Grey’s power up front drives them to win over St Andrew’s

Grey High and Kingswood College produced commanding all-round performances to secure solid victories over St Andrew’s College and Port Rex respectively in school rugby matches held in Makhanda at the weekend.

Both teams were coming off disappointing losses – Grey to Wynberg and Kingswood to Hudson Park – and will be pleased with the resilience they showed in securing victory.

St Andrew’s College gave their supporters plenty to cheer about when they won their first schools rugby match of the season with a solid 33-27 result over Cradock rivals Marlow Agricultural in Makhanda on Saturday. It was a typically bruising affair against a team who never go down without a fight, but eventually the home team had built up enough of a lead to hold their tenacious opponents at bay. No 8 James Badenhorst was the standout player for St Andrew’s, crossing for two tries and being a constant threat to the Marlow defence with his surging runs. Big lock Josh van Zyl was also a factor when St Andrew’s built up momentum and one of his drives upfield saw flyhalf Luke Chorley cross for a crucial score in the second half. That match was on a knife’s edge at that stage, with St Andrew’s enjoying a narrow 21-20 lead with 15 minutes left. Chorley’s try gave them some breathing space and then Van Zyl charged over for another score that restored their lead to a more comfortable 33-20 margin with just more than 10 minutes left. Though the persistent Marlow team continued to press and scored one more try by JG de Lange, St Andrew’s had done enough to plant the seeds of a possible revival to their season. Earlier St Andrew’s took the lead with a converted try by Ross Faber and Badenhorst’s first try, and the accurate boot of Will Stephens put them 14-10 ahead at the break. Though Marlow hit back with tries by centre Matthew Lieberum before halftime and hooker Herman le Roux after the break, their lead at 17-14 was short-lived. The home team bounced back through Badenhorst and then came the tries from Chorley and Van Zyl to put St Andrew’s in the driving seat, despite the late riposte from Marlow. Across town on the Marais Field at Graeme College, the home side underlined all the quality of their attacking play among backs and forwards as they brushed aside the Cambridge challenge for a 66-0 halftime lead and a final score of 90-21. Typically, fullback Lucritia Magau was in the thick of things with a hat-trick of tries, and towering wing Asakhe Ranuga and hooker Athi Manyati both went over twice. There was never any way back for the visitors after that punishing first half, but accolades, though, must go to Cambridge, who showed enormous resolve after the break to score three tries to nearly match their opponents in that period. In KuGompo City, Port Rex registered a solid 31-19 win over Ooskus Gymnasium, while the following matches were cancelled or postponed due to the heavy rain which fell in the region last week: Hudson Park vs Kingswood, Grey High vs Queen’s, Nico Malan vs Pearson, Muir vs Union High.

In their clash on the Lower Field at St Andrew’s, Grey again showed a high-quality work-rate among their forwards as they kept the home side under persistent pressure when they were close to the line, paving the way for a 42-22 victory.

The Gqeberha visitors laid down a marker early on, with flank Sibonelo Stuurman crossing for his first try after only a couple of minutes, and they never relinquished their grip on the proceedings, despite the best efforts of St Andrew’s, well led by skipper Sivatho Mjali.

Not even two yellow cards at one stage could derail Grey’s march to victory, although St Andrew’s did score one of their four tries in that period to make sure the game was interestingly poised at 14-7 to Grey at halftime.

Grey High used the cohesion of their pack to grind out a tough 34-12 win over Glenwood in difficult conditions on the second and final day of the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival on the Kolisi Field in Gqeberha on Monday. With a powerful westerly wind blowing down the field, neither side were able to produce the sort of running rugby for which they are known and, in the end, it was the home side who managed the conditions better as they transformed a 17-5 halftime lead into the final victory. After scoring three tries in the first half, they were able to starve their KwaZulu-Natal rivals of possession in the second period, when the visitors had the wind at their backs and a chance to dominate the territory stakes. Instead, Grey employed a strong driving maul to send over Adam Fourie and Christopher Vosloo late in the game to put the final nails in the Glenwood coffin. Earlier in the half, scrumhalf Ryan Swarbrick delivered the Durban side a big blow when he took the ball from a maul about 20 metres out and darted through a gap to beat the cover defence for a brilliant try. That made it 22-5 and though fullback Rosco Williams crossed for a wonderful effort after a breakout from the halfway line, Glenwood could not penetrate the solid Grey defence easily. In the first half, flank Cole Bennett scored twice and wing Noah Mbizi once, all through driving mauls. Earlier, in one of the comebacks of the day, SACS sent shockwaves through the Kearsney camp to snatch victory with three tries late in the game. The KwaZulu-Natal side looked to have things under control when they led 27-14 going into the final quarter. But SACS had the strong wind at their backs and by keeping Kearsney deep in their own half they managed to force their way over for two tries to reshape the game as they edged into a one-point lead. For good measure, they added one more try to finish the match 33-27 ahead, leaving Kearsney to ponder what might have been at this festival after they lost to Graeme College by two points on Saturday. The Graemians and Parel Vallei finished the festival on a high with wins over St Charles College and Hudson Park respectively. Playing into the stiff breeze, Graeme were outstanding in the first half, led by elusive centre and captain Erin Nelson, as they piled on 29 points by the break, with St Charles scoring just one try. Nelson produced the try of the game as he showed why it is so dangerous to give him a hint of space, sprinting 50 metres to cross the whitewash. Other tries came from Selunathi Mfundisi, Luke Doyle and Asakhe Ranuga, while St Charles scored through Bongi Nkosi. Graeme did not maintain the same momentum after the break and St Charles came back with two good tries before the Makhanda team found some control again near the end to cross for two more tries to make it a decisive win. Parel Vallei got ahead against Hudson Park and stayed there to win 28-15, while Kingswood turned on the power to outgun St Stithians 38-20. Michaelhouse bounced back from their loss to Grey High to defeat St Andrew’s 41-5 and Drostdy had too much class for Selborne, winning 67-12. In the final match of the festival, Rondebosch beat KES 29-12. Day two results: Pearson 57 Mzwandile Mali XV 12 Kingswood 38 St Stithians 20 Parel Vallei 28 Hudson Park 15 SACS 33 Kearsney 27 Graeme 43 St Charles 17 Michaelhouse 41 St Andrew’s 5 Drostdy 67 Selborne 12 Grey High 34 Glenwood 12 Rondebosch 29 KES 12 Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

Hardworking St Andrew’s prop Mark Ewing was the scorer of that try and later in the second half he repeated that with another determined effort as he barged over for a second time.

That took the score to 21-12 – hooker Micah Wessels had crossed for Grey – but every time the home team got points on the board, Grey managed to find an answer with a scoring riposte of their own.

This time it was big lock Jean Nel who crashed over as Grey showed patience with their constant driving from mauls close to the St Andrew’s line. The pressure was relentless and St Andrew’s found it difficult to counter the threat.

Grey High withstood a ferocious onslaught from an organised and slick Michaelhouse outfit to secure a 28-19 victory on the opening day of the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival on the Kolisi Field in Gqeberha on Saturday. The hosts trailed 19-15 at halftime but turned the match around after the break, dominating in the scrums, keeping their opponents scoreless in the second half and adding a converted try and two penalties to their tally. It brought to a conclusion an exciting day of schools rugby on the Kolisi Field and Pollock Oval, in which one of the highlights was a pulsating encounter between Graeme College and Kearsney, won 35-33 by the Graemians. Michaelhouse showed they meant business from the outset and clever tactical variations saw them cross for three tries in the first half through hooker Max Oliva, wing Laird Hamilton-Brown and flyhalf Jack Carmody. Carmody added two conversions but despite those impressive efforts, they were unable to pull away from the hosts, who were highly effective when they used their forwards in a series of drives near the Michaelhouse line. This enabled prop Juan Potgieter and Blake Parker to cross over, with flyhalf Nathan Trytsman adding a conversion and a penalty. After Trytsman added a second penalty early in the second half to bring them to within one point, Grey captain and centre Ciaran Killian scored arguably the try of the match. A smart backline move saw him cut through into space from 35 metres out, and although the Michaelhouse defence scrambled bravely, he was able to plant the ball over the whitewash as the home side took the lead for the first time, 25-19. Then came a crucial period of the game when Michaelhouse camped on the Grey line for several minutes, sending in wave after wave of attackers. Each time the home defence stood firm and eventually, when the visitors tried to spread it wide, they lost possession and Grey were able to counter-attack with a surge upfield. It almost resulted in a try at the other end, but Grey infringed and Michaelhouse were able to breathe again. From then, Grey controlled most of the play, winning several penalties from scrums, which kept Michaelhouse pinned in their half. From one of these, the hosts decided to kick for goal with two minutes to go and Likhona Nakani struck a superb penalty to virtually seal the victory. In an earlier game, Graeme and Kearsney showed plenty of adventure and skill as they battled constantly for supremacy in an encounter where the result hinged on the final kick of the match. Thanks to the deadly boot of skipper Erin Nelson, who slotted five conversions and also scored a try, Graeme led 35-33 with less than a minute remaining. A failed drop goal attempt saw Graeme take a 22-metre dropout, but one of their players infringed when he tackled a Kearsney player in the air. Flyhalf Daniel Miskey had kicked well all afternoon and although it wasn’t a straightforward opportunity, a shot at goal was well within his range. Unfortunately for his team, he pulled it just left and the referee blew the final whistle soon afterwards. In a thrilling start to the action on the Kolisi Field, Kingswood kept St Charles College at bay to win 22-19, being forced to hold on for victory in the dying moments. Leading 22-12, Kingswood conceded a try with three minutes to go when Bonga Nkosi barged his way over and the successful conversion gave them a chance to snatch the game out of the fire. They went immediately back onto the attack, but this time Kingswood were able to organise their defence properly and eventually turned over possession to win a scrum and kick the ball over the deadball line. Framesby had a good first half against Parel Vallei, leading 14-10 at the break, but then fell away completely to concede six tries in the second half as the Somerset West school romped to a 50-14 victory. Selborne and SACS had a humdinger, but the Cape Town side had just enough gas in the tank to register a 34-26 win, while Dale scored two intercept tries by scrumhalf Lukho Mzingaye to sink Pearson’s hopes 32-17. Down 32-5 at one stage, Pearson came back well in the latter stages, but the gap was too big, and they were left reflecting afterwards on what could have been had they not conceded those 14 points. The first team results on the opening day were: Kingswood 22 St Charles College 19 Graeme College 35 Kearsney 33 Daniel Pienaar 34 Hudson Park 34 Parel Vallei 50 Framesby 14 Drostdy 74 St Stithians 0 SACS 34 Selborne 26 Dale 32 Pearson 17 Rondebosch 42 Glenwood 22 Grey High 28 Michaelhouse 19 Monday’s first team fixtures are: Kolisi Field 8am: Pearson v Mzwandile Mali XV, 9.10: Kingswood v St Stithians; 10.25: SACS v Kearsney; 11.45: St Andrew’s v Michaelhouse; 12.55: Drostdy v Selborne; 14.05: Grey High v Glenwood; 15.25: Rondebosch v KES Pollock Oval 9.10: Parel Vallei v Hudson Park; 11.45: Graeme v St Charles; 15.25: Muir v Dale Note: A late change to the fixtures sees Pearson playing Mzwandile Mali XV at 8am, Selborne v Drostdy at 12.55, and Grey High against Glenwood at 14.05 on the Kolisi Field. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

The Andreans were always in the hunt, though, and tries by Avu Bangazi and Josh van Zyl kept their fans interested, but Grey were able to hit back on a regular basis and further pressure from the maul saw Stuurman and Blake Parker add two more tries to take them out to a comfortable margin.

Back at flyhalf after injury, Nathan Trytsman assisted the Grey cause by slotting six conversions, while St Andrew’s star Will Stevens lacked his usual accuracy, kicking only one of four conversions and also missing a penalty.

Selborne College rose to the occasion where it mattered most – on the field of play – to register a notable win over the previously unbeaten Graeme College in a cracking encounter in East London on Saturday. It was a game which was typical of the outstanding school derbies in the Eastern Cape, with each side having their moments, and a score of 19-19 with 20 minutes to go, before Selborne finally pulled away to win 34-26. With lock Travis Enslin and centre Iviwe Kabale the standout players for Selborne, the home side put Graeme under sustained pressure from the start, and this allowed them to build a handy 12-0 lead through two tries. But Graeme showed why they are so highly rated this season, particularly when they are on the attack. With No 9 Luke Doyle calling the shots from the base of the scrum, and fullback Lucritia Magau a constant menace at the back, they bounced back with three tries to go ahead 19-12. It was then that the Selborne side showed their character by levelling the score, and although Graeme scored once more, the East London side capitalised on their chances to kick a penalty and score their fifth try to complete a week which will be remembered for many different reasons. Selborne’s tries came from Sabelo Vuso (2), Enslin, Kabale and Reece Rasmussen, with Riley Hansel kicking three conversions and a penalty. Tries for Graeme came from Doyle (2), Asakhe Ranuga and Lucritia Magau, with Erin Nelson kicking three conversions. Meanwhile in Gqeberha, Paul Roos Gym held off a spirited fightback from Grey High to triumph 28-15 in their King Price Derby Series clash on the Kolisi field. After leading 14-0 at halftime and then 21-5 six minutes into the second half, the visitors saw Grey fight back to within six points of their tally before they used their forwards to rumble upfield and eventually pulled away late in the game for a deserved victory. Grey were guilty of some defensive lapses in the first half and a burst of two tries by big centre Jean Hamman, who fought his way through several defenders to the line, and speedy wing Cadynn Samuels saw them shoot into a 14-0 lead after 13 minutes. Samuels took his chance when Grey failed to manage a kick ahead by scrumhalf Tristan Armitage, and the ball bounced kindly for the left wing as he outpaced the Grey defence in 50-metre dash for the line. Kyle Snyers was on song with his boot for Paul Roos in windy conditions, slotting both conversions. Grey High got onto the board in the 40th minute when a series of drives from the forwards saw prop Daniel Naude go over for a try. That was quickly cancelled out as No 8 Werner du Bruin got onto the end of a pass from a quick tap close to the Grey line, and there was no stopping him for the visitors’ third try. Then came Grey’s brightest period of the match. This time it was Paul Roos who made a basic error with a dropped pass, which saw wing Sikhu Xego snap up possession near the halfway mark to race to the tryline. That was followed 10 minutes later by an excellent backline move as Grey quickly moved the ball through the hands and right wing Noah Mbizi used nifty footwork to evade a few defenders for their third try. A scoreline of 21-15 with 19 minutes left had made it interesting, but Paul Roos quickly tightened things up. Although they missed a penalty, they took control through their forwards, and a 25-metre maul from the halfway line underpinned their intentions. They managed to stay in the right areas of the field, and the constant pressure eventually told when flank Christian le Roux burst over for their final try, converted by Snyers to complete the scoring. Daily Dispatch

Kingswood, meanwhile, had too many attacking weapons for Port Rex, who were coming off a heavy midweek loss to Selborne College in KuGompo City.

The visitors could not keep pace with the Kingswood attack and the Makhanda side ran in several well-worked tries on the way to a 66-7 victory.

The Herald