James Fleming enjoyed some much-needed relief when his Michaelhouse 1st XV found their second wind to secure a convincing 50–17 home win over visitors Kearsney on Bailey’s Field. House had made a strong start, racing to a 17–0 lead within the first 20 minutes. Kearsney, to their credit, clawed their way back into the contest, narrowing the gap to 24–17 in the second half. At that point, it seemed the momentum had shifted, and Michaelhouse looked set to endure yet another frustrating chapter in what has been an underwhelming season.
But from there, it was all House. They ran in 26 unanswered points, playing sharp, fundamental rugby with excellent support lines and impressive accuracy. Kearsney’s late defensive collapse was difficult to explain — particularly given they had an extra week to recover following the Easter break.
In the end, it was a much-needed and morale-boosting result for Fleming, who has been under significant pressure to deliver a notable win with a capable squad.
However, the 1st XV results alone don’t fully reflect the broader impact Fleming has had on rugby at Michaelhouse. He is an astute thinker and an outstanding rugby leader who has built an exceptional overall programme.
House also recorded a dominant 17 wins from 18 matches across all age groups against Kearsney (average score 37-14), adding to their 14 victories from 20 fixtures against Hilton the previous weekend — underlining the depth and momentum the school is building under Fleming’s guidance.
| TEAM | RESULT | MHS | KC | RESULT | MHS | HC |
| 1st | W | 50 | 17 | L | 20 | 25 |
| 2nd | W | 53 | 10 | L | 22 | 24 |
| 3rd | W | 42 | 15 | W | 22 | 03 |
| 4th | W | 49 | 14 | W | 25 | 24 |
| 5th | W | 45 | 05 | W | 26 | 00 |
| 6th | W | 40 | 07 | W | 21 | 07 |
| 7th | W | 62 | 00 | W | 15 | 12 |
| 8th | L | 00 | 03 | |||
| 16A | L | 21 | 52 | W | 39 | 22 |
| 16B | W | 29 | 24 | W | 24 | 19 |
| 16C | W | 19 | 14 | W | 13 | 07 |
| 16D | W | 26 | 22 | W | 48 | 05 |
| 16E | W | 26 | 22 | |||
| 15A | W | 19 | 12 | L | 13 | 19 |
| 15B | W | 24 | 05 | W | 21 | 12 |
| 15C | W | 50 | 00 | W | 26 | 07 |
| 15D | W | 48 | 10 | |||
| 14A | W | 17 | 15 | L | 13 | 24 |
| 14B | W | 59 | 05 | W | 33 | 07 |
| 14C | W | 38 | 05 | W | 41 | 12 |
| 14D | L | 05 | 19 | |||
| POINTS | 669 | 244 | 475 | 261 | ||
| AVG PTS | 37 | 14 | 24 | 13 | ||
| WINS | 17 | 1 | 14 | 6 |
@KatzRugga (Comment #1)
Helps when they are all boarders (500+) and sport is compulsory plus daddy/mommy will buy every bit of kit, muscle product, gym stuff possible. A school with almost unlimited resource where some parents even arrive by helicopter….
NUMBERS AND RUGBY CULTURE
Percentage math. They must be amongst the schools with the most buys playing rugby within KZN but maybe also S.A and it matters!