House hard hosts for Northwood

A large crowd of Michaelhouse Old Boys and lovers of schoolboy rugby greeted the visiting Northwood team as they cantered onto Meadows from under the Warriors’ Walk uprights.

The boys from Northwood would have been somewhat buoyed by overwhelming wins in the U14 age group earlier in the day and it showed as they set up early camp in the home side’s half.

The referee’s whistle sounded for the first time after a full three minutes when Northwood’s early confidence was rewarded with a successfully converted penalty which was to be their final scoring opportunity of the encounter.

The hosts replied from the restart with a penalty  compliments of flyhalf Bader Pretorius and the boys from Balgowan never looked back, continuing to escalate their intensity for the duration of the game.

Michaelhouse ran in five converted tries and had it not been for plenty of tenacious defence, the first stanza of the game might well have seen the visitors' try line crossed on at least three more occasions. As has become customary during their 2015 campaign, control during set phases and the breakdowns set the platform for scintillating running rugby with crisp handling and interplay between the Michaelhouse forwards and threequarters.

After the break, Michaelhouse did not relent, as they ran in a further six tries, five of which were converted by Pretorius who produced another complete performance to notch up 28 points to celebrate his 18th birthday.

Final score Michaelhouse 78- Northwood 3

Scorers:

For Micahelhouse:

Tries: Liam Furniss, Ryan Anderson, Bader Pretorius, Mulalo Sadiki 2, Jack Walters 2, Zander Pretorius, Jarryd Kleynhans 2, Nic Herbert.

Cons: Bader Pretorius 10

Pen: Bader Pretorius

For Northwood:

Pen: 1

From Murray Witherspoon

Photo: Xillen van Rooyen