Selborne win great match
Inevitably the wind was blowing in Port Elizabeth. Not inevitably, the team playing into the wind scored more points. Selborne played into the wind in the first half and ended the half leading 22-3. Grey won the second half, into the wind, 15-0. It is easier to run with the ball coming into you into the wind than with the wind when it moves away, but seldom is it that dramatically distinct.
There was a lot to love about the game and its enthusiasm on and off the field.
On the field both teams were eager to run and it was so good to see a match where scrums were not reset, breakdowns were contested by players on their feat and more than one pass a phase. The manners off the field and the manners on the field were impeccable as both great schools were intent on getting right what they did without targeting opponents.
Off the field it was a noisy match – the delightful noise as schools, dressed in full school uniforms, sang songs, expressed delight and urged their teams on with desperate cries, urged on by their cheerleaders. It was an occasion for everybody to enjoy, winners more fully, losers memorably.
Selborne, playing into the wind ended the half 22-3 up after scoring three tries.
Selborne missed a penalty and Grey dropped out. They dropped out to far as the ball sailed with the wind and into the Selborne in-goal. The result was a scrum on the Grey 22. Selborne attacked and a quick, accurate pass from captain Joshua Allderman sent Michael Botha over for a try in the right corner. 5-0.\Allderman set up the second try with a box kick down the right. Wing James Bruce got the bouncing ball and passed inside to Botha who raced over to the posts for a try. Allderman converted, and in the end the difference between the two teams was between conversions goaled and conversions missed. 12-0 after 15 minutes. How Grey would have wished they had Curwin Bosch , not least for his boot, but the flyhalf was scoring points for SA schools in their victory over England Under-18.
Grey were also without their captain, Michael de Marco, who had been playing for Italy Under-18 and was recovering from concussion.
In the last two minutes there was a bundle of scoring. First Grey fullback Sihle Njezula goaled a penalty. Then dorm the kick-off Selborne lock Hein Rust grabbed the ball in midfield and raced ahead and stocky centre Sango Xamlashe flashed between three pairs of defenders to score at the posts. 19-3 and then Allderman finished the half with a penalty goal to make it 22-3.
With the wind Selborne were expected to run away with the match. Instead they ended hanging on.
Grey were first on the attack, eschewing kicks at goal in search of more lucrative tries. They tapped, had a five-metre line-out when David Masterson was held up and tapped again. Each time they bashed and it was third time lucky when big prop Dylan Barendse charged, unstoppable, over for a try. 22-8 after 41 minutes.
Grey tapped a penalty further out and flank Phelelani Zonke broke clean through, He passed to his right and Grey went through quick phases hither and thither, 13 of them in all, till Masterson darted over for a try. 22-13 after 51 minutes.
Aya Oliphant broke and set off on a long run, passing to Keanu Vers who passed back to him. Grey bashed and Barendse was – bravely – held up next to the posts. Grey won the subsequent scrum but they knocked on. Selborne won the next scrum, still five metres from their line, but Zonke ripped the ball from Liam Blake Taylor and Grey bashed again. Grey had a scrum, Grey had a penalty and Grey tapped and Masterson dived over for this second try. 22-19 with 4 minutes to play.
It was all Grey in those vital four minutes as Zonke charged and they attacked but for the fourth time in the match they missed touch from a penalty and eventually the whistle went to end the excellent match.
Scorers
For Selborne:
Tries: Michael Botha 2, Sango Xamlashe
Cons: Joshua Allderman 2
Pen: Joshua Allderman
For Grey:
Tries: Dylan Barendse, David Masterson 2
Pen: Sihle Njezula
Teams
Grey High: 15 Sihle Njezula, 14 Mohammed Connelly, 13 Keanu Vers (captain), 12 Aya Oliphant, 11 Khanyo Mafunda, 10 Lubs Dobela, 9 David Masterson, 8 Liam Blake Taylor, 7 Phelelani Zonke, 6 Jason Haggard, 5 Joe Rooyakkers, 4 Jason Whitehead, 3 Dylan Barendse, 2 Anton Mostert, 1 Tiaan Coetzee
Replacements: 16 Connor Boydd, 18 Aphiwe Febana, 19 Siviwe Masoziwe, 20 Matt Lawson, 21 Tertuis Groenewald, 22 Arno Mohikwa, 23 Nikki Ferreira, 24 Stanley Davenport
Selborne: 15 Michael Botha, 14 James Bruce, 13 Tiaan Coetzer, 12 Sango Xamlashe, 11 Thakga Boloko, 10 Andile Koyana, 9 Joshua Allderman, 8 Phumzile. Maqondwana, 7 Lutho Selem, 6 Heinrich Nieuwenhuizen, 5 Daniel Froneman (captain), 4 Hein Rust, 3 Daniel Voigt, 2 Cole Van Tonder, 1 Leon Lyons
Replacements: 16 Mila Bomela, 17 Sande Msengana, 18 Storme Snelling, 19 John Engelbrecht, 20 Nathan George, 21 Musa Sili, 22 Kanyiso Kula
Coaches: Kevin Taylor, Phiwe Nomlomo
Referee: Schalk Rossouw (Eastern Province Referees' Society)
Assistant referees: Eugene van Rooyen (Eastern Province Referees' Society), Fernando Uithaler (Eastern Province Referees' Society)
Results down the years:
1972: Grey won 9-0
1973: Selborne won 20-4
1974: Selborne won 10-6
1975: Selborne won 22-21
1976: Grey won 17-11
1977: Grey won 21-4
1978: Selborne won 26-19
1979: Selborne won 22-13
1980: Selborne won 18-12
1981: Grey won 24-7
1982: Grey won 12-10
1983: Grey won 29-9
1984: Grey won 18-6
1985: Selborne won 7-6
1986: Selborne won 15-10
1987: Grey won 12-6
1988: Selborne won 12-10
1989: Grey won 27-3
1990: Selborne won 17-9
1991: Grey won 7-0
1992: No match
1993: Grey won 16-15
1994: Selborne won 50-6
1995: Grey won 18-17
1996: Selborne won 10-8
1997: Selborne won 20-10
1998: Selborne won 31-10
1999: Selborne won 23-22
2000: Grey won 28-0
2001: Grey won 28-12
2002: Grey won 16-15
2003: Grey won 20-14 and 38-13
2004: Grey won 18-16 and Selborne won 20-11
2005: Grey won 16-3 and 62-3
2006: Grey won 16-15
2007: Grey won 18-3
2008: Grey won 38-16
2009: Selborne won 22-15
2010: Selborne won 30-17
2011: Selborne won 29-21
2012: Grey won 28-22
2013: Grey won 41-5
2014: Grey won 34-16
2015: Selborne won 22-18
