KZN

A very brief Glenwood correspondence sent to the media today mentions how privileged they are to have boys chosen to represent various KZN youth week teams. Listed are the names of the 21 in total for the under-18 and under-16 age groups. Full stop. End of media message.…

Kearsney’s 23-20 victory was only their tenth win ever against Maritzburg College but significantly also their fourth in the last five meetings between the two schools. Although the 43-point match turned out to be one of those heart-stoppers involving the lead changing hands eight times and the outcome being undecided until the final whistle, it wasn’t the prettiest of affairs, as relentless defenders either spoiled or got pinged for trying too hard to upset the other side’s attempts to play attractive attacking rugby. There were also a few quality issues surrounding set-pieces.…

At Woodburn Stadium, Pietermaritzburg 19 May 2015…

Westville alumni got to celebrate Old Boys’ Day in style when their school’s 1st XV produced one of their better performances of a rollercoaster ride season and beat Highways rivals Kearsney 24-17.…

From Kearsney:

Kearsney hosted DHS on a warm afternoon in Botha’s Hill. DHS kicked off with both teams seeming tentative initially. Centre James Tedder opened the Kearsney score with a penalty from a scrumming infringement by the visitors. DHS put the hosts under pressure and, after some phase play, centre Coetzee pushed a grubber through which his midfield partner collected, to dive over in the right-hand corner. Scrumhalf Simpson converted for a 7 – 3 lead after 15 minutes.…

There were only six points in when the full-time whistle sounded on Hilton’s Gilfillan field. It brought to an end any hope of the hosts snatching a remarkable come from behind win. It would have been remarkable in the sense that the scoreline actually flattered Hilton. They were completely outplayed by the unbeaten and in-form Michaelhouse first team, who not for the first time this season dominated without putting their opponents away. The final score was 24-18 but the margin could have been far greater had it not been for the only really pleasing aspect of Hilton’s play, their dogged defence. …

Westville vs Jeppe, St Charles vs Parktown, Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys High, Hilton vs Michaelhouse, Kearsney vs DHS and Northwood vs Parktown.…

It was perhaps not the most fluent of matches but the big crowd that gathered at Meadow’s Field in Balgowan were certainly treated to a 70-minute session filled with highlights and interesting post-match talking points as the hosts Michaelhouse held on to beat Kearsney 27-24.…

With all the top tier KZN schools away at either Jeppe or Wildeklawer in Kimberley, it’s a couple of private school games that take the spot light in the province. …

George Campbell’s 1^st XV head coach Robert Erasmus passed away during the Easter holidays so his players were more determined than ever to honour the much loved and passionate long serving teacher with a victory over St Charles, who under different circumstances might have been favourites. The extra motivation helped Campbell lift their game to new heights this season as they played as a team with structure.…

DHS came away from Clifton’s home of rugby at Riverside, Durban North with a resounding 50-10 victory over their hosts.…

At Kings Park, Glenwood accounted for a 7 tries to 2, 59-12 demolition of Maritzburg College. The Green Machine has now not lost in this inter-city derby since 2010.…

Not to be taken too seriously because real KZN trials start in a little over a week, here are my personal picks based on form in the lead up to Easter.…

Frustration is the best way to describe this situation.

A Westville under-17 frontrow rugby player was prevented from starting the under-19 1st XV match against Maritzburg College because his SARU age banding “paperwork” (often incorrectly referred to as Boksmart) was not in order. Westville Boys High School was not at fault here. The problem was/is Archie Shelakho, a referee based at the Rugby Unions headquarters at Kings Park who is responsible for signing off the “paperwork”.…

Maritzburg College put in a surprisingly refreshing running rugby performance and deserved more out of the match than the 13-0 win they achieved against hosts Westville.

The match got off to a very unsettling start for Westville. The referee, fully within his rights, would not allow standout under-17 hooker Hendrik Prinsloo who forms part of a very powerful Griffons frontrow combination to take his place on the field in the under-19 game due to the player not being Boksmart compliant. …

Three significant matches take place in Durban on Saturday. Two of these presented prime opportunities for rival schools to work together to  get their hands on valuable match tapes of their next opponents.…

From Kearsney College (Working Words)

Kearsney hosted Hilton on a hot and humid Saturday afternoon on Botha’s Hill. The teams combined to produce a high scoring entertaining match that could be defined as a game of two halves. The first half belonged to Hilton who established a 17-6 lead at a stage with the help of a structured and well-executed game plan. The second half saw Kearsney making tactical adjustments and outscoring a tired looking Hilton 21-5.…

From Westville Boys High

The 1st Team clash was won by Westville in a fairly convincing fashion 29 – 7. The visitors outscored the home team by four tries to one but it was the home team who got on the scoreboard first after Westville was reduced to 14 men when lock JP Pelser was sin binned.…

Gareth Jenkinson and the Natal Witness Newspaper please do not copy and/or pass this article off as your own work

Michaelhouse broke a decade long rugby drought against Glenwood thanks to an inspired 18-13 home win on Saturday 21 March. In a heart stopping finish on Meadows field in Balgowan the result was decided by a Frank Goble try just 4-minutes from time followed up by stubborn defence to keep Glenwood from replying with a try of their own at the death. …

Here’s a good KZN quiz question:
Of the teams listed below, which starting XV contains the MOST players that enrolled at their current school in Grade 8?

a) Michaelhouse
b) Glenwood
c) Kearsney
d) Hilton
e) Northwood
f) Westville
g) Maritzburg College
h) DHS…

Report from Durban High School:

DHS were looking to put last year’s upset against “Porties” firmly behind them and turn over a new leaf going into the 2015 season. The pre-season nite-series provided little insight into the ability of both these teams, as they each had a win a piece against each the other. However the game played at Van Heerden’s (DHS beloved main field), proved to be a different story all together, with DHS running out convincing 49-5 winners.…

From  Kearsney – Working Words

Kearsney hosted Glenwood on a hot and humid afternoon for what proved to be a very exciting and closely contested match.…

From Northwood School:
The first game of the 2015 season saw Northwood take on a determined, big-hearted George Campbell away. Many have been anticipating the Knights squad of 2015. With some senior forwards in the squad still out due to injury and playing against a team that has come off a 5 week festival, one can forgive the slow start to Knights game.…

The Mercury Newspaper report: a Durban High Court judge has ordered that a Kearsney student be allowed to return to the school for academic lessons until the appeal against his expulsion for testing positive for steroids comes up in two weeks time. The student is a second time offender. He had been disciplined for smoking dagga two years earlier.…

Bowden’s Field was the setting for the closely contested 11-6 victory by the hosts Westville over their Midlands visitors Hilton College. In the end the result boiled down to Westville taking their one golden opportunity and turning it into a 5-pointer midway through the second half, after Hilton had earlier in the half let an almost certain try slip through their fingers. …