Kearsney surprise Glenwood thanks to a thrilling finish
Grant Bashford’s Kearsney followed up their best win of the season—against Pretoria Boys’ High—with a thrilling 32–31 upset over Glenwood. While Glenwood had looked the stronger outfit during the recent Kearsney Festival—boasting superior physicality and pace—Kearsney’s growing attacking confidence, sparked by the promotion of creative flyhalf Jayden Jonsson, proved decisive on the day.
The hosts struck early with two well-taken tries, but Glenwood, led by inspirational captain Lizwe Mtetwa (inside centre), who crossed twice, rallied to take a 24–22 lead at half-time. When Glenwood stretched the gap to 31–22, it looked like a credible loss was on the cards for Kearsney. But much like Northwood’s comeback at Goldstones earlier this year, the One-Stripe showed immense character, scoring two late unconverted tries to pull off a famous comeback and secure back-to-back wins over the Grasshoppers.
There are still plenty of difficult away fixtures to come, and memories of the heavy Hilton defeat might resurface, but for now, the general consensus is that Kearsney’s season is a success—especially when judged against the potential of this young squad. Kearsney do not have a 1st XV match this Saturday due to expected opponents Northwood traveling to Absa Wildeklawer instead.
Glenwood now head to Absa Wildeklawer as well, where they’ll take on a good Nico Malan side—a match that should be a cracker—and follow it up against a youthful Marlow team. There is still no word on the whereabouts of head coach Derek Heiberg who has been away from the team since the start of the Easter weekend.
DHS Dig Deep, Northwood Impress Again
Unbeaten Durban High School (DHS) were made to work hard for a 22–19 win over a spirited Northwood outfit. The Knights raced to a 12–0 lead at the break with two well-constructed tries. But Peter Engledow’s half-time team talk sparked a reaction, and DHS hit back quickly after the restart.
They turned to their experienced players to shift the momentum—flanker Daniel Ikotela and KZN’s standout player this season, Zingce Simka, both crossed for crucial tries to swing the game in DHS’s favour. Northwood rounded things off with a beautifully-worked try that showed just how dangerous they can be when playing their brand of expansive, handling rugby.
Both sides face steep challenges at Wildeklawer. DHS, with five u19 players in the possible starting line-up (6 u17s in the squad), will likely be one of the oldest squads at the festival, but they face two of the youngest teams—Stellenberg (8 starting u17s) and Paarl Gim (6 starting u17s) — in what promises to be a true test of School’s setpieces, forward power, midfield defence and overall regrouping structures.
Northwood are debutants at the tournament. They face the top ranked school in the nation in Paarl Gim and then take on HTS Drostdy—a tricky fixture, given Drostdy’s dynamic back-three and a solid back-row that can create real issues at the breakdown and in open play.
College Too Strong for Pretoria Boys’
Maritzburg College delivered a dominant performance on Brooks Field, dismantling Pretoria Boys’ High 45–28. The Candies battled for possession and territory throughout, while College executed their plans with clinical results. Full credit to PBHS, though—they fought to the end and were rewarded with two late tries to bring some respectability to the scoreboard.
College head to Wildeklawer with a much more favourable fixture list compared to 2024. They take on Jeppe in what looks like a 50/50 clash, followed by hosts Diamantveld. While playing the host school in Kimberley is never straightforward, most would back the Red Black and White to continue their winning streak.
Hilton Demolish St Charles, Michaelhouse Looms
St Charles vs Hilton may be remembered more for the confusion off the field than on it, as both teams wore nearly identical white kits and neither was willing to budge on a clearly necessary jersey change. This unwillingness to budge might be indicative of the tension between the sets of school officials. That said, it wasn’t a bad St Charles side, and this isn’t the strongest Hilton team we’ve seen—but the 74–14 scoreline was a proper mauling.
Next up for Hilton is the big one—Michaelhouse on Meadows. So much rich history and the rivalry runs deep, and results often come down to emotion and heart. Although Hilton enter as the form team, it would be unwise to count out House, who on paper still have more quality than their results suggest. Last year’s derbies were separated by just one point in each match.
House Under Pressure
Michaelhouse had to adjust their fixture list after Clifton opted to play their second XV. House responded with an 80–5 demolition of a Zimbabwean school—marking their second win of the year, both against visiting sides from across the Limpopo.
The bigger story, however, is Clifton. The small co-ed private school had been making big strides in rugby after building a boarding house and investing in coaching infrastructure. But things have unravelled. Clifton have lost key rugby figures like Ross Saayman, Grant Bell, and Meryke Terblanche. The programme is now in rebuild mode in what is a fiercely competitive market. The lesson? School governing bodies need to be absolutely sure they’re appointing the right person when selecting a new headmaster.
As House prepare to host a red-hot Hilton team, the pressure is on James Fleming. He was rightly celebrated in 2023 when Michaelhouse were crowned KZN champions, but two seasons later, he’s arguably under the most scrutiny of any coach in the province. Last year’s heart-breaking finale is still fresh in the minds of House supporters, and they’ll be hoping to bury those memories once and for all.
Ville season reduced even further
Westville remains undefeated, though their fixture against Jeppe was cancelled due to heavy rains in Durban—making it their second cancelled game of the season. That leaves the Griffins with just 13 matches this year, and as the only Tier 1 state school in the country not playing third-term rugby, it may be time for them to reconsider their calendar.
Ville travel to KES next. While the Red Army are always a different beast on their home turf, Westville should go in as favourites. Who could forget last year’s epic 36-all draw? Hopefully, this weekend brings more fireworks.
@Vleis (Comment #36)
1987 was the first year Paarl played at Saints – we had to drive up in mini busses, sleeping in tents at Parys and arriving knackered. We were leading MC, but lost at the end, very close game. Grey we actually also lead at half time, but Pieter Muller scored a blinder, Ruben ran through the whole team (having competed in SAS hammer throw that morning) and that was it. They also had Charl Marais from memory and Hansie. Bishops was on another level in 1987 (of course with post matrics), as a team they were better than MC but MC had some better players. Jeppe we did beat. The only game that counted though we won 15-7…agaisnt an unbeaten Gym.
@Vleis (Comment #38)
Sandown in 1990 also had a power team (with a couple of KES 1st XV MA (matric again) players) – those JHB co-Ed’s could play in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Plenty close calls! In those days the talent was spread out – not concentrated like today – and if you were a good player, Craven Week was not a pipe dream. Plenty guys from smaller, less fashionable schools went on to Craven Week and provincial rugger.
Bryanston had a cracker year in 77/78 when Ian Rickleton (father of Ryan and ex-Director of Sports at Saints) was captain. From +- 1978/79 onwards they started playing KES at 1st XV level. But their claim to fame is producing three Miss South Africa’s in the eighties – and Elon Musk – not rugby!! As far as I know the only JHB English Co-Ed’s that have beaten KES at 1st XV level are Sandringham in 1985 and Roosevelt sometime in the 70’s – and of course Trinity House in 2014
Also worth remembering that all those co-Ed schools were only established in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as Jo’burg grew. The big (English) boys schools were all established long time beforehand – and until the 1930’s – played soccer!
@Grasshopper (Comment #37)
I don’t remember them having a good team during my time, but I think that they had a pretty strong team some five years after I left – i.e. about 1990. My school’s ex head coach had moved there.
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In addition to Greenside, Northcliff and Sandringham had quite a few strong years. In fact, the latter had a posititve win ratio v Jeppe, Dale, SACS, Michaelhouse and level with Selborne….and the E Cape schools were very power in the 80s.
@Vleis (Comment #36)
Much better days when talent wasn’t pooled and rather spread, hence the closer results. I mean KES taking 100 from Gim is just nonsense. Some of these other schools like 60+ between any top 50 school is just wrong….did Bryanston ever have a good team?
@Roger (Comment #35)
My mate from Saints, who told me about the result, played 1st team in ’86 & ’87…and then stayed on for a postie in ’88, so I suppose that it could’ve been any one of those three years.
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I much preferred how it was back then, as every year yielded a few dream teams, from some of the less fancied schools, which would generate great interest and spectators as the season progressed.
@Vleis (Comment #33)
did Saints beat HJS in ’87 or ’88 at the Saints festival? KES beat HJS in ’88 at the festival and I thought Saints did too but may be wrong? You are correct though – the top 5 of HJS, Paul Roos, Gim, Affies and Grey Bloem are in a different league these days – the school boy rugby landscape was a lot more competitive 40 odd years ago. The JHB co-eds were very competitive back then – I remember Sandringham beating KES in ’85 – and you had Highlands, Athlone, Potch etc who were all good. Nowadays KES and Saints don’t even play anymore. Potch stopped mid 2000’s, Highlands mid-nineties and Athlone mid-eighties and the co-eds rugby is D league at best !
@Grasshopper (Comment #32)
Schools try to invest wisely. No one’s forking out money for perceived B-team players. Menlopark is a well run school with a healthy bank balance and enough boys but they were struggling to field B-teams not so long ago. Why? Rugby culture was not nurtured and was dying.
@Grasshopper (Comment #24)
, Greenside beat Wynberg (at Wynberg) by a similar margin to the mighty MC’s win, Bosch beat Affies…but the most surprising result of ’87 was St Stithians beating HJS. One thing is for certain, the Winelands schools were never poor, but they’ve significantly upped their games in the past few decades.
@Roger (Comment #26)
It’s amazing how different the SBR playing field was in those days – e.g. MC had a small-ish victory over Alexandra
@beet (Comment #31)
Not when you buy the DPHS, Penzance, Glenwood Prep etc best, equates to two or three teams….DHS are the new Glenwood
@Grasshopper (Comment #30)
I think money can buy a good A-team at best. Depth is the product of hard work to build up the rugby culture helping to get C and D standard boys keen to play for their school.
@ForeverHorseFly (Comment #29)
For 20 years DHS battled to get 12 teams out, well done! Pinhead using the money wisely on recruiting all of the Border & EC talent plus ensuring all of DPHS & Glenwood prep plus Clifton go there. Oh for a blank cheque book…
@Grasshopper (Comment #28)
DHS put out 21 teams against College earlier this year, won 11 and lost 10, hardly a school that focuses on A team.
@KatzRugga (Comment #25)
Completely agree, any KZN side that can put out 20 teams should play double headers, so probably Westville, College, Northwood and Glenwood. DHS a scrape, they focus on the A teams…..gives all the sides at least 6 games in a season
@Roger (Comment #26)
I wasn’t there but it took 9 games before College played at home. So they were on the road, playing a vengeful and pumped up Bishops in that would have played a factor. It just feels weird the score was so big, like College literally had no one left to play…
@Grasshopper (Comment #24)
No Hopper – College played Paarl Boys, Grey Bloem (with Ruben Kruger and Hansie Cronje) and Jeppe at the Saints festival and Bishops, Wynberg and Rondebosch on tour to the Cape. Bishops gave them a proper pakslae which as Vleis says, was surprising, as College are always a KZN powerhouse.
KES played Bishops at the ’87 Saints festival too and lost 16-0 and KES had a really good team in ’87. The beat Northlands, DHS, Michaelhouse, Grey PE, Monnas, Jeppe etc and only lost to Boys High and Bishops.
If KESOldBoy reads this he will definitely have memories of that 1987 Saints festival – there were some incredible teams there.
ANNUAL DOUBLE HITTERS WITHIN KZN
@Vleis (Comment #21)
College 1987 results;
1) vs Paarl Boys High (Away) – 16-11 – won
2) vs Grey College (Away) – 12-13 – lost
3) vs Jeppe (Away) – 30-21 – won
4) vs Rondebosch (Away) – 12-10 – won
5) vs Wynberg (Away) – 24-6 – won
6) vs Bishops (Away) – 9-41 – lost
7) vs Northwood (Away) – 18-6 – won
8) vs Voortrekker (Away) – 22-8 – won
9) vs DHS (Home) – 19-4 – won
10) vs Glenwood (Home) – 22-17 – won
11) vs Hilton (Away) – 17-3 – won
12) vs Michaelhouse (Home) – 33-12 – won
13) vs Kearsney (Away) – 20-10 – won
14) vs Alexandra (Away) – 13-0 – won
15) vs Linpark (Home) – 54-6 – won
16) vs DHS (Away) – 7-6 – won
17) vs Glenwood (Home) 48-12 – won
18) vs Westville (Home) – 31-15 – won
So it looks like the start of the season was a trip to the Cape where they played in a tourno with Jeppe, Grey Bloem, Boishaai and the Southern Suburb teams. College was probably on their last legs by the Bishops game, no excuse, but reality. Probably no massive squads like today. Beating Grey Bloem and Boishaai probably took it out of them. This was not a poor College team, so I think the Bishops game was an outlier.
@Bush (Comment #22)
That’s interesting – he would’ve played with my mate from Hilton, who played wing in the ’85 CW team, not the ’87 team, as I erroneously stated in my message below.
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I used to work with a chap from MH (Tebello Chabana) who made the ’89 or ’90 Natal team…and may have played for the SA Schools B team. I remember him recounting a story how Tank Lanning simply lifted him up off his feet and marched him back 10m in his first scrum against Tank.
@Vleis (Comment #21)
Kearsney had wing sensation “Squeegee” in 85, first player of colour to play Natal Schools. Absolute legend.
@Grasshopper (Comment #18) @Bush (Comment #20)
I watched both MC v Bishops games, in ’85 and ’87.
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As a neutral, I can confidently say that there was nothing fishy about the results. Bishops were probably marginal favourites for the ’85 game, but got blown away by MC…by about 44 to zip. I’m told that Bishops played all their reserves in said game, as they’d played their starters v KES and PBHS (I think) in their two previous games at the second ever Saints fest. Also, Bishops’ sensational 15 year old, black** flyhalf was stretchered off early in the game with a broken back. Sadly, he never properly recovered from said injury, as I believe that he played 3rds two years later. In any event, the stuffing was knocked out of Bishops and MC ran riot. That turned out to be one of MC’s best ever teams, as they went unbeaten, including a narrow home win over GCB. That said, a good mate (who played in the ’87 Natal CW team) swears that Hilton was robbed against MC that same year!
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In the “return” fixture of ’87, Bishops was so much better than MC that I was extremely surprised when the MC captain (Catterall) told me in a pub a few days later that MC had so many players in the Natal CW team. Of course, I was even more surprised that they won the tournament together with Tvl. It just shows that anything can happen in SBR…and, on that particular day, Bishops (who had a great side that year) was properly fired up.
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** Of course, it’s not worth specifying one’s race in this day and age, but I’m highlighting this fact, as it was extremely unusual in Apartheid SA of ’85.
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Note also that the above is from memory, so any MC or Bishops old boys are welcome to correct any errors.
@Vleis (Comment #17)
Wow that’s a hiding. I saw a photo of that SA School side somewhere, there was a wing Leon Van Rooyen from Estcourt High School. Brilliant athlete, jumped over 7m in long jump.
@Bush (Comment #16)
They drew 22 all in Paarl….
@Vleis (Comment #17)
I think that was the only game College lost that year, seems very fishy….
@Bush (Comment #16)
If memory serves, they drew with Tvl (who had james Small) in the final.
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I watched that strong MC side take a hiding from Bishops by 41 to 9 (if memory serves) at Bishops. It was revenge for the hiding that MC dished out to Bishops at the Saints fest in ’85.
@Grasshopper (Comment #14)
Do you know how Natal Schools featured at that years CW? Isn’t it that year College beat GCB?
@Bush (Comment #11)
Yep, the guy my dad and uncle always spoke about was Mike Barker at DHS, they said he played 1st team for 4 years and was like 19 or 20 in matric, ripped holes in teams. Fearless and scary, only Derek La Marque could match him, but in a different type of role…
@Bush (Comment #10)
Yep, 1987 was a freak year! Yes, even Glenwood was quite good ;-). Natal Schools was insane. Glenwood had Haydner at prop & Labuschagne (Labushane in Aussie) at fullback in the Natal starting 15 plus Williams in the reserves. Kearsney only had Mitch Reid. College had the most with Reid, Cattrell, Wilson, Goedeke, Vynne and Godfrey. Westville had Falkson, Hawley and of course Erol Stewart, who could forget him. I was only 8 but I do remember watching a game at DHS with my dad and remember the ‘School, School, School’ warcry like it was yesterday……fun times. That same year I watched Despatch in a club game, wow!
@Skywalker (Comment #1)
Yeah Northwood looking very good this year, well done.
@Grasshopper (Comment #9)
Nico Breedt was one of the best loosies I saw, so good.
Agree about the trials games.
@Grasshopper (Comment #9)
Plus they played 3 years 1st XV. They were destructive even in Std8. I remember watching those young boys against GCB at KERF and they were outstanding.
@Grasshopper (Comment #9)
87 Kearsney must have had the best loosie trio in KZN. 87 was a great year for KZN. Was too young to know what happened at CW for Natal Schools. Going through the history here 87 there were big names in all the Top Schools. Even the Green Machine was up there.
@beet (Comment #8)
Hmmmm, Dylan wasn’t nearly as destructive as the Doops. Schramm was good, I think we had Jaco Coetzee. Nico Breedt maybe best loosie ever from Kearsney with obviously Brad Barrett & Matt Stephens…..
@Grasshopper (Comment #7)
To me Dylan Richardson who came after the Du Preez twins must be regarded as one of the college’s best ever players. I would have him ahead of the Dups. In their matric year, the Dups did not play much rugby and Aaron Schramm was the star of the show that year but he had nowhere close to the hype that surrounded JL and Daniel.
@KatzRugga (Comment #6)
I think home advantage is a big factor, like 10 points. Kearsney is a small school but has amazing support up on the hill. They have great coaching now too in Grant Bashford. Since the Doops they haven’t really had any superstars but always gel well as a team. It’s a blip and yes the Glenwood side has the ability to surprise anyone. This is why I don’t like the game counting for the KZN trials, it’s at Kings Park, lacks the build up and passion. That trial should be just a trial.
HOME GROUND ADVANTAGE
I wonder how much homeground can mean in close games?
Kearsney can be a boogey team for many especially on The Stott.
GW still has the potential to surpruse a couple of big teams for sure
@Grasshopper (Comment #4)
Glenwood did really well at KERF and have certainly shown they are getting back on track. I have also noticed the comms om the social media pages etc seem to have improved a lot and doing more to promote the school well.
Watched the first 2 tries and the end and Kearsney certainly had a few young exciting runners. Glenwood Northwood will be an interesting match up and I see 2 fixtures again.
Hugely disappointing 1pt loss to Kearsney, especially after such a good showing at KERF. Monnas must be poor by their standards this year. Maybe too much rugby in a short time or missing the coach. Kearsney used home advantage to eke out a win, well done. It’s like in the 90s, Kearsney was Glenwood’s bogey team. So now Glenwood are mid pack having lost to College & Kearsney. They need to upset Northwood and/or Westville now plus beat House. Unfortunately no Hilton or DHS. Usually derbies like DHS produce weird results, form sometimes has no say.
@KatzRugga (Comment #2)
We can’t complain too much. Last year DHS ran away with it but in 2023 the season decider sort of did come down to the last game when Michaelhouse beat Hilton on Gilfillan. That was like a Cup Final in a sense.
ITS ALL HEATING UP
Halfway through lots can still happen.
For KZN I so hope that both Clifton and St. Charles can remain a competitive tier 1 outfit
1. Grant Bashford doing some good things at Kearsney so far. Don’t think they have enough firepower to knock over the big guns like Westville,DHS etc but they have produced some really good results and some great running rugby.
2. I so badly wanted NW to halt the DHS juggernaut. I think there were some worried faces at half time. But DHS showed their strength and managed to secure the win. Massive shout out though to NW for that performance away from home and containing DHS to 0 until after half time.
3. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for Clifton? They had a great u14A team last year but I hear some key players have been snapped up by other schools? How are their u14As this year?