesburg and won 15-0.
The visitors will be without their captain and South African Schools’ lock Lwandile Mlaba, and that’s a big blow. In his absence, Jade-Will Koopman captains the side. Mlaba has a wrist injury and will be undergoing a scan on Monday. It could rule him out of the Absa Wildeklawer tournament, where Westville faces Oakdale Landbou and Waterkloof.
Based on their current form, Westville should be favoured against Jeppe, but the 2026 season has been anything but predictable. While Jeppe has made an average start, winning four and drawing three, their record includes a 29-26 victory over Garsfontein. Garsies is the only team to have beaten Stellenberg High thus far, and Stellies have already accounted for Paarl Gimnasium, Grey College, and Paul Roos Gimnasium.
Last weekend, Jeppe scored a morale-boosting 31-24 home victory over King Edward VII (KES). They were, however, beaten in their two matches against KwaZulu-Natal opposition at the Pretoria Boys High 125th Rugby Festival, going down 12-35 to Maritzburg College and 36-40 to Michaelhouse.
They were 12-33 down to ‘House before a late burst made it a tight game, and that’s something that one can take to the bank: Jeppe will fight to the final whistle.
They’re recognised as a side with fantastic flair when playing with quality ball, but Westville, given the same service, possesses one of the fastest, most skilled backlines in the game. They’re well-directed by flyhalf Koopman, and they possess in outside centre, Jadrian Afrikaner, a complete backline player, who has demonstrated time after time in 2026 why he was included in the South African Schools side last year.
Westville could consider themselves unfortunate to have lost their season-opener at Hilton College by four points, going down 35-29, but Hilton, who are unbeaten, are an impressive unit. They beat Australia’s Nudgee College 17-12 after Nudgee had handed Grey College a 29-26 loss.
Since that setback, Westville has been on a roll, racking up five wins on the trot, including winning a slugfest against Northwood last weekend 35-29. The Knights are a hard-nosed outfit, and they matched the Griffins with five tries apiece.
The question to be answered is how much did that win take out of Westville? Not only do they have to deal with Jeppe’s onslaught, but they’ll also have to contend with the high altitude of Johannesburg.
TEAMS
Northwood vs DHS at Northwood at 14:00.
DHS: 15 Cilermo Carolus, 14 Ama Mataboge, 13 Nathan Aneke, 12 Byron Klaasin, 11 Richard Gyamfi, 10 Tanwil Onkers, 9 Richard Kriel, 8 Daniel Kazambo, 7 Zion Smith, 6 Okhule Mbanjwa, 5 Bulla Cebani, 4 Ambiswe Sipanga, 3 Priden Sibiya, Iglisias Bruiners, 1 Likho Konza
Northwood N/A
Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys High in Pietermaritzburg at 15:30
Maritzburg College: 15 Sindiswa Hadebe, 14 Caleb Scheepers, 13 Olwethu Kosani, 12 Brent Smith, 11 Lwanzo Vyambwera, 10 Liyema Tsoko, 9 Dom du Toit, 8 Rory Stanton, 7 Caleb Sweetnam, 6 Mian Pretorius, 5 Joshua Thompson, 4 Sean Jansen, 3 Alande Ngubane, 2 Theo Boshoff, 1 Linamandla Mabanga
Pretoria Boys High: 15 Blake Mager, 14 Vukosi Ndlovu, 13 Ofentse Matlebjane, 12 Ruan Leonard, 11 Ayabonga Mabuza, 10 Reinier Kruger, 9 Mashego Mabuto, 8 Mbala Ndima, 7 Matimu Maluleke, 6 Kwetsima Dlamini, 5 Xavier Martin, 4 FC Furstenburg, 3 Bakang Ramoshaba, 2 Emmanuel Honono, 1 Liam Joao-Palm
Jeppe High Schools for Boys vs Westville Boys’ High in Johannesburg at 13:00
Jeppe: 15 Dalitso Milanzi, 14 Ndimphiwe Mjiji, 13 Joel Akilo, 12 Phano Letsie, 11 Lethabo Mashao, 10 Mbhalati Ndzalama, 9 Luxon Zwane, 8 Mihle Dyakala, 7 Ross Schuurman, 6 Hayden Venter, 5 Glodi Tshipamba, 4 Blake Esbend, 3 Aluwani Ndlovu, 2 Mahlatse Memeza, 1 Joshua Hamman.
Westville Boys’ High: 15 Lux Sonkonoknono, 14 Bukho Sotaka, 13 Jadrian Afrikaner, 12 Curtis Fenton, 11 Avu Lisa, 10 Jade-Will Koopman, 9 Banele Mdletshe, 8 Lwandle Makhanya, 7 Ezra Karosilin, 6 Levi Allan, 5 Omphiwe Dladla, 4 Hayden Weihman, 3 Bandile Mncwango, 2 Rorke Stirk, 1 Ngcali Nonxuba.
