Showing character befitting of the school’s rich history, Hilton bounced back in impressive fashion after a poor start and pulled off a hard-fought win against Kearsney on Gilfillan Field. The final score of 24-10, does not quite tell the full story of how even the contest was right up to the last move of the match when Hilton turned over ball from a defensive position and ran in a try from 75m out to stretch their lead to more than the one score Kearsney were seeking for a draw.
Kearsney were a lot quicker out of the blocks and held a territorial advantage for the first 20 or so minutes. During this period, aided by the Hilton backs missed regulation tackles, several One-Stripes players made promising line-breaks that carried play into their opponents 22m area. Hilton’s composure while under threat was admirable. Their secondary line of defence was up to the task and the only time Kearsney were able to cross the white chalk was in the 24th minute, while Hilton was reduced to 14 players.
Kearsney wing Mitchell Nesbit, along with his back three teammates Cullen Waberski and Cian Waugh has good reason to hold their heads high as all three players added value to the visiting team’s cause with positive contributions. Nesbit scored the opening try. It came off a well-executed set move after a scrum in the Hilton 22. The right wing ran an inside line from deep and held onto a well-timed inside pop pass from his fill-in captain at centre James Tedder before racing in to finish under the sticks. The normally dependable Tedder landed the conversion as well as penalty in the 57th minute but on the whole, it was a day when his place-kicking radar was off. Four missed kicks at goal during the match proved to be vital, as Kearsney were forced to chase the game at the end.
After their slow start, Hilton picked up their game. Their heavier pack of forwards gradually started to find form around the fringes, with home team prop Andrew Perevelle standing out. With more constructive play opportunities started to come. The first one fell to fullback Daniel Hirschowitz when he took a gap on the right and got close to the try-line before Kearsney tighthead Greg van Noordwyk of all players brought him to ground just short.
There is no denying the match winning roles that key players are capable of in schoolboy rugby. On a day when the light Kearsney pack clearly missed the considerable size and pack leadership of their injured captain and blindside flank Tristan Dixon, Hilton welcomed back their no.7 Etienne Marx who had been sidelined with a knee injury for most of the season. Simply put Marx was outstanding. He produced the player of the match performance, giving rise to a question of how much more successful the 2015 Hilton season would have been if he had been fit for the entire campaign. Marx was prominent in all aspects of play with ticks alongside his name for vital tackles, winning turnovers, cleaning out rucks, lineout wins and valuable ball carries. Near halftime Marx picked a perfect angled line for a 20m line-breaking run that actually got him over the try-line. Only a miraculous effort by Cian Waugh to get his body between the ball and the grass, saved a certain try. Hilton did however profit shortly after the ensuing 5m scrum as they kept it amongst the forwards before, Marx got a second crack and wrestled his way over for a try that Hirschowitz converted to make it 7-all at the break.
Hilton grabbed a 10-7 lead in the 46th minute when Hirschowitz slotted an easy penalty after good home team pressure had forced Kearsney to go off their feet and seal off a ball near their own try-line.
Hilton openside flank Nicholas Lello can be proud of his match. In the 49th minute, he arrived early, got hands on a tackled ball and won an important turnover, which Hilton kicked downfield and regained possession from after a rare mistake at the back by Kearsney. The ball went through the hands from the next scrum and although defending centre Matt Watts pulled off a good tackle on his opposite number, quickball saw the Hilton halves Matt Dahl and Curtis Angus combine on the short side to set speedy left wing Darren McGhee on his way. The cross cover defence looked to have McGhee well outnumbered on the outside but a hard push off his left leg, resulted in a sharp change in direction cut inside that propelled McGhee onto a path that led him inside shoulders of markers, who had failed to adjust and protect the space. McGhee’s injection of speed accounted for the rest, as he made his brilliant try out of nothing. Another Hirschowitz conversion grew the lead to 17-7 before it was narrowed down to 17-10 with 13 minutes left on the digital clock.
Kearsney got themselves into a few useful field positions towards the end of the match, the best one being a lineout 5m out from the Hilton line but they were unable to capitalise. During the visiting team’s final onslaught, big Hilton centre Keaton Bottriell pulled off a huge hit in midfield which caused the ball to go loose. Hilton claimed the ball and proceeded to swing it beautifully through several sets of hands until it reached McGhee who was the overlapping player of the left. From a long way out and with on one in front of him he again introduced amazing line speed and much to the delight of the Hilton boys on the open stand and their coaching staff behind the posts, he brought a more favourable than expected ending to a tense finish. The conversion by Hirschowitz was good and followed by the final whistle.
Final score Hilton 24 Kearsney 10.
It was a match with all the elements that make school rugby enjoyable and for Hilton an overdue reward after being on the losing end of a few close KZN inter-schools finishes this season.
@hiltonian91: Go to the second choice game. That would be Nr1 in the Cape vs Nr1 in the World is that correct?
@Bush: The scoreboard has no subtitles or footnotes, Bush!
I am sure this Saturday’s game will be a cracker and would have loved to be there. Being based in the Cape Winelands we are quite spoilt for choice when it comes to good schoolboy rugga – I am trying to decide whether to take my son to watch the Bishops/Rondebosch game or the Paarl Boys High/ Paul Roos game!
@hiltonian91: Yip it was a tough day for us. Just for the record Bertie’s try was a knock on
Good luck for Saturday, will be a Lekker day.
@Bush: I was in the Hilton team that day, Bush – my condolences! I remember running onto Meadows like it was yesterday. No one gave us a chance to pull it off . After our successful 1990 season with 5 or 6 Craven Week players including 5s, Hentie, Chris Bowley, Damon Thomas, Dave Oxenham, we were pretty much a team of no-name players in 1991, perhaps with the exception of Herb Pedley, who played Craven Week that year and went on to play some decent senior rugga, Sven Koenig, Angus Simpson and Prince Botata Molotlegi of the proud Bafokeng nation.
I think our season record when we played House that day read “played 11, lost 5, won 6” although what that record doesn’t say is that we were a team that managed to box well above its weight (literally) on occasion – we beat Kearsney, Glenwood and Pretoria Boys High that year and lost narrowly to Paarl Boys High on tour. So, despite House’s impressive, unbeaten season that year, if I were a betting man that day I would have liked my odds on an unlikely Hilton win.
The self-belief in my team of 15 Hilton mates on that day in 1991 was palpable. Many of us had played together through our age-group years with dreams of wearing our great school’s first team jersey. Some of us were wearing the White jersey for the last time that day. We backed each other and knew we had an opportunity to do something special in front of close to 10 000 people at Meadows that day. A great, well worked try by my good mate Birdy Austin and some cool-as-ice place kicking by another good friend PJ “Klippies” Swanson clinched it and I have been a big supporter of quiet self-belief and the underdog tag ever since!
An interesting fact is that the MHS coach that season – the legendary Garth Giles, had been captain (if I am not mistaken) of an unbeaten Hilton team many years before that – they came up against a less fancied but motivated House team in their final game and lost!
Gotta love the Derby Games!!
A message to the Hilton and House boys that will take the field on Saturday – remember you are privileged to be a part of this day and to be playing this great game – play it in the spirit of the many great players that have worn that jersey before you – some went on to be great Springboks and others were just ordinary schoolboys with some talent but a whole lot of gees! Leave nothing out there on the field. Its the stuff that great memories are made of!
@Far Meadows: Hi Far Meadows, I was in that team. It was heart breaking, still think about that loss to this day.
Well played Hilton, great result!
Great result Hilton, well done. It’s a pity Hilton aren’t playing Glenwood anymore, I think this would have been another closely contested matchup…
Star , Noted-Well done on the victory. Sorry, won’t be at Goldstones this coming weekend . KC Old boys day as we we play Clifton. @McCulleys Workshop: Think MHS will go all the way and be unbeaten for 2015. Hilton played KC without their talisman and it showed. I have a feeling it will be 15-20 points in MHS favour. Sorry Star , Hilton to come second this time around. The handover of the amber liquid to take place at a Venue to be decided at a later date. BRAAI TIME.
@Far Meadows: Did either of the 1991 games see Sven Koenig up against Dale Benkenstein in a battle of the SA Schools cricket flyhalves?
@star: Good job Star. I heard it was a very tense game. The first H/M game this season was relatively close with Hilton dominating scrums and rucks, and the MHS 9 battling to get quick ball away. I wouldn’t be a betting man on Saturday.
@Grasshopper: What team did he play in ’91, u15s ?
@Far Meadows: I have teamsheets from 91 to 96, I’m sure I saw Skinstad in 93…
@Grasshopper: I think that was a bit before his time , he might have been a junior.
@Far Meadows: Besides Dahl, Sven has another nephew in Nicholas Lello. Double trouble I am afraid for House
@Far Meadows: Was Bobby playing yet then? Probably Under15A maybe…
This is all setting up nicely for a humdinger on Meadows this Saturday.
Back in 1991, when MHS were heading into their last match of the season unbeaten ( they had 5 Craven week players in their team that year too ), Hilton beat them on Meadows , if I recall there was a master-class form Sven Koenig and Angus Simpson on that day. Is it déjà vu that Sven’s nephew is the captain of the Hilton team this year ?
Hopefully House can keep it together , mentally , and take this one.
I saw this coming after Kearsney battled against Northwood in the 2nd half last week. Without Dixon they are a shadow of themselves. Hilton are hardly testing themselves to were ready for this.
Well Hilton did step up to the plate and show what they have been promising all season. They also saved me from the indignity of going down on bended knee to the Buffel who has been very quite.
Maybe I could now have the official presentation on Goldstones and being the gracious guy I am will share with the A team. 