Reports by JONATHAN COOK
The third and final day of the FNB Maritzburg College 150th Rugby Festival, an integral part of the Maritzburg College 150th Winter Sports Festival in honour of KZN’s oldest boys’ school’s 150th birthday, saw the powerful Affies line-up emerge with a 100% win record, comprising of a 27-13 defeat of Queens College on day one, the 31-3 victory against Grey High School on day two and Wednesday’s 53-0 demolition of Dale College.
Game 1: Affies (29) 53 Dale 0
Both sides started sloppily with unforced errors coming thick and fast but Die Wit Bulle from Pretoria eventually settled into a rhythm and silky centre Jurie Linde exploited the overlap to go over in the corner after five minutes (5-0).
Dale, vastly smaller, are the youngest team here and their time will come.
Wednesday was cold and drizzly, in marked contrast to days one and two, but it meant nothing to the supremely athletic lock forward RG Snyman whose touchdown was greeted with a roar from the Affies faithful (10-0).
Dale were barely able to leave their half and Affies’ massive weight advantage led to a number of textbook rolling mauls that were rewarded with two successive tries by number eight Jandre Slabbert that took the score to 22-0, scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl having landed one conversion.
Flanker Derik Bezuidenhout muscled over from a five-metre tap penalty for try number five, which Van Zyl converted for 29-0 at half-time.
Dale, trying their hearts out, inevitably ran out of defenders under Affies’ total onslaught and after the changeover the ball moved through several pairs of hands for Bezuidenhout to romp over. This time Linde converted (36-0).
Then it was flying fullback Eduan Keyter who cut through for the first of his two tries, which sandwiched centre Philip Orffer’s impressive touchdown. Van Zyl converted one for the 53-0 final score, the result leaving Affies with three wins from three starts.
Game 2: Rondebosch (13) 24 Jeppe 5
In the fifth minute Rondebosch opened the scoring when flank Graham Geldenhuys crashed over under the crossbar. Flyhalf Tyren Lee converted (7-0).
Unrelenting Rondebosch pressure in this extremely physical encounter led to a simply penalty by Lee (10-0).
Against the run of play Jeppe right wing Sibusiso Nkosi broke from halfway for a great solo try to bring the score to 10-5.
On the stroke of half-time Lee landed a penalty for the teams to change over with the Cape Town lads 13-5 to the good.
The second half was hugely physical and Lee’s unerring boot took Rondebosch to a 19-5 advantage before superb recycling of the ball put the cherry on the top of an excellent victory when right wing Khanyo Ngukana beat his man on the outside to go over in the left-hand corner for the 24-5 final score.
Game 3: Grey High (45) 69 Festival Invitation XV 0
The Festival Invitation XV led by Speedy Tyrer gave their all but ran into a very efficient Grey High School side that ran in seven well-constructed tries by half-time. In-form flyhalf Richie Bryant converted five for the 45-0 half-time score.
Fullback Keanu Vers (2), flank Johan van Niekerk (2), fullback Jeremy Ward, left wing Luca Dalla-Vecchia and flank Bathandwa Cafu crossed the whitewash in the first half.
The Festival Invitation XV refused to throw in the towel and it took an age for Grey to add more points, but in the end they managed four more tries. Replacements Hanno Minnaar, Bathandwa Cafu (2) and right wing Dylan Vermaak got the second-half touchdowns, with Bryant converting twice for the final score to read 69-0.
Game 4: Monument (0) 21 Noord-Kaap (3) 3
Both sides immediately demonstrated exactly how hungry they were for victory and the cut and thrust made for an exciting, if at times overly-robust, spectacle, Noord-Kaap getting on the scoresheet first with a beautifully judged, angled penalty goal by centre Henry van Zyl (3-0).
The hits were massive, the “thwacking” sound of the collisions amplified in the wet conditions. There is clearly no love lost between these two teams, players on both sides exhorting each other to even greater physical commitment, if indeed that was at all possible, and referee Zane Watson, who is on the SA Rugby Union Emerging Panel, had his work cut out in trying to contain emotions that threatened to erupt into open warfare at times.
That is not to say the rugby was “dirty”, it was honourable, sickeningly physical stuff, although there was a lot of “niggle” out there. It was Kimberley (Noord-Kaap) versus Krugersdorp (Monument) and no prisoners were being taken – thrilling stuff for the spectators but a nightmare for mothers.
The kicking out of hand and hard, straight running was top-notch in the first half and the 3-0 half-time score did not do justice to the delightful action served up by two more-than-willing teams.
After the changeover, NK – after battering away at the Monnas tryline for several minutes, won a penalty under the posts and opted for an attempt at a try rather than kicking the easy goal, ending up with nothing to show for their admirable efforts.
To rub it in, Monnas came back with a vengeance and eventually it was massive loosehead Frans van Wyk who battered his way over near the upright for centre Gerdus van der Walt to convert and the Krugersdorp lads were 7-3 up.
Monnas put daylight between the two sides when the powerful flanker Dwayne Pienaar broke away and fed fellow loose forward Dylan Vlok, who went over near the posts. The touchdown was easily converted by centre Van der Walt. Monnas rubbed salt into it when replacement CJ Greeff smashed over at the death and Van der Walt converted for the final score of a gripping match to read 21-3.
It was a scoreline that did not do justice to the wonderful contribution Noord-Kaap made to this highly entertaining game.
Game 5: Queens College (19) 34 Maritzburg College (3) 18 should be 23
After two defeats the Eastern Cape lads were desperate for victory, running the ball from all corners in classic Queens fashion, and after 10 minutes their fleet-footed backs found space out wide for pacy threequarter Lilitha Jonas to score a fine try in the corner (5-0).
In response, College made several attacking sorties – flank Hayden Tharrat, left wing BJ Ngwenya and tighthead Njamulo Gumede looking threatening, but the Queens lads struck a killer blow when lightning-quick fullback Siphu Zaula sliced clean through for centre Dale de Wet to convert (12-0).
Flyhalf Jordan Koekemoer got College on the board with a penalty goal before the pacy Zaula left the red, black and white for dead down the right-hand touchline, dotting down under the posts for De Wet to convert for the 19-3 half-time score.
College is a proud school and concerted pressure after the changeover drew reward when number eight Darryn Goodsen was on the end of an excellent rolling maul. Koekemoer converted and at 19-10 College were finally in the game, borne out further when captain and lock Seko Buthelezi’s ball-carrying earned a penalty, which Koekemoer converted with aplomb (19-13).
De Wet kicked a pressure penalty and Queens went 22-13 up but College came back strong for flanker Tharrat to round off a well-worked try (22-18).
Ngwenya made a try-saving tackle on Zaula but scrumhalf Kewan Gibb corkscrewed over in the corner soon after for Queens to go 27-18 and then Jerry Danquah broke away to score. De Wet’s conversion put Queens out of sight (34-18).
College loose forward Tharrat scored on the final whistle for the final score to read 34-23, bringing an extremely successful festival to a close.
Game 2: Rondebosch (13) 24 Jeppe 5
In the fifth minute Rondebosch opened the scoring when flank Graham Geldenhuys crashed over under the crossbar. Flyhalf Tyren Lee converted (7-0).
Unrelenting Rondebosch pressure in this extremely physical encounter led to a simply penalty by Lee (10-0).
Against the run of play Jeppe right wing Sibusiso Nkosi broke from halfway for a great solo try to bring the score to 10-5.
On the stroke of half-time Lee landed a penalty for the teams to change over with the Cape Town lads 13-5 to the good.
The second half was hugely physical and Lee’s unerring boot took Rondebosch to a 19-5 advantage before superb recycling of the ball put the cherry on the top of an excellent victory when right wing Khanyo Ngukana beat his man on the outside to go over in the left-hand corner for the 24-5 final score.
Game 3: Grey High (45) 69 Festival Invitation XV 0
The Festival Invitation XV led by Speedy Tyrer gave their all but ran into a very efficient Grey High School side that ran in seven well-constructed tries by half-time. In-form flyhalf Richie Bryant converted five for the 45-0 half-time score.
Fullback Keanu Vers (2), flank Johan van Niekerk (2), fullback Jeremy Ward, left wing Luca Dalla-Vecchia and flank Bathandwa Cafu crossed the whitewash in the first half.
The Festival Invitation XV refused to throw in the towel and it took an age for Grey to add more points, but in the end they managed four more tries. Replacements Hanno Minnaar, Bathandwa Cafu (2) and right wing Dylan Vermaak got the second-half touchdowns, with Bryant converting twice for the final score to read 69-0.
Game 4: Monument (0) 21 Noord-Kaap (3) 3
Both sides immediately demonstrated exactly how hungry they were for victory and the cut and thrust made for an exciting, if at times overly-robust, spectacle, Noord-Kaap getting on the scoresheet first with a beautifully judged, angled penalty goal by centre Henry van Zyl (3-0).
The hits were massive, the “thwacking” sound of the collisions amplified in the wet conditions. There is clearly no love lost between these two teams, players on both sides exhorting each other to even greater physical commitment, if indeed that was at all possible, and referee Zane Watson, who is on the SA Rugby Union Emerging Panel, had his work cut out in trying to contain emotions that threatened to erupt into open warfare at times.
That is not to say the rugby was “dirty”, it was honourable, sickeningly physical stuff, although there was a lot of “niggle” out there. It was Kimberley (Noord-Kaap) versus Krugersdorp (Monument) and no prisoners were being taken – thrilling stuff for the spectators but a nightmare for mothers.
The kicking out of hand and hard, straight running was top-notch in the first half and the 3-0 half-time score did not do justice to the delightful action served up by two more-than-willing teams.
After the changeover, NK – after battering away at the Monnas tryline for several minutes, won a penalty under the posts and opted for an attempt at a try rather than kicking the easy goal, ending up with nothing to show for their admirable efforts.
To rub it in, Monnas came back with a vengeance and eventually it was massive loosehead Frans van Wyk who battered his way over near the upright for centre Gerdus van der Walt to convert and the Krugersdorp lads were 7-3 up.
Monnas put daylight between the two sides when the powerful flanker Dwayne Pienaar broke away and fed fellow loose forward Dylan Vlok, who went over near the posts. The touchdown was easily converted by centre Van der Walt. Monnas rubbed salt into it when replacement CJ Greeff smashed over at the death and Van der Walt converted for the final score of a gripping match to read 21-3.
It was a scoreline that did not do justice to the wonderful contribution Noord-Kaap made to this highly entertaining game.
Game 5: Queens College (19) 34 Maritzburg College (3) 23
After two defeats the Eastern Cape lads were desperate for victory, running the ball from all corners in classic Queens fashion, and after 10 minutes their fleet-footed backs found space out wide for pacy threequarter Lilitha Jonas to score a fine try in the corner (5-0).
In response, College made several attacking sorties – flank Hayden Tharrat, left wing BJ Ngwenya and tighthead Njamulo Gumede looking threatening, but the Queens lads struck a killer blow when lightning-quick fullback Siphu Zaula sliced clean through for centre Dale de Wet to convert (12-0).
Flyhalf Jordan Koekemoer got College on the board with a penalty goal before the pacy Zaula left the red, black and white for dead down the right-hand touchline, dotting down under the posts for De Wet to convert for the 19-3 half-time score.
College is a proud school and concerted pressure after the changeover drew reward when number eight Darryn Goodsen was on the end of an excellent rolling maul. Koekemoer converted and at 19-10 College were finally in the game, borne out further when captain and lock Seko Buthelezi’s ball-carrying earned a penalty, which Koekemoer converted with aplomb (19-13).
De Wet kicked a pressure penalty and Queens went 22-13 up but College came back strong for flanker Tharrat to round off a well-worked try (22-18).
Ngwenya made a try-saving tackle on Zaula but scrumhalf Kewan Gibb corkscrewed over in the corner soon after for Queens to go 27-18 and then Jerry Danquah broke away to score. De Wet’s conversion put Queens out of sight (34-18).
College loose forward Tharrat scored on the final whistle for the final score to read 34-23, bringing an extremely successful festival
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