The final weekend of schools action before the winter holidays featured two eye-catching matches. For the four schools involved, both games are the biggest and most important of their respective seasons.
There were capacity crowds at both venues to watch some of the cream of the IEB schools in the country. It was a great advert for the schoolboy game in this country, with passionate support evident in the Midlands and in Makhanda. Both matches were the second editions of the famous Hilton/Michaelhouse and St Andrew’s v Kingswood rivalries. The Hilton v Michaelhouse had extra meaning as it was the last schoolboy fixture for both sides for 2022, and the last time the Matrics would get to wear their school colours on a rugby field. The match was also uplifted by the commentary of Andy Capostagno and Brett Proctor. It would have been a travesty if they had let Stubbs and Fudge loose on this game.
St Andrew’s 20 – 3 Kingswood
St Andrew’s have had a season to forget, but they saved their best for their biggest game of the season, K-Day on Lower Field, in front of thousands of spectators for a most satisfying victory.
Despite being under pressure for the first 10 minutes, College continued their dominance over their neighbours, with a very one-sided derby day culminating in a comfortable win for their much-maligned First XV. One wonders where this determined defence was for the majority of the season, and what might have been for this side in 2022.
The game was settled by two great tries by College just before half time, which saw the home side take a 12 – 0 lead into the break. Kingswood just made too many mistakes when in promising positions and College’s lineout was imperious all day, securing quality possession to keep Kingswood at arm’s length in the second half. College’s try at the death perhaps added some gloss to the performance. In truth, it was a match short on real quality, possibly down to nerves for both sides considering what was at stake. College had to win to save face after a terrible season and Kingswood were looking to do the double over College for the first time in living memory.
It was a good confidence booster for College before the holidays, considering they have to face Marlow and Bishops next term and they will need to replicate this determination if they are to have any hope in those two games. For Kingswood, the first week of the new term will see them finish their season with a clash against Nico Malan in Makhanda. They will be favourites for this game and will want to end an inconsistent season on a high. They can look back on a dominant scrumming performance against College as something to rely on when the men from Humansdorp arrive.
Michaelhouse 22 – 30 Hilton
The clash between Michaelhouse and Hilton on Meadows was always going to be a blockbuster, considering how Michaelhouse failed to play their best in the first game at Hilton earlier in the season. Brett Proctor on commentary reckoned there were 20 000 people there, this may have been hyperbolic but it sure was standing room only, and had been from early in the day.
The only thing that detracted from what was a great game was the 15 minutes of “spells” that had to be endured before the action in the First XV game got underway.
Hilton overcame Michaelhouse but there were several reasons why Michaelhouse were not closer going into the final stages. These included basic handling errors, poor goalkicking and a serious injury suffered by a Hilton prop which took about 10 minutes to resolve and took the momentum out of the game at a crucial juncture.
Hilton have beaten all comers in KZN and were made to work to keep up this record in a bruising encounter. Despite having a big pack, Hilton have been scrummed by every team this year and this game was no exception. Hilton were clinincal in scoring all their points in the first half from Michaelhouse errors, to take a 20 – 7 lead going into the break. The one bright point for Michaelhouse in the first half was the strong run by flanker Fortune Mpofu, which led to their only points in the first stanza. Hilton showed how important a good goalkicker is, with Horak keeping the scoreboard ticking over, even from 50m out.
A very bad injury to the Hilton loosehead at the start of the second half was the start of what would be a very stop-start second half. Hilton were professional in their approach, not playing their best but slowing the game down and kicking well with a great kick-chase.
With about seven minutes to play the game was brought to life by a try from Michaelhouse after a period of pressure, with No. 8 Mlaba running over 3 Hiltonians on his way to the tryline. But Michaelhouse’s conversion attempt was then charged down, keeping the score at 23 – 15, requiring the home side to score twice in the final minutes. This would have been a hammer blow to House who had their tails up.
The moment to sum up the game came when Horak’s penalty attempt hit the upright and when it came down, House knocked the ball back and carried the ball back in goal to concede to a 5m scrum. From this scrum, Hilton used numbers out wide to score in the corner and end the contest as the score went out ot 30 – 15. House did get a consolation try in injury time when they scored a well-worked try in the corner, which their fullback Zakwe gallingly converted from the touchline to make the final score 30 – 22.
Hilton had an excellent season and were only defeated by Paarl Boys’ High at St John’s in a mudbath. Michaelhouse had a young side in 2022 and with a strong under 16 team, they will look forward to 2023 with hopes of turning over their arch-rivals and a few other big names.
