This was a super-duper entertain packaged game played on Goldstones in Pietermaritzburg. When 70-points get scored in 70-minutes, there is room for constructive negative comments about defensive structures and tackling, however during this game it really felt like the positives like attacking running lines, strength in contact, individual skills and good handling was more responsible for the high score than defensive lapses.
So for this it’s hats off to the players for the showpiece they combined to produce. Also well done to the referee who allowed this game to flow and help make it the exhibition that it turned out to be. A third round of praise must go to Boys High coach Michael Housdon and his fellow coaches. A couple of weeks back, for most of their game against Kearsney, Boys High looked like they had no backline game at all. The improvement in this match was huge as it was often their backs that came up with the big plays. For College, even in Pretoria circles, there was talk of this being their “Dream Team”. It’s a huge burden for any team to shoulder. Based on the performance it is not always that obvious to see but College 1st XV 2014 do have potential to be a great team. Without getting their backline to really threaten as a united force, College has now scored 76 points in just two games. This suggests that they are capable of living up to “Dream Team” status even though they are not there yet.
With this victory KZN now leads the GEMS 3-2 in the Grogper Cup
Match log
1min: MC captain & no.8 Daryn Goodson has a strong first half starting with a good run down the blindside.
5min: Flank Renard le Roux, arguable MC’s best player bursts through the middle of a lineout just inside the PBHS 22m. As a physical ballcarrier, Le Roux has dominated collisions this season so far but his try was down to poor defence by the visitors. Centre Marcel Coetzee added a conversion to put MC 7-0 up.
This also marked the end of the match for PBHS no.8 Gideon van den Berg, assisted off injured, a huge loss for the visitors. Fortunately in his absence loosies Reenen Buys-Du Plessis and Mitchell Baumann stepped up very well.
7min: MC scrumhalf Mac van der Linde darts off on a nice run from the base of a scrum. However the next phase emphasises a huge problem in MC’s play, the lack of ability of their backline to get even high quality quickball wide to the wings. A series of horrible passes to flatfooted players eventually ends with a pass way behind the wing which goes into touch.
8min: PBHS open their account with a long range penalty from centre Dillon Pirie, after MC are pinged for holding. 7-3 to MC.
13min: A good carry by Buys-Du Plessis wins his team a penalty eventually and helps then get into MC territory.
15min: Marcell Coetzee is then called out and spoken to for illegal play when PBHS are on attack. Pirie misses the angled penalty kick at goal.
18min: The first of a series of good runs by player of the match, PBHS fullback Dylan Neser. Neser’s ability to glide inside and outside to avoid first time tackles proves to be very useful in getting his team over the advantage line. At the end of his runs, his ability to ensure that play did not die with him was also impressive. In this move he collected a deep 22m drop from MC, stepped his way into space. Soon after that another noticeable PBHS player, scrumhalf Tristan Eve broke the line. When there was not enough advantage, the ref called play back and Pirie succeeded with a penalty awarded for offsides. MC 7-6 up.
20min: Another good linebreak, this time by PBHS centre Rossouw Basson.
24min: A very good up and under by MC’s van der Linde, which Goodson chases and contests in the air to gain a favourable bounce the way of Goi le Roux carries it up strongly.
26min: Off a scrum, MC’s Goodson attacks the blindside. He creates good separation which sets the platform for quickball with the help of his fast arriving hardworking pack in support. MC flyhalf Jordan Koekemoer then produces a neat short pass to fullback Matt Kriel, who makes it count by cutting through the gap between defenders and scoring. Coetzee converts to make it 14-6.
29min: PBHS fight back with good play of their own. Neser again does well in phase play that ends with a penalty to the visitors for side entry. PBHS goes for touch not posts and loses the lineout.
32min: PBHS produces a really good 15-man team try. Amongst the key players in the build-up are Neser, Buys-du Plessis and Baumann and it involves some good backline play. Lock Dan Malengela is the player who eventually forces his way over the tryline. Surprisingly the easy conversion is missed. MC leads 14-11.
34min: There is no protection for Mac vd Linde at the base of the scrum now. He gets caught in possession and PBH turnover the ball.
35min: A good run by PBHS flyhalf Dean Waghorn, then Pirie breaks the line and the pressure is applied by Boys High. They are rewarded with a penalty which Pirie slots. 14-14
Halftime: a fantastic half of rugby ends with underdogs PBHS really taking the game MC in the first 35-minutes.
36min: A feature of the game was how poor PBHS were at kickoff restarts. Honestly it seemed like they did not gather a single kickoff cleanly, showing lack of commitment and technique when it came to securing aerial ball. From this kickoff College huge Zimbabwean born prop Tanaka Chikwezvero gathered the ball, immediately putting the home team onto the attack. A wrong option follows and MC cannot profit on the scoreboard from this good start. The hosts do manage to keep up the pressure and dominate the first part of the 2nd half.
42min: MC hooker Masikani Mazwi was erratic with his lineout throw-ins during the first half but got it together after the break. He found main target Wian Jacobs and a good rolling maul from an attacking lineout eventually resulted in a try for Daryn Goodson. The kick was missed. MC lead 19-14.
44min: Coetzee lands a long penalty thanks to a really good strike. College deservedly extend their lead to 22-14.
47min: The sin of the day. It takes 47-minutes for Maritzburg College’s potentially most dangerous attacking player Xolisa Guma to even get a mention. The inability to get ball into the Guma’s hands two games now spells problem with a capital “P”. Guma’s has a short run here but his pass inside to centre Tristan Hanlon is ruled slightly forward.
49min: PBHS make a poor clearance kick. From the MC lineout take, Mazwi darts forward to create the frontfoot ball. From there ball is channelled out to midfield where flank Hayden Tharratt manages to get off a crucial pass to Le Roux to keep MC progressing. Once flyhalf Koekemoer gets it from the next phase, he has numbers on his outside but backs himself by turning inside after spotting a gap. He goes all the way for a good College try. Coetzee’s kick over makes it 29-14 to the hosts.
54min: Coetzee extends MC’s lead to 32-14 with his second penalty. The 18 points to nil since the break is a fair reflection of MC’s better possession and go forward in the second half.
55min: Well it was a match characterised by the invaluable runs of PBHS fullback Neser and he stood out once again with a nice effort.
57min: Mitchell Baumann is by no means a short player but he does have a good low centre of gravity, making him useful for carrying the ball up in tight situations. His contribution was visible as PBHS struck back with another good team try. The boys from Gauteng showed patience and recycled well to get come up with the try awarded to tall lock Ryan Carlson who was playing with an increased level of intensity by this stage. Pirie’s kick was good and the MC lead was narrowed to 32-21.
60min: The momentum shift was towards PBHS by now and they produced another sparkling bit of play. It again involved a Neser run. When he went to ground, recycled ball first went right and then PBHS brought it back right again. The MC defence was stretched, leaving MC hooker Mazwi to mark PBHS left wing Wayne Parker in a wider position but with too much room on the outside still. It was a mismatch of note as Parker shaped and easily rounded his man, pinned his ears back and was able to ground the ball in the left corner in spite of being hit hard by the cross cover D. A beautiful kick from the corner and it seemed like game on at 32-28 to the hosts with less than 10-minutes left.
62min: Finally Guma got to turn on the afterburners on the left and the super quick wing left all for dead but his try was disallowed as he had clumsily erred by putting a foot on the touch line near the start of his run. Nevertheless from the lineout, PBHS missed the intended target and got punished by Goi le Roux who collected it at the back and showed good pace of his own after picking the correct line to run in and score. It was a good individual effort by a player in really good form at the moment. The kick was missed but MC at least had some breathing room at 37-28.
64min: Matt Kriel had shifted to centre, paving the way for the outstanding player of the 2nd team game, Brandon Holder to come on at fullback. Kriel plucked the kickoff out the air and attacked. Later he just failed to hold onto a crashball pass that would have seen him score, as College had found a second wind.
66min: MC kept the hammer down late in the game. The ball eventually made it through the hands and to the wing, where Byron Watson used some shoulder movements to keep the defenders backed off just long enough for him to gain the initiative and force his way over in the right corner. Another kick was missed leaving MC ahead at 42-28.
68min: Another chance came Guma’s way but just when the young wing thought he had smoked the defence and was in for a try, he looked around and saw that the ref had called play back for an infringement.
Full-time: Maritzburg College 42 Pretoria Boys High School 28. A thoroughly entertaining game of rugby played in very good spirit. A wonderful advert for school rugby. Well done to both teams.
Squads from previous games:
| Maritzburg College | Pretoria Boys High | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiaan Steyn | 1 | Kevin van den Berg |
| 2 | Masikani Mazwi | 2 | Viaan Janse Van Rensberg |
| 3 | Tanaka Chikwezvero | 3 | Mashao Mukhari |
| 4 | Wian Jacobs | 4 | Dan Malangela |
| 5 | Justin Gold | 5 | Ryan Carlson |
| 6 | Hayden Tharratt | 6 | Mitchell Buamann |
| 7 | Renard Le Roux | 7 | Reenen Buys Du Plessis |
| 8 | Daryn Goodson (c.) | 8 | Gideon Van Den Berg |
| 9 | Mac van der Linde | 9 | Tristan Eve |
| 10 | Jordan Koekemoer | 10 | Dean Waghorn |
| 11 | Xolisa Guma | 11 | Wayne Parker |
| 12 | Tristan Hanlon | 12 | Rossouw Basson |
| 13 | Marcel Coetzee | 13 | Dillon Pirie |
| 14 | Byron Watson | 14 | Armand Mare |
| 15 | Matt Kriel | 15 | Dylan Neser |
| 16 | Mncedisi Dlamini | 16 | |
| 17 | Sam Swanepoel | 17 | |
| 18 | Calvin Van Selm | 18 | |
| 19 | Slade Stuart | 19 | |
| 20 | Matt Seba | 20 | |
| 21 | Kudzai Munangi | 21 | |
| 22 | Brandon Holder | 22 | |
With the Big 3 KZN private schools on holiday there’s a bit of a quieter weekend ahead for KZN school rugby. There will however be a huge game on at Goldstones in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday 12 March.
Hosts Maritzburg College will be looking for more of the same physicality that their pack showed against Northwood three weeks ago, but they will definitely expect to see a huge improvement in the backline performance where they lacked cohesion and urgency on attack. College has the talent amongst the backs and if they want to challenge for a Top 10 finish this season, they will have to up their execution speed and accuracy. The Northwood game produced a good end result at 31-6 but a lot of the territory from which points were scored were the results of Northwood’s errors at the breakdown rather than College’s attacking efficiency.
Pretoria Boys High had similar issues to College with their own backline during their recent 17-21 defeat to Kearsney in Port Elizabeth. It just failed to get going. So it’s expected that they too will focus on ways of getting their backs to make a greater contribution when it comes to getting over the advantage. Their performance against DHS a couple of days before the Kearsney defeat, proved that they can handle the ball very well and find holes.
The battle of the two sets of forwards should be a mouth-watering affair. Here the feeling is that Boys High can match College and even make lineouts difficult for the home team. However this result is expected to go College’s way with the points margin coming down to how the two sets of backlines match up and possibly also discipline at the ruck, where the local refs tend to be very strict.
@Gungets Tuft: Is that Robin Swannepoel’s (Ex-Border and College Rovers Prop) son?
@Jordaan – I wouldn’t say a highly rated Boys High team. Perhaps a team with potential would be better.
@Jordaan: what bubble? They have played 4 games and won 4, very early in the season. We never take College lightly, especially on Goldstones where we only have a handful of wins in 90 odd years…
Great win over a highly rated PBHS side, Glenwood beware when you come to Goldstones, this may be the fixture to burst your bubble!
@Gungets Tuft – I watched the first team hockey fixture. Based on results from Nomads, I was convinced PBHS would sneak a win. How wrong I proved to be. Maritzburg were outstanding and the performance delivered by the MC number 10 was spectacular.
PBHS were completely shell shocked and never got into the match. One of the most one sided fixtures I have seen between the two schools in recent years.
I agree with you on the rugby – very close game and most entertaining. PBHS looked dangerous with ball in hand. College looked very dangerous close to the scrum and when the forwards got over the advantage line.
PBHS seemed to lack a lineout and turned over ball to College on a few critical occassions. When the score was 28-32 Boys high missed a jumper and the college loosie broke away and scored (this is when PBHS seemed to run out of gas).
Both teams played in fits and starts. College were good at the start and then very good right after half time. PBHS were good towards the end of the first half and then for about 10 minutes in the second half.
Fantastic weekend in Martitzburg look forward to the return fixture in Pretoria later in the year.
Good luck to College with a few tough fixtures on the horizon.
@Redblack White: Not the finished article by a long way. Holder looked very good from what I saw, arrived very late in the day after my lightie and hosted kids hockey match so saw little of the 2nds, lets see what happens next week. Matt Kriel showed some guts, going back on after the dislocated finger was put back, grossed out the boys on the stands. Guma, eeisch, that’s tries in both matches turned down. He will get some tries, his mates must get the ball to him with 1/2 m of space and he will be gone.
……had good kuier………
@Gungets Tuft: True that College looked a little underdone, with occasional flares of outstanding play. Hoping this will improve with more game time. Must say that Holder was my player of the day. Was also very impressed with PBHS no. 10. At times he looked way too quick for the College backs. Feel very sorry for left wing Guma. Don’t know what more that poor one must do to finally score a try that stands – apart from not stepping on the line that is. All in all a brilliant day, had good kier with the many good folk from PTA and hosted some super boys – look forward to the August return fixture up North.
@Gungets Tuft: Agree 100%. At halftime the score was 14-14 after College went off the boil. College battled with first phase possession – particularly in their usual Achilles heel, the lineout – and their defence was poor on many occasions with first time tackles being missed.
At the end of the day I think it was a case of College being better finnishers – PBHS fumbled three tries due to poor handling of the final pass which would have made a big difference.
@rbw1863: I think the score might flatter College slightly, PBHS faded at the end, bit of travel fatigue perhaps. PBHS pack is certainly going to compete the year, their backline looked very good for a while, perhaps poor defense from College making it look better.
Both back lines show flashes of class, just never seemed to get it going consistently.
Plenty of nervous College people with 8 minutes to go, that’s how close it actually was.
The scores I have, misse most of the day due to my lightie playing hockey at AB Jackson
2nds 62 – 5
3rds 24 – 10
4ths 33 – 0
5ths 18 – 10
6ths 7 – 0
U16A I think 19 – 15
U16D 29 -7
U15E 41 – 0
Hockey
3rds 4 – 1
U16A 1 – 2
Nice work College, Grogper points in the bag :-)
College 2nds were awesome today. 42-28 is a fair reflection of a game riddled with poor defense. Boys High will be a thorn in many a teams side this year I wager.
Holder brilliant. Reminds one of Jesse Kriel with his runs from the back.
College 2nds 26-0 up at half time.
@Tang: Final score 9-1, Tevin Kok got 4
Very good see saw game College u15a winning 19-15 in the end
@Tang: Perhaps they are working on the finance agreement. Half time on Papes is College 4, PBHS 0. Early days yet, College gifted a goal after 7 seconds, rocked PBHS back.
BTW – I think PBHS are going to win the first team hockey fixture. I just have a feeling that Boys High will own MC on the Papes Astro tomorrow.
@GreenBlooded: Yip indeed. To be quite honest, that is why it is nice for us to compete against the likes of GCB, Affies, KES and PBHS, even though we are sometimes boxing below our weight division – it is just such a great experience for the boys too.
Details on your trot please? Which game – blowing or assisting?
@Redblack White: Excellent!! Down the line fixtures against the same school. Doesn’t happen too often anymore – in KZN it’s only really College, Glenwood and Westville who can manage it. It’s going to be a great day – hope the weather holds out. Also looking forward to my own trot on Goldstones.
@GreenBlooded: Thank you sir – I’ve just received the fixtures list and you are 100% correct as above. Just one addition – the 10th’s are also now playing – 12h50 on Snow’s
That’s what I have from the Referee’s Society.
u19 College 1 PBHS 1 Goldstones 14:00
College 2 PBHS 2 Goldstones 12:50
College 3 PBHS 3 Goldstones 11:40
College 4 PBHS 4 Goldstones 10:30
College 5 PBHS 5 Goldstones 09:20
College 6 PBHS 6 Goldstones 08:10
College 7 PBHS 7 Nicholson’s 10:30
College 8 PBHS 8 Nicholson’s 09:20
College 9 PBHS 9 Nicholson’s 08:10
u16 College A PBHS A Snow’s 11:40
College B PBHS B Snow’s 09:20
College C PBHS C Tech 1 11:40
College D PBHS D Tech 1 10:30
College E PBHS E Tech 1 09:20
College F PBHS F Tech 1 08:10
u15 College A PBHS A Snow’s 10:30
College B PBHS B Lamond’s 11:40
College C PBHS C Lamond’s 10:30
College D PBHS D Lamond’s 09:20
College E PBHS E Lamond’s 08:10
College F PBHS F Nicholson’s 11:40
u14 College A PBHS A Snow’s 08:10
College B PBHS B Leach’s 11:40
College C PBHS C Leach’s 10:30
College D PBHS D Leach’s 09:20
College E PBHS E Leach’s 08:10
GO COLLEGE!!!!
@Gungets Tuft: Have you seen the fixtures list for Saturday yet? Normally out by now but have not seen.
Greenblooded – as far as I know GWD 1st playing Ptn 1st
last time at Voories the 1st’s game ended under lights after 7 Pm – a loong day !!
Gwd 2nds play Voortrekker 1st – I must say I enjoy the vibe at Voortrekker – reminds me of Porties Nite series
@Tang: College have not played for a few weeks so might lack match sharpness but to win on Goldstones is not easy and this College side is a good one. In terms of the Grogper Cup and being a KZN supporter, I hope College take it. May the game be played hard and in good spirit.
Looking forward to this fixture.
Fifth game of the season for PBHS and fifth game away from home. If you add the three Easter Rugby fixtures, PBHS will have played 8 and not had one home game by mid April.
Form and rankings hardly matter in this fixture. Both schools seem to bring out the best in each other and the result is normally a highly entertaining fixture.
PBHS are a relatively young and inexperienced team so playing away from home (especially on Goldstones) should give Martizburg the edge.
I believe this fixture will have a massive outcome on the rest of the PBHS season.
@GreenBlooded: Hahaha, tjaaas, indeed. It’s the schlep of downgrading the chow from Science Diet to Dogmor for the night that is the only downside.
@Gungets Tuft:Will be having a trot on Goldstones myself provided I make it back from deep dark West Africa without catching the eBola virus.
Yes – definitely hosting a couple. I trust your guests will be in their normal accommodation i.e. under the outside stairs with the dogs?
@GreenBlooded: Because you will probably be hosting a couple of the boys as well. My favourite school to host, excellent boys, almost wish they would stay another day and give us a chilled Sunday morning to hit the beach.
And the parents are also tops. Fair number make the trip and make it a super relaxed day of watching good sport.
One of the classic fixtures of the season. 2 great schools with fixtures down to F/G team. Will be there without question.
@Greenwood: Are Glenwood 1st still playing an un-staggered fixture against Pinetown?
@Greenwood: Welcome, entrance is free …. Just hope for some of that perfect PMB autumn weather.
Red, Black, White….COLLEGE!!
Great news for me !!
Glenwood are playing Voortrekker , Linpark , Alexander & Pinetown this Saturday in Pmb
with no disrespect meant , I told the lightie to catch the Glenwood Bus to Voories and I will watch super 15 games on the telly at home.
NO chance now !! , I’ll be at Goldstones for sure rooting for College – I may even sneak the lightie in with me………………….
Boys High thrash DHS, lose to KES, but KES only squeak home vs DHS. Strange. What was u16A score in 2012 beet? College side looks full of matrics, only Guma and Chikwezvero not grade 12. Holder should replace Kriel coming back from injury after St Stithians fest.
Sam Swanepoel out for another 4 weeks at least with a broken thumb. Plaster cast off in 4 weeks.