Grasshopper beats Horsefly

Glenwood once again went up onto South Ridge and over busy Berea Road and down St Thomas Road to Durban High Schools, as they have been doing since 1922 for the 134th match between the most prominent two schools in Durban. This time the Grasshoppers of Glenwood won (45-21), but it may come as a surprise, in view of their recent string of victories, that DHS still lead in the 134 matches – 68-55 with 11 draws.

DHS is much the older school and has been playing rugby for much longer, which meant that in early days DHS accumulated victories, but in recent times Glenwood have ruled the roost and are probably KwaZulu-Natal's strongest rugby school.

This year they have seven players in the KwaZulu-Natal Craven Week side and seven in the Academy week side. DHS have two players in the Academy Week side. There is a gulf, it seems, in rugby ability between the two sides, but in this match DHS acquitted themselves well. The difference between the two teams  was in large measure if not entirely, the 17-year-old Glenwood flyhalf Jerome Bossr who moved from Selborne to Glenwood just this year. His speed, vision, deceptiveness and his big boot were out of the top drawer.

It was a hot but windy afternoon for the match and both sides ran from the start, DHS with the wind. DHS's scrumhalf Gareth Simpson tapped a penalty and they were close to scoring when Ilunga Mukendi tackles  Dillon Bryan into touch on the corner flag. DHS had a five-metre scrum but the visitors' defence held and then it was Glenwood's turn to attack. Initially they were thwarted by a turnover but they came back again going left, right and left again with speedy GJ Lubbe and powerful Marco Palvie prominent until Ilunga Mukendi scored with three defenders hanging onto him. 5-0 after 14 minutes.

Bossr initiated the second try with a lightning break from a ruck on the half-way line and then a pass to centre Donovan du Randt who sprinted, swerved and scored, also in the left corner. 10-0 after 15 minutes.

Bossr set the next try in motion when he sprinted and stepped three opponents and gave to speedy fullback Jaydon Morgan who scored. 15-0 after minutes.

Bossr who had been kicking well but just not straight enough then goaled a long penalty goal from a difficult angle. 18-0 and it seemed that Glenwood would run away with the match but, after a brilliant reverse pass by scrumhalf Simpson, DHS attacked and it was only an efficient tackle by Morgan on Joel Kidgell that prevented the home side from scoring. But Glenwood overthrew the subsequent line-out  and Matthew Hamilton caught the ball and plunged over for a try which Simpson converted, 18-7 and it was half-time.

Glenwood had the wind in the second half and started it with a great run by Lubbe which was carried on by Austin Brummer. But a penalty gave DHS a five-metre line-out. They threw deep to big Mthokozisi Ntuli, who stretched and scored. Simpson converted and it was 18-14 after 41 minutes.

Was there a surprise in the air? It was in fact as the closest DHS got to Glenwood.

Bossr broke, Morgan raced ahead and gave back to Bossr who chipped and Brummer was held up over the line for a five-metre scrum. Glenwood bashed and, sadly, Phuzukuvela Sithole was yellowcarded for a tackle offence and Glenwood tapped and bashed again till prop Christopher Klopper thrust himself through four defenders to score. 23-14 after 45 minutes,

Klopper was busy again when he took advantage of a knock-on. Glenwood won a scrum tighthead and Palvie ran and gave an underarm pass to Du Randt who gave back to Palvie with an underarm pass and Palvie scored. 28-14 after 49 minutes.

Glenwood then tapped a penalty and Morgan was close, knocking a bobbing ball to Du Randt who scored his second try. Martin Holtzhausen took over the goal kicking and goaled the conversion from far out. 35-14 with 9 minutes to go, time for three more tries in this generous match.

The first of the three came when DHS were hot on the attack and Glenwood scored. Hooker Aza Tshutsha of DHS ran across field. He was held up an in a flash Holtzhausen ripped the ball from him and set out down the field. Substitute Devon Brough raced on with the ball and DHS were penalised. Glenwood kicked out for an attacking line-out. Hooker Quinton Vorster threw to the front. Substitute scrumhalf Craig Hunt peeled around the front and gave to Vorster and the big hooker scored in the left corner. 40-14 with six minutes to go.

When Glenwood indulged in some midfield fumbling Mvumeleni Mathenjwa snatched up the ball and scored. Simpson converted 40-21 with two minutes to play.

From 65 metres out Bossr broke and raced away. He gave to Bummer and prop Renier van Rooyen ended the match with a try.

45-21 to Glenwood.

Scorers

For Glenwood:

Tries: Ilunga Mukendi, Donovan du Randt 2, Jaydon Morgan, Christopher Klopper, Marco Palvie, Quinton Vorster, Renier van Rooyen

Con: Martin Holtzhausen

Pen: Jerome Bossr

For DHS:

Tries: Matthew Hamilton, Mthokozisi Ntuli, Mvumeleni Mathenjwa

Cons: Gareth Simpson

Teams:

DHS: 15 Matthew Noot, 14 Dillon Bryan, 13 Mvumeleni Mathenjwa, 12 Luyanda Ndabandaba, 11 Joel Kidgell, 10 Gert Coetzee, 9 Gareth Simpson, 8 Mthokozisi Ntuli (captain), 7 Matthew Hamilton, 6 Phuzukuvela Sithole, 5 Ryan Dafel, 4 Liam Whitfield, 3 Tiaan de Jager, 2 Aza Tshutsha, 1 Hero Mpanza.

Replacements: TBC

Glenwood: 15 Jayden Morgan, 14 GJ Lubbe, 13 Donovan du Randg, 12 Martin Holtzhausen, 11 Ilunga Mukendi, 10 Jerome Bossr, 9 Jordan du Preez, 8 Marco Palvie, 7 Nama Xaba (captain), 6 Austin Brummer, 5 Lencho Brynard, 4 Kwenzo Blose, 3 Renier van Rooyen, 2 Quinton Vorster, 1 Christopher Klopper.

Replacements: 16 Ajay Pretorius, 17 Ferdie Pieterse, 18 Shane Westman, 19 Matthew Bauer, 20 Craig Hunt, 21 Sean Maduna, 22 Devon Brough.

Referee: Ruaan du Preez

Assistant referees: Westleigh van der Linde, Dave Christie