Maritzburg College beats Michaelhouse 25-24

The KZN schoolboy rugby season was crying out for a match of the season. This 25-24 Maritzburg College victory over Michaelhouse on Meadows in Balgowan seems to have answered that call. It was a pulsating game of rugger with the most exciting finish imaginable as College scored a try from the last play of the match and then converted to earn the single point victory. A fair result would have been a draw. Michaelhouse with a 4-tries to 3 count certainly didn’t deserve to be losers in this showpiece, but at the same time full-marks has to be awarded to College for way they clawed their way back after being shell-shocked at 10-0 down in less that 4-minutes and for the BMT the Red, Black, White showed at the end.
Match action:

45-seconds. Michaelhouse fullback Robert Lee’s defensive skillswould be well tested during this game. He was composed and solid at the back and ended up being one of the best players on display. During this opening sequence Lee pursues and catches an up-and -under which he launched into College territory and under which the College players do not look confident. With House now on attack, lock Gary Porter carries the ball up, looks to have held on too long but still manages to get a pass away in the tackle which sets up player of the match, Michaelhouse and KZN Schools hooker Bradley Roberts to score the first of his three tries. Roberts’ lineout work could have been better but as a attacker, he was second to none on the day. He is asked to perform a specific role for House on attack and it is clear why. He is not the biggest hooker around but he must rank amongst the smartest ballplayers in school rugby this season. Using a deceptive turn of pace and strength to stay upright in contact as well as a clever twisting action to wriggle out of tackles, he proves to be a menace, particularly in a wide position when one-on-one with backline players. Roberts finishes this early onslaught in style in the right-hand corner. 5-0.
#03. As part of their gameplan, College targeted the area to their left and inside the Michaelhouse 22m from each of their restarts. This particular kick-off proves disastrous though. The claimed ball is fed to Michaelhouse flyhalf Bader Pretorius, who from inside his 22m chooses not to kick and instead takes on the approaching defensive line. He expertly dodges poor attempted tackles to create a linebreak, followed by a strong run. Finding support on his left, he performs a 1-2 with one of his centres by doubling around this teammate and then makes a good pass out to Michaelhouse’s captain and scrumhalf Thomas Walker, who crosses for line for a try near the left corner. 10-0.
#05. College’s first promising attacking opportunity comes about when they turnover ball at a ruck following a deep kick. The referee elected to let the battle at the breakdown evolve instead of going to his whistle early on. This wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea but in the end, it was what made the game special. A massive and absorbing battle for possession became the order of the day and with both sides having at least two loosies who enjoyed playing directly towards the ball, there were numerous turnovers. From this particular tackled ball turnover won near the Michaelhouse 22m line, in order to take full advantage of the overlap they have on the big blindside, the ball has to go through the hands but College captain and flank Renard le Roux instead throws a misdirected long pass which end up going into touch. The lineout throw isn’t straight providing College with another attacking platform, which they start well by setting up a first phase ruck after the scrum. However once again, with an opportunity to attack on the left, le Roux who would go to prove why he is regarded as one of the best players in KZN this season, makes another uncharacteristically poor pass to end the momentum.
Exciting to watch wing has a brilliant game and Furniss comes up with two good runs, the first off a set move that makes space for him to run into and the second involving a terrific bit of individual skill as he first shimmies, then pushes hard off his left leg to ignite a run that rounds his opposite number easily on the right-hand side and gets House into the redzone.
#09. College left wing Byron Watson is the catalyst for his team’s opening try. Better hands by the visitors frees up space for Watson to set off on a run down the left. He sees his angle being closed down and so cuts hard to his right, now running a diagonal line but still making ground before offloading a first-rate long pass to his loosehead prop Tiaan Steyn of all players, who has raced up the middle in support. Steyn then fires off an equally good pass wide and right to pacy right wing Xolisa Guma, who only ever needs the narrowest of strips to finish. It was every good use of the width of the field by College, to stretch the House defence. 10-5.
#13. A mistake from the kick-off by College, places House deep on attack. The home team builds phases from after the scrum and come close to scoring their third try before play is called back for a penalty, which Michaelhouse fails to convert into points, when prop Louis Albertse misses the kick. Including the two conversions missed by Pretorius, it’s 7-kickable points missed by House.
#22 College centre Marcel Coetzee makes a good tackle, which effectively results in a penalty when Michaelhouse infringes at the ruck. Coetzee then slots the long range penalty, reducing the deficit to 10-8.
Some of the non-stop action in the next few minutes includes Bader Pretorius lining up and missing a drop goal after good build up play by Michaelhouse. Shortly thereafter Michaelhouse let wing Victor Foster chips ahead which leads to an attack involving the difficult to bring down Roberts. Another memorable play is an important rip of the ball by House lock Gary Porter, when College looked to be getting a front-foot attack going.
#29 Just as the game of rugby goes sometimes, in spite of Michaelhouse looking the better team at by this stage, it was College who hit the lead, compliments of anther long place kick by Coetzee, following a penalty at awarded at a ruck. 11-10.
#32 As mentioned a feature of this game was the huge contest at the rucks. What started out as static ball as a result of both teams winning turnovers at the breakdown, eventually turned out well for House. Through patience, excellent support play, recycled ball was used to force College back towards their own line. Albertse continued to lift the profile of loosehead props by making a superb long pass to his left, where the ball was then channeled to Roberts in a wide position. The burly hooker picks his attacking line and too strong on his feet to bring to ground, crossing for his second try, which Pretorius converted. 17-11.
#34 From the deep kickoff Furniss made a good initial carry but was stopped in his tracks by a good contact on him. A penalty followed shortly thereafter, which College kicks into touch to set up an attacking lineout. The setpiece is uncontested. College drives the ensuing maul towards the tryline, which Michaelhouse does ever so well to halt near the line. The home team also repel a few pick and drive assaults at their line. However they have no answer to Tiaan Steyn’s thrust helped by his good low body position and powerful leg motion. Over he goes in spite of the players hanging onto him. Coetzee lands the conversion from an acute angle. 18-17.
Halftime: 18-17 to Maritzburg College.

#37 College inside centre Jordan Koekemoer plays a bigger part in this half as he is often charged with the responsibility of tactically kicking the ball into the corners behind the oncoming Michaelhouse backline, a role he performs well and which enables College to enjoy a territorial advantage for the second 35-minutes. His grubber early in this half sets College up to trap House on the backfoot but Robbie Lee coolly brushed off Guma’s weak tackle attempt and counterattacks with ball in hand to avert the danger.
Michaelhouse are then able to come up with an attacking move of their own. Furniss is the end recipient of ball spread wide. He races down the right-hand touchline and kicked ahead just as he’s about to be closed down. A Michaelhouse kick chaser gets fingertips to the high bouncing ball, marginally knocking it on in the process, otherwise points could well have come from this play.
#41 An attack by College involves Watson showing off more of his skills and almost results in openside flank Hayden Tharratt getting over for the visitors, before a knock-on a bit later ends the challenge.
#44 Michaelhouse captain at scrumhalf Thomas Walker breaks from a lineout and sets off on a good run. Later in the move it’s Tharratt who halts the House continuity with an intercept and the nature of the fast paced game is summed up by Guma then having a crack at House.
#46 Marcel Coetzee chips ahead after a useful carry by Goi le Roux establishes front-foot ball for College. It’s Watson who gets there first but the chance of turning this attack into points also goes amounts to nothing when the wing concedes a penalty for getting to his feet and playing on after he was brought to ground in a tackle.
#47 From a lineout, College kicks into the box and Guma arrives first, beats his marker but gets caught by the cover defence. The College kicking game is keeping House pinned back.
#54 College sets up an attacking lineout from which they maul it. Le Roux breaks off the side to continue the advance and from there there’s an attempt to set Coetzee up for a crash at the tryline but the big centre is well tackled on the line and House makes a crucial turnover. The home team then counter attack. Both Roberts and promoted inside centre Michael Tatham are prominent in a play that ends with Michaelhouse knocking on from a bad pass to Pretorius, just when it looked on if Michaelhouse chose to go wide.
#57 College fill in No.8 Stuart Slade breaks well off the back of a scrum but the effectiveness of his carry is diminished as his angle towards touch results in no space left for Guma to work in. It’s then le Roux’s turn to come up with a big carry after breaking through a tackle. Coetzee also plays a part and College again gets deep into the redzone before knocking on. A poor clearance kick follows and Coetzee has another good bash at the Michaelhouse’s last line defence, which holds firm.
#61 The scoreboard has not changed from halftime. It’s still 18-17 to College and the visitors look more likely to score than their hosts do by this stage of the match. Le Roux who is featuring prominent now comes close to getting the first points of the half. College is held up on the line. Michaelhouse wins a tighthead at the 5m scrum and decides to run the ball. First it’s Furniss with an excellent carry up the right. Then Walker box kicks. College is scrambling and House wins the kicked ball back. From here the home team once again employs disciplined patient rugby involving good handling, good support and good recycling. On the tryline, Roberts, off the side of a ruck expertly twists his way out of a tackle and dives over to complete his hat trick. Bader Pretorius makes a difficult conversion look easy. 24-18. House now leads against the run of play.
Aided by a few penalties, College then spends most of the time on attack with the likes of Stuart and Coetzee making good carries.
#65 House finds temporary relief when Pretorius frees up pacy Victor Foster for a run. The young wing cleverly kicks far ahead to place huge defensive pressure on College and it’s a retreating Guma that is forced to save the day.
#70 The intense and exciting finish to the match sees College in the redzone throwing the kitchen sink at House and the home team’s defensive wall showing incredible resistance. A series of penalties for infringements are however awarded to College but despite their physical approach and numerical advantage, they cannot breach the brilliant second half defence of Michaelhouse until finally College’ tighthead prop Disi Dlamini gets hands on the ball and comes up with a mighty diagonal run that sees him cross the white chalk with Michaelhouse players doing everything in their power to stop the big unit. Marcel Coetzee converts the relatively easy yet pressurised kick to put College back in front by a single point .The kick is followed by the final whistle.
Final score: 25-24 to Maritzburg College
Sjoe! What a game! The quality was great and it was filled with action sequences – there was hardly even an opportunity to blink during the 70-minutes.