May 2024
After a couple of disappointing season finishes, the Westville trend arrow is pointing upwards in 2024. They are on a roll and looking good ahead of their big tester against KES, to be played on Bowdens Field for the first time since 2014.
The KES Red Army are expected to bring a pressure up front, while the Westville Griffin can catch out any team with their available backline flair.
Westville come off a good win at Kearsney where they dominated proceeding and led by as much as 34-3 before settling for a 34-22 victory.
KES had a comfortable outing against Bennies a weekend earlier and were able to rotate their squad a bit on the way to a huge win.
During his Grade-11 Ville head coach Jabz Njabula scored two tries on Bowdens back in 2003. Jabz would go on to represent KZN at Craven Week.
Young KES coach Marco Engelbrecht, who debuted for the KES first team as an u16 alongside the likes of Malcolm Marx and Cyle Brink, as part of a school rugby career riddled with misfortune, torn his ACL two weeks ahead of the game against Westville.
| TEAM | WESTVILLE | TEAM | KES | ||
| 1 | Akhona Maseko | u18 | 1 | Connor White | |
| 2 | Jeshua Ferreira | u18 | 2 | Siphosethu Mnebelele | |
| 3 | Bandile Mncwango | u17 | 3 | Nathan Frank vd Merwe | |
| 4 | Moustapher Gcina | u18 | 4 | Thomas Beling | |
| 5 | Wandile Simelane | u17 | 5 | Michael Bownes | |
| 6 | Chris Cloete | u18 | 6 | James Kabrowisky | |
| 7 | Brandon Eke | u17 | 7 | Sam Bruwer | |
| 8 | David Humphreys | u17 | 8 | Kebotile Maake | |
| 9 | Ryan Pistor | u18 | 9 | Regan McGurk | |
| 10 | Jade-Will Koopman | u17 | 10 | Vusi Moyo | |
| 11 | Jadrian Afrikaner | u17 | 11 | Haniel Monkoti | |
| 12 | Blake Allbon | u18 | 12 | Tristan Maugeri | |
| 13 | Michael Satade | u18 | 13 | Olunje Mehlomakulu | |
| 14 | Evan Moolman | u18 | 14 | Junior Shivuri | |
| 15 | Zekhethelo Siyaya | u17 | 15 | Indi Mboniswa | |
| Coach | NJABULO ZULU | u18 | Coach | MARCO ENGELBRECHT |
@KES Oldboy (Comment #4)
I was very impressed by the number of parents who made the trip. You guys painted a good portion of the stands red. Was great hosting you, and we look forward to making the trip up to you next year. Hopefully we will join the parents group making the trip.
@Griffin (Comment #1)
I suppose that that is the frustration of a draw……both teams will feel that they could have won. But it was a wonderfully exciting game to watch and a great fixture/exchange all round. Thanks for having us.
Cracking game of rugby although we had to settle for a very scratchy SuperSport Schools feed. Disappointing coverage.
Missed the last 2 minutes of the 16A game too, which proved to be critical. I thought the FT score was 28-26 to Westville, when it was in fact 33-28 to KES.
Anyway, great fixture this, super competitive, Westville hockey particularly strong too. I’m sure the boys loved being on tour!!
@Griffin (Comment #1)
100% agree. Super thrilling match. If one factors in that cross wind that causes havoc with the SBR passing game, for both teams to struggle with this and still manage to produce a memorable match, hats off to them.
Westville’s yellow card before halftime was crucial to the outcome. KES went from 5-12 to 24-12 in that space. KES also capitalised on the rolling maul. Three tries in this way.
If I have to pick the part I enjoyed the most – the performances of the two flyhalves. A few things that still wish Vusi Moyo did better but as an individual talent capable of producing magical moment he was tops. With that boot he has, there are plenty of coaches that are going to love him to bits for his career after school. His ability to read the play and dink over the top and get the placement and weighting right is a top skill.
Westville u17 flyhalf Jade-will Koopman might have missed that sitter in the first half to make it 14-5 but he had some great plays, including the angled conversions and that last try assist in which he ran for about 90m starting in a backfoot position was off the charts. Pity the conversion hit the upright.
The KES lock Thomas Beling and the left wing Haniel Monkoti also great to watch.
For Ville Moustapher Gcina made a promising start, Blake Allbon is surely on the list of most underrated players in the province, Michael Satade just give him the ball and he does stuff and Zikhethelo Siyaya still maybe a rough diamond but oozes potential and excellent to see his willingness to step up and be counted.
Was a cracking game of end to end rugby, but can’t help being disappointed in the result, all be it a 36-36 draw. Westville still lack consistency and play well below their potential. Silly mistakes mixed with flashes of brilliance don’t cut it for me. Still think there are team selection and positional selection issues – something which has plagued them for the last few years.
We had a our chances to get the win, but blew them unfortunately.
Never the less, a thrilling spectical of a rugby game which had everyone on the edge of their seats until the final wistle.