Michaelhouse ready to put the misery behind them

Right now, it feels like everything is going wrong for Michaelhouse rugby.

Their quality lineup has managed just two wins from ten matches. Their main field, the Meadows, is currently unusable after heavy rains contributed to damaged surface. Most recently, their inter-schools fixture against Kearsney was rescheduled for this Friday due to planned freeway roadworks outside Pietermaritzburg — only for the team to learn today that those roadworks have been postponed by a week. The reason? Authorities are bracing for an influx of fans ahead of the Chiefs-Pirates Nedbank Cup final.

So once again, House will turn to their narrower, secondary field, Bailey’s. While smaller, it offers a scenic and intimate setting, and this weekend’s clash is expected to draw a good crowd. For the hosts, it presents a golden opportunity to secure a long-awaited win against respected opposition.

Despite the recent 20–25 defeat to Hilton, there were plenty of positives for House to take from the match. Their big Midlands rivals were simply more composed when it counted. For Michaelhouse, there’s still a need to lift the tempo and find more attacking rhythm to complement the individual moments of brilliance shown by players like the impressive young ball-carrying prop Nicolas Salamousas and powerful centre William Ridl.

If House are to fulfil their true potential in the remainder of the season, it may come down to key figures like Oliver Davis, Stefan Moolman, and Rourke O’Sullivan rediscovering their top form and contributing fully to the team effort.

Kearsney, aware of their relatively young team, were clever in arranging winnable fixtures at their own Easter Festival, where they walked away with two wins from three. Those results, along with strong performances against Pretoria Boys’ High and Hudson Park before Easter, have revived what once looked like it would be a lost cause season — especially after Hilton put 50 past them.

Now, the One-Stripe have rediscovered some self-belief. They’re holding onto possession better, which has eased the pressure on defence, and their attacking play is showing steady improvement. That said, their most dangerous weapons out wide — the wings — still haven’t been fully unleashed.

Thanks to not having a match last Saturday, Kearsney have enjoyed some much-needed recovery time ahead of this clash. Among their composed and consistent seniors are lock Joe Roylance and centre Doan Nel. Creative flair comes from players like Jayden Jonsson and Lwazi Mbebe, while the speed of execution is driven by highly rated loose forward Nhlanhla Ndlovu and sonic speedster Lwandle Mkhize.

04 May 2013	Michaelhouse	05	38	Kearsney	Kearsney
14 Jun 2014	Michaelhouse	45	7	Kearsney	Kearsney
25 Apr 2015	Michaelhouse	27	24	Kearsney	Michaelhouse
30 Apr 2016	Michaelhouse	22	64	Kearsney	Kearsney
29 Apr 2017	Michaelhouse	26	24	Kearsney	Michaelhouse
10 Mar 2018	Michaelhouse	17	27	Kearsney	Kearsney
11 May 2019	Michaelhouse	20	23	Kearsney	Michaelhouse
08 May 2021	Michaelhouse	26	24	Kearsney	Kearsney
07 May 2022	Michaelhouse	22	9	Kearsney	Michaelhouse
06 May 2023	Michaelhouse	23	20	Kearsney	Kearsney
27 Apr 2024	Michaelhouse	34	19	Kearsney	Sharks Day Trials
08 Jun 2024	Michaelhouse	15	19	Kearsney	Kearsney