Thrilling End to Classic Clash
It was a great occasion as the two schools gathered on the Burger Field at St John's, the boys smart in blazers and bashes, singing away throughout the match, cheering everything their team did well, as they have done for over 90 years.
On the warm autumn day on the Highveld, it was very much a match of two halves, the first dour, the second full of life and unpredictability.
The match started in staid fashion with kicking and a penalty goal apiece, first by big Ethan Anderson of Parktown and then by Kieran Houlston of St John's. 3-all after 78 minutes.
Parktown scored the first try when Anderson kicked a high left-footed kick from the halfway line. It bounced high some eight metres from the St John's line and speedy right wing Junior Nthlane juggled the ball and raced over for the try. Anderson converted. 10-3 after 15 minutes.
Two penalties put St John's on the attack and the forwards charged with zest till they went wide and tall centre Quintus Kilbourn handed off two would-be tacklers and scored half way out. 10-8 after 26 minutes.
Parktown were more inclined to counterattack and one led to a try by scrumhalf Matthew Van Huysteen who took a pass from Anderson and was over in the tackle. Anderson converted and, after a promising attack by St John's led 17-8 at the break.
St John's were soon on the scoreboard in the second half. Parktown's wing knocked down a pass and Kilbourn grabbed the ball, handed off an opponent and scored under the posts. Houlston converted. 17-15 after 3 minutes into the second half.
A penalty put St John's on the attack and the forwards bashed away from the line-out till the ball went left to captain Sibiya Sibiya who handed off and flashed over under the posts and for the first time in the match St John's led. 22-17 after 48 minutes.
They went further ahead when Houlston goaled a long, angled penalty kick. 25-17 and the impetus was with the home side.
It was Parktown's turn to use a penalty to get a line-out maul going. They went wide – Van Huysteen to strong Tyler Murray who gave to Thando Mbasa who flashed past three defenders to score. 25-24 after 59 minutes, as the excitement grew.
Flank Philip was over for a scrum but the referee's assistant had detected a knock-on. But St John's were very much on the attack. They were over the line, but held up.
Time was up when St John's knocked on and Parktown passed to their eighthman Ethan Frasca in his own 22. He sidestepped one and ran. On his 10-metre line he sent a perfect pass to flying wing Nthlane who sped down the touch and round to the posts for the try that won the match. Anderson converted and the final whistle went.
31-25, after a thrilling second half.
Scorers:
For Parktown:
Tries: Nthlane 2, Van Huysteen, Mbasa
Cons: Anderson 4
Pen: Anderson
For St John's:
Tries: Kilbourn 2, Sibiya
Cons: Houlston 2
Pens: Houlston 2
Teams
St John's: 15 Francois Joubert, 14 Joseph Kamangu, 13 Bongani Molale, 12 Quintus Kilbourn, 11 Herman Lubega, 10 Kieran Houlston, 9 Wim Burger, 8 Julian Zille, 7 Nicholas Cambanis, 6 Phillip Mparutsa, 5 David McAlpine, 4 Conor Woodward, 3 William Kumwenda, 2 Sibiya Sibiya (captain), 1 Damien Henwood
Replacements: 16 Brayden Loxton, 17 Henri van der Walt, 18 James Braham , 19 Nicholas Ives, 20 Ronan Grobler, 21 Callum McCormack, 22 Lex Slabbert, 23 Gabriel Kritzinger
Parktown: 15 Darron Solomon, 14 Junior Nthlane, 13 Thando Mabasa, 12 Tyler Murray, 11 Tambwe Madosha, 10 Ethan Anderson, 9 Matthew Van Huysteen, 8 Ethan Frasca, 7 Jonathan Stafford, 6 Lesiba Molopa, 5 Che Carpede, 4 Warrick Lang, 3 Liam Clay, 2 Darnell Osuagwu, 1 Nkosikhona Masuku
Replacements: 16 Makasizwe Hlatshwayo, 17 Refilwe Pooe, 18 Neo Bosman, 19 Patrick Ndebele, 20 Christopher Seymour, 21 Wonga Matubtuba, 22 Cole Rock, 23 Ronald Tselane
Referee: Renier Vermeulen (Golden Lions Referees' Society)
