St Stithians Easter Festival - Day 3

Results

It was overcast and chilly on Eastern Monday, the last day of the St Stithians Easter festival which has the backing of FNB.

In the first match the FNB side, a combination of two Wellington schools, Weltevrede and Bergrivier, were too good for the East London school, Hudson Park.

FNB Invitation XV vs Hudson Park, 32-8

Contrasting styles were the order of the day in this match. Playing with the brisk breeze in the first half the Hudson Park coaches had obviously given flyhalf Mphilo Njoloza strict orders to play in opposition territory. A talented cricketer, Njoloza used his sweet timing to good effect and he hit some raking touch finderS to keep the FNB Invitation XV pinned in their 22m-area.

Hudson Park dominated the play, so much so that they had the ball held up over the line twice and knocked on over the line once. They mostly kept the ball very close to their forwards and their try came after some patient phase play. Livewire flank Jamie Ferreira eventually scored it. Njoloza missed the conversion but managed to kick a penalty to give Hudson Park an 8-nil lead.

In contrast the FNB Invitation XV were intent on running everything. They moved the ball from behind their own goal line on more than one occasion and although they didn’t score they always got into opposition territory. The FNB Invitation XV scored four tries in the game. Two were solo efforts but the other two were well worked by their exciting backs. It was great to see them running from depth and with speed into gaps. Burly prop Johnny Esselaar did the necessary as he converted two tries and two penalties.

Coming froom the school that produced two exciting wingers in the Ndungane twins Hudson Park’s play was limited and right-wing Lendel Michells’s first try the summed the game up perfectly. Hudson Park bashing away for six phases and then eventually taking the ball to the centres. A dropped ball was intercepted by Mitchells who ran the length to score. A well deserved result for the more enterprising FNB Invitation XV whose defence was outstanding, as were their two dynamic locks.

Scorers:

For FNB Invitation XV:
Tries: Lindel Mitchells 2, Rayno Papier, Ashwell Rentz
Cons: Johnny Esselaar 2, Ashwell Rentz
Pens: Johnny Essellaar 2

For Hudson Park:
Try: Jamie Ferreira
Penalty: Mphilo Njoloza

Boland Landbou vs Durban High School, 26-6

The first half of this game was a stop-start affairs thanks largely to the referee's whistle. Boland Landbou playing into the wind were intent on using the large pack to lay a platform. Both sides put together some useful phases of play but things never really got going as the penalty count mounted.

The respective kickers traded penalties early on and Landbou led 9-6 after 20 minutes. Landbou then open the try count with a lineout move that saw burly tight-head prop Johan Coetzee peel around the front and burst through two would-be defenders to score. Landbou led 16-6 at the interval.

Boland Landbou were the superior team throughout and were full value for their convincing win. DHS were under constant pressure from the Boland Landbou pack and were unable to execute any threatening phases of play in the second half. Poor handling by both teams limited play to a large extent. Landbou were able to score again though after a good spell of play. Scrumhalf Bernard Swart squirming over from a quick tap penalty five metres out.

Overall though the match was slightly disappointing because of poor handling and refereeing. Boland Landbou do have a powerhouse pack though and any team wanting to beat them is going to have subdue them up front. One would just like to have seen their talented backs get more of a chance to run with the ball.

Scorers:

For Boland Landbou
Tries: Johan Coetzee, Bernard Swart
Cons: Pieter Esterhuyse 2
Pens: Pieter Esterhuyse 4

For DHS:
Drop: Louis Fouche
Pen: R Matthysson

Paarl Gimnasium vs Glenwood, 17-14

In an entertaining match, in which both teams exhibited skills to put some of our Super 14 players to shame, Paarl Gim just managed to beat a spirited Glenwood team 17-14. Fullmarks to Glenwood who could have kicked a penalty goal to draw the game in the dying minutes but who chose on three separate occasions to run the ball in an attempt to win the game.

Glenwood took the lead early on thanks to the smooth kicking stroke of No.8 Ian Adendorff. Gim struck back soon after though with a brilliant score. They strung together phases down the blindside in which both props handled deftly. A ruck was set inside the Glenwood 22m-area and Gim took the ball wide. Decoy runners left the Glenwood exposed and centre Emile van Wyk waltzed in for the score.

Glenwood were never going to lie down though and pressure applied at a Gim ruck saw the ball pop out side. The ball was transferred to fullback Dane Labat who raced down the touchline to score and put Glenwood into the lead. Gim showed their class though and managed to score with via a set move from a scrum. Left-wing Jacques Meyer coming in off the blindside to streak in under the posts.

Gim extended their lead to 17-11 just after the break via a penalty from scrumhalf Dewald Duvenage. Adendorff brought Glenwood back within three point range soon after and from then on the two teams slugged it out. Gim thriving on the counter-attack and Glenwood putting together some good structured play.

This was a great advertisement for the schoolboy game in South Africa. Boys running straight and playing to space. A draw would probably have been a fairer result. The two stars of the show happened to be the two kickers. Glenwood No.8 Ian Adendorff getting close twice to winning the game for his team with wonderful clean breaks and Duvenhage showing great skills as the playmaker in the Gim outfit.

Scorers:

For Paarl Gimnasium:
Tries: Emile van Wyk, Jacques Meyer
Cons: Dewald Duvenhage 2
Pen: Dewald Duvenhage

For Glenwood:
Try: Dane Lovett
Pens: Ian Adendorff 3

Affies vs Kearsney, 12-7

The more fancied Affies side were made to work every inch of the way for their win against Kearsney. Both teams played positive rugby with Affies dominating territory and possession. Kearsney though put in a strong defensive performance. On many occasions the strong running Affies forwards were stopped in their tracks by more than one eager Kearsney defender.

Kearsney were on the board first. A fine individual effort by left-wing Zavion Kotze, who beat three defenders from 30 metres out. Affies scored a try of their own before the half with a well executed backline move from a scrum in the Kearsney 22m-area. Fullback Gerrit van den Heever cutting the line with beautiful timing. Van den Heever was unable to convert and Kearsney lead 7-5 at halftime.

The good rugby continued after the interval. Affies applying pressure consistently but unable to breach the resolute Keasney defence. Affies had the wind at the backs, making Kearsney’s task all the more difficult. Eventually the pressure told as Kearsney conceded a tight-head on their own line. The ball was spun wide by Affies and left-wing Ruan de Jager went over unopposed. Kearsney got hold of the ball inside the Affies half towards the end of the game, which resulted in an exciting finish as Affies were forced to scramble on defence.

Scorers:

For Affies:
Tries: Gerrit van den Heever, Ruan de Jager
Con: Gerrit van den Heever

For Kearsney:
Try: Zavion Kotze
Con: Peter Grunow

St Stithians vs Ermelo, 18-15

The final game of the festival got of to a slow start as the teams settled themselves. The strong Ermelo pack looking to lay a platform from which they could dominate the game. Saints were fired up in front of their home crowd and were never going to allow themselves to be dominated. They were full value for their win.

The Ermelo pack did as was intended early on and duly laid the platform for their try with a dynamic piece of play down the touchline. Going half the field, lock forward Oostuizen eventually crashed over for the score.

From then on the hosts took control of the game and had three good scoring opportunities before half time. Twice they chipped head and got the luck of the bounce. One try certainly looked to have been scored but the referee deemed there to have been a knock-on. Right on the half time whistle Ermelo flyhalf Dion Pruis pulled off a textbook cover tackle to again frustrate the Saints supporters.

Saints got the try they had worked so hard for soon after the break. Pouncing on a mistake by Ermelo in midfield the ball was quickly worked wide. Centre Ngema ran a good line and raced over to score. Ermelo were poor for most of the second half as Saints controlled the game for long periods.

Ngema had another two good breaks, the second of which lead to a Ermelo having to carry the ball over their own line and dot down for a five metre scrum. Saints duly won the scrum and centre Paul Burton-Shaw crashed over after two phases.

At 18-10 with five minutes remaining Ermelo eventually managed to get their hands on the ball. They scored a try from a rolling maul through flanker Edward Potgieter but it was too little too late as the vocal home crowd celebrated a wonderful fighting win.

Scorers:

For St Stithians:
Tries: B Ngwena, Paul Burtonshaw
Con: Graham Webb
Pens: Graham Webb 2

For Ermelo
Tries: L Oostuizen, Edward Potgieter
Con: Dion Pruis
Pen: Dion Pruis

Earlier Results

Day 1

Ermelo vs Hudson Park, 15-10
Paarl Gim vs Kearsney, 39-18
Glenwood vs Boland Landbou, 29-10
St Stithians College vs FNB Invitation XV, 14-8
Affies vs Durban High School, 24-22

Day 2

DHS vs FNB Invitation XV, 34-10
Glenwood vs Ermelo, 25-9
Kearsney vs Hudson Park, 44-10
Affies vs Paarl Gim, 17-17
Boland Landbou vs St Stithians, 40-6