Magau excels with four tries in Graeme thriller against Bishops

Graeme College delivered one of the standout performances of the St John’s Easter Rugby Festival as they powered their way to a memorable 39-26 victory over Bishops, inspired by a sensational four-try display from fullback Lucritia Magau.

In a high-tempo encounter, Graeme showed both attacking flair and resilience, with captain Erin Nelson directing play superbly from midfield.

The Makhanda side looked dangerous throughout, but it was Magau who proved the decisive figure, repeatedly carving through the Bishops’ defence.

Eastern Cape schoolboy rugby teams will once again take centre stage during the annual Easter festival circuit, with several sides travelling across the country to test themselves against top opposition in a series of high-profile fixtures. At the Pretoria Boys’ High 125th festival in Pretoria, Grey High and Selborne College will fly the provincial flag in a demanding programme. Grey High open their campaign against Parktown on Saturday before facing the formidable Affies outfit on Monday, a clash that traditionally provides a stern benchmark for any side. With their structured approach and physical pack, Grey will be eager to measure their progress against one of the country’s powerhouses. Selborne, meanwhile, come up against Rondebosch on Saturday in what should be a fast-paced encounter, before taking on Parktown. Known for their flair and attacking intent, the East London outfit will look to impose their tempo and make a strong early-season statement. In Durban, Framesby are set for a busy schedule at the prestigious Kearsney Festival. They begin on Thursday against Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse Boys’ High, offering a different challenge against SA’s neighbouring opposition. The Gqeberha team then tackle Glenwood, one of KwaZulu-Natal’s traditional rugby strongholds, before wrapping up against Helpmekaar, another tough outfit, on Monday. With three matches in quick succession, squad depth and conditioning will be crucial, but Framesby’s reputation for physicality and discipline should stand them in good stead. The KES Festival in Johannesburg features a strong Eastern Cape contingent, with Hudson Park, Pearson, Marlow, St Andrew’s, Queen’s and Dale College all in action. Hudson Park face Worcester Gymnasium before taking on Eldoraigne, two fixtures that will test their defensive organisation and ability to adapt. Pearson meet Eldoraigne first and then Cranbrook, providing an opportunity for the Gqeberha side to showcase their development against varied opposition. Marlow, known for their forward-oriented game, will come up against Northwood and later Noordheuwel, where their set-piece strength could prove decisive. St Andrew’s play the feature match against hosts KES on the Saturday, while Queen’s will be well tested by Noordheuwel. Dale, one of the Eastern Cape’s proud rugby nurseries, tackle Cranbrook and Worcester Gymnasium, fixtures that should offer a balance between physical confrontation and open play. At the St John’s Festival, also in Johannesburg, Graeme College and Kingswood College will represent the province. Graeme open against St Benedict’s before a marquee clash with Bishops, a match that traditionally delivers high-quality rugby. Kingswood, meanwhile, face St David’s and Monument, two sides known for their structured and disciplined approach. Across all four festivals, the Eastern Cape teams will be eager not only to secure results but also to build combinations and momentum for the season ahead. These fixtures provide invaluable exposure to different playing styles and high-pressure environments, allowing coaches to assess depth and refine strategies. With a proud rugby heritage in the region, expectations will be high that the Eastern Cape representatives can make a strong impression. If early-season preparation is anything to go by, they have the talent and determination to do just that on one of school rugby’s biggest stages. Provisional Easter Festival fixtures: Pretoria Boys’ High in Pretoria April 4: 9am: Grey High v Parktown; 10.30: Rondebosch v Selborne April 6: 9am: Selborne v Parktown; 12.00: Grey High v Affies Kearsney Festival in Durban April 2: 9.20: Framesby v Peterhouse Boys’ High (Zimbabwe) April 4: 1pm: Framesby v Glenwood April 6: 8am: Helpmekaar v Framesby KES Festival in Johannesburg April 4: Hudson Park v Worcester Gym, Eldoraigne v Pearson, Northwood v Marlow, Dale v Cranbrook, Noordheuwel v Queen’s, KES v St Andrew’s College April 6: Eldoraigne v Hudson Park, Dale v Worcester Gym, Pearson v Cranbrook, Marlow v Noordheuwel, Northwood v St Andrew’s College, KES v Queen’s St John’s Festival in Johannesburg April 2: St Benedict’s v Graeme, Kingswood v St David’s April 4: Graeme v Bishops, Kingswood v Monument

The match reached a dramatic climax in the closing stages. With Graeme leading 34-26 and Bishops mounting sustained pressure in search of a late comeback, the outcome hung in the balance.

Bishops’ ability to retain possession and build phases suggested they could snatch victory.

However, Graeme’s defence held firm at a critical moment when a forward managed to rip the ball free.

The loose ball bounced kindly, and within seconds it was in Magau’s hands. From inside his own 22, the electric fullback set off on a stunning 80-metre run, weaving through defenders before diving over in the corner to seal a famous win and complete his fourth try of the match.

Other tries came from the potent Nelson, who burst past defenders in midfield, and alert scrumhalf Luke Doyle from an interception. Nelson added three conversions and a penalty.

The annual Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival is set to deliver another feast of schoolboy rugby, with the Kolisi Field being the centre of attraction when leading teams from across the country gather in Gqeberha from April 25 to 27. Hosted by Grey High, the festival has built a reputation as one of the premier tournaments in the country, offering a valuable yardstick for teams with ambitions of national prominence. This year’s programme features a strong line-up of traditional rugby schools, with fixtures spread across Kolisi Field, Pollock Oval and the Crusaders ground. However, as always, much of the spotlight will fall on the hosts, Grey High School, who face two high-quality opponents in what promises to be a revealing weekend for the Eastern Cape giants. Grey High open their campaign on April 25 with a marquee clash against Michaelhouse at 3.25pm on Kolisi Field. It is a fixture that traditionally produces high-intensity rugby, with both schools known for their physicality and structured play. For Grey, the encounter offers an opportunity to test themselves against one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most respected rugby institutions. Two days later, the hosts return to the same field for another headline fixture, this time against Pretoria Boys’ High School. The 3.25pm kick-off on April 27 is expected to be one of the standout matches of the festival, pitting Grey’s disciplined, forward-driven approach against a Pretoria Boys’ side renowned for its tactical awareness and attacking flair. With both teams retaining a massive rugby culture, this clash could provide a vivid reminder of their match in Pretoria last year, which Grey won after a tough battle. Beyond Grey’s fixtures, the festival boasts a compelling schedule. Matches such as SACS against Selborne College and Glenwood versus Rondebosch are expected to draw significant interest, while traditional Eastern Cape rivals Graeme College and Kingswood College will also be eager to make their mark. The inclusion of teams such as Framesby, Kearsney College and St Stithians ensures a diverse mix of playing styles, adding to the festival’s appeal as a true national gathering of schoolboy rugby talent. For Grey High, the festival is about more than just results. It is an opportunity to continue a festival that has stood the test of time in the face of emerging tournaments over the last three decades. Playing on Kolisi Field, named in honour of Siya Kolisi, adds further significance, reminding players of the proud rugby heritage associated with the school and the region. With two demanding fixtures against top-tier opposition, Grey High’s performances will be closely scrutinised. Strong showings will crucial for them to underline the success of their rugby programme, while any shortcomings will mean it is back to the drawing board. The first team fixtures are: April 25 Kolisi Field: 9.10: Kingswood v St Charles; 10.25: Graeme v Kearsney; 11.45: Parel Vallei v Framesby; 12.55: SACS v Selborne; 14.05: Glenwood v Rondebosch; 3.25: Grey High v Michaelhouse Pollock Oval: 10.25: Daniel Pienaar v Hudson Park; 11.45: St Stithians v Drostdy; 2.05: Dale v Pearson; 3.25: Muir v Mzwandile Mali XV April 27 Kolisi Field: 8am: Pearson v Drostdy; 9.10: Kingswood v St Stithians; 10.25: SACS v Kearsney; 11.45: St Andrew’s v Michaelhouse; 12.55: Glenwood v Selborne; 14.05: KES v Rondebosch; 3.25: Grey High v Pretoria Boys’ Pollock Oval 11.45: Graeme v St Charles; 2.05: Mzwandile Mali XV v Grey Unicorns; 3.25: Muir v Dale Crusaders: 9.10: Parel Vallei v Hudson Park.

Earlier in the festival, Kingswood College recovered from a slow start to overpower St David’s Marist 40-5. After a tentative opening, Kingswood found their rhythm and ran in six tries in a commanding display.

Kungawo Badli produced the moment of the match with a scintillating long-range effort, sprinting more than half the length of the field for his try. The Mackenzie twins, Josh and James, also played influential roles, with James finishing off a clever attacking move that caught the opposition defence off guard.

Additional tries came from Junior Ndlazi, Sithenkosi Qabaka, Ross Thompson and Ryan O’Sullivan, while Christopher Zimmerman was reliable with the boot, adding five conversions.

Graeme College and Marlow delivered a gripping finale to another highly successful Wildeklawer Graeme Rugby Festival in Makhanda on Saturday, with the hosts securing a thrilling 42-28 victory. In scoring six tries, the Graemians were able to use their potent backs to blunt a powerful forward performance by Marlow, who threatened to take complete control up front as they repeatedly pushed the home team back to their line. This enabled them to power over for three tries in the first half from AJ Raubenheimer, CJ Botha and AC du Toit, but Graeme showed dynamic running from the backline for fullback Lucritia Magau to cross for a hat-trick of tries. His first effort came from a clever chip ahead by scrumhalf Luke Doyle, enabling the Graeme No 15 to speed past the Marlow defenders to gather and crash over. With centre Erin Nelson on song with the boot – he slotted all six conversions – the Graemians would have breathed a sigh of relief when they went into halftime level-pegging at 21-21. The period soon after the restart proved crucial to the final outcome as Graeme began to come to terms with Marlow’s mauls, holding them up and also stealing the ball from time to time. This robbed the Cradock team of their early effectiveness, while Graeme continued to look dangerous on attack. A prolonged period deep in Marlow bore fruit when Doyle slipped the ball to flank Iviwe Mshubeki, who burst through for a try under the poles. That was followed by arguably the try of the festival. Getting the ball around his own 22, Doyle unleashed the backs and the final pass put Magau in the clear as he used his pace to sprint 60 metres for another try under the posts. That made it 35-21, but Marlow wing Jurgens van Staden kept the home supporters on the edge of their seats when he slipped the past the Graeme defence with little space to work in along the touchline for an outstanding try, closing the gap to seven points. However, Graeme were not about to let this one go. From another scrum inside the Marlow 22, they worked the ball to the right and Magau went over in a tangle of bodies in the righthand corner for his hat-trick and the score which made the game safe for the hosts with two minutes left. In another exciting finish, Stirling had to settle for a draw with Daniel Pienaar by the closest of margins after an attempt to win the match with a conversion after the hooter had gone saw the ball hit the left upright and bounce back to the field of play. That made it 24-24 as the referee blew the final whistle. The Kariega team will be frustrated at letting this victory slip because they led 24-19 with just seven minutes remaining. They had a chance to exit their territory with a kick downfield, but were ruled offside and from the ensuing penalty, Stirling grabbed their chance to level the scores with a try by Salusiwe Madalane, only to be denied by the upright. Earlier, Muir showed good intent to outduel Gqeberha rivals Otto du Plessis 26-19, crossing for four tries, while Port Alfred also had to work hard for their 17-12 win over Ndzondelelo.

Graeme College began their impressive run with a dominant performance against St Benedict’s, running in 10 tries in a one-sided contest.

Their dangerous backline once again took centre stage, with Nelson, Magau and scrumhalf Doyle combining effectively and accounting for the majority of the tries.

Further scores were added by lock Andrew Muir and Hunta van Zyl, while Nelson contributed five conversions and Doyle chipped in with one.

Kingswood, meanwhile, were involved in a hard-fought clash against Monument but ultimately fell short, going down 43-27 despite a spirited effort.

The Herald