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Michaelhouse Host Kearsney

The Midlands dished up ideal autumn weather for the backdrop to hundreds of Michaelhouse Old Boys from around the globe gathering to share war stories and to enjoy the sights and sounds of the fifth Michaelhouse Festival of Music and a full programme of hockey and rugby fixtures against visitors, Kearsney College.

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Michaelhouse has traditionally struggled against Kearsney in the lower age group clashes and the visitors’ 42-7 win in the Under-14A game underpinned the disadvantages of little depth when the bumps and bruises start to mount up on the off games list. House’s Under-14C men though refused to buckle to trends with their second win in as many weekends, scalping Kearsney 46-26. The home Under-15D lads were also reluctant to conform, running in confident 43-22 victors and saving House from a whitewash in the age group.

Based on recent form, all of the Under-16 encounters were going to dish up great spectator value. This time it was Kearsney’s D team boys who saved the age group from returning to Botha’s Hill without a win. For the fourth time this season coach Sam Mofokeng’s Under-16A side were able to turn around their Under-15 and Under-14 results against an opponent although spectators would have found this hard to believe had they seen the 7-31 half time score. Not for the first time on the day, a match was characterised by being a tale of two halves as the home side trotted on after the oranges a transformed unit running in 31 unanswered points to win the game 38-31.

Michaelhouse’s open rugby sides continued their trajectory of growing confidence, winning all of the open fixtures in the build up to the seventy fifth clash between the two first XVs. A big, abrasive Kearsney, still smarting from their last minute loss to College made their intentions known early. Kearsney’s forwards bullied Michaelhouse off the ball in the tight and loose exchanges and made sure that it never reached House’s free scoring back three as they cantered to an easy 20-3 half-time lead in front of a stunned audience of Old Boys. Michaelhouse’s conditioning programme again paid dividends as the home side ran in 17 points to the visitor’s lone penalty in the second half to be pipped 20-23 at the post in front of deliriously war-cry chanting spectators.

Teams

Michaelhouse: 15 Luc Pousson, 14 Kwanele Khumalo, 13 James Murray, 12 Thamsanqa Zakwe, 11 Mark Grant, 10 Mike Moodie, 9 Brett Oellermann, 8 Roeland van den Berg, 7 Luke Stubbs, 6 James Armstrong, 5 Nick Crampton, 4 Gavin Veenstra, 3 Brandon Jewell, 2 James Moodie (captain), 1 Reinhardt Pienaar

Kearsney: 15 Derick Marshall, 14 Josh Muller, 13 Connor de Bruyn, 12 Luke Wilson, 11 Luke Dudley, 10 Matthew Hind, 9 Cade Carmichael, 8 Massimo Fierro, 7 Aaron Smith, 6 Carlo Miller, 5 Dean Burrell, 4 Tyson Andrew’s, 3 Oliver Carmody (captain), 2 Reid Stuart, 1 Bradley Taylor

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From Michaelhouse
Photo by Martin Ashworth

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