Framesby hit back with narrow win over Glenwood

The first match of Saturday afternoon at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival was, for Framesby, all about redemption after they were run off their feet by Westville Boys’ High on Thursday.

For Glenwood, beaten by Helpmekaar in their opener, it was a chance to make their many local supporters happy.

From the opening whistle, one could sense greater urgency in Framesby’s approach, but the Green Machine was uncompromising, and that made for a good, hard-hitting contest.

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

Both sides showed their willingness to run the ball, and both showed equal enthusiasm for closing down space as quickly as possible, reflected in the final margin as Framesby eked out a 15-14 victory.

Miles Feltham, who controlled the game confidently from flyhalf for Framesby, opened the scoring with a cleanly struck penalty kick in the seventh minute. There was no evidence of the team that had folded under pressure in their opener. The Gqeberha school was up for the challenge.

Midway through the first half, a break on the blind side, and a delicious grubber off the outside of his boot by outside centre Reon Saaiman put left wing Jaco George into acres of space.

He gratefully gathered possession and went over for the first try of the match to make it 8-0.

Framesby continued to press hard, but Glenwood defended dourly, uncompromising in the face of the Eastern Cape side’s probing.

The Eastern Cape contingent endured a challenging opening to the prestigious NMI Toyota North-South Rugby Tournament at Affies in Pretoria on Friday, with both Framesby and Nico Malan tested against strong opposition from across the country. Framesby’s campaign opened against Nelspruit High, who ran in five tries as they eventually outlasted their Gqebera opponents 29-14. Coming into the tournament, Framesby had already been earmarked as a side capable of competing physically, but consistency remained a focal point. Their fixture required adaptability, particularly against Highveld teams who traditionally bring a structured, forward-dominated approach. The Gqeberha outfit showed resilience in patches, especially in contact and defensive organisation, but were forced to absorb sustained pressure for long periods. The step up in intensity from local Eastern Cape fixtures to the North-South stage was evident. Framesby’s ability to stay in the contest often hinged on their defensive discipline and breakdown work, with turnovers and slowing opposition ball proving crucial in keeping matches competitive. However, converting opportunities into points remained a challenge against well-drilled defensive systems. They did cross the line for tries by Zandre Schnetler and Reon Saaiman, with Miles Feltham adding two conversions. For Nico Malan, the tournament presented an equally steep learning curve, but they showed great spirit in a high-scoring match with Welkom Gymnasium, a side known for its structured play and physical forwards. This fixture underlined the difference in tempo and execution required at elite schoolboy level, with Nico Malan forced to defend for extended phases. While Nico Malan showed commendable attacking intent when in possession — they led 33-21 at halftime — they could not sustain that performance, finally going down 54-43, Despite the results not necessarily reflecting it, Nico Malan displayed notable fighting spirit. Their willingness to run the ball and challenge wider channels created moments of promise, but accuracy in key areas — particularly at set-piece and breakdown — proved decisive factors. Nico Malan scored tries through Janu Janse van Rensburg (2), Callie de Lange, Lleyton Minnie, Erich van Zyl, Kian van Schalkwyk and Liviwe Nelani. Masood Knowlden added four conversions. —additional reporting by SuperSportschools.com

With time up in the first half, Feltham had another crack from a penalty, just inside the Glenwood 10-metre line, but his kick was wide to the left.

The Green Machine finally made it onto the scoreboard within three minutes of the restart, thanks to fullback Rosco Williams.

He fielded a long clearance kick, cruised past the chasing Framesby players around halfway, with an inside break, then drew the last defender before releasing Lebohang Skosana to score. Vincenzo Loutz knocked over the conversion, and only one point separated the teams.

The try appeared to imbue Glenwood with confidence, and a break by inside centre Jakub Bednar resulted in Andile Mbokazi going over, which was just reward for the hard-working No 6.

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.

Another Loutz conversion gave the Durban boys the lead for the first time at 14-8.

Glenwood hooker Tyler Leon had the crowd on their feet when he charged clear, covering half the length of the field, but he was held up over the try line by a splendid and desperate tackle.

Having escaped a potential hammer blow, Framesby worked their way up the field, and prop Handré Schnetler powered over from a quickly taken penalty to reduce the deficit to one point.

Feltham slotted the conversion, and with that the Gqeberha side led 15-14.

When Glenwood was awarded a penalty with eight minutes left, 44 metres out, but dead in front of the posts, Loutz had the distance but not the accuracy, and Framesby maintained their narrow lead.

As time expired, the Green Machine launched a late attack, which eventually won them a penalty in a similar position to the one from which Loutz had missed a short while earlier. This time, his effort was slightly short and to the left, and Framesby heartily celebrated a morale-boosting win.

The Walter Sisulu University All Blacks proceeded to the Varsity Shield final for the first time since 2021 after they defeated UWC 42-32 in their semifinal at Sisa Dukashe Stadium on Friday afternoon. This will be the All Blacks third final since 2018 and they will play Wits in next week’s final in Johannesburg. Wits beat the Madibaz in the other semifinal, later on Friday. The last time the WSU and Wits clashed was in round one of the competition where they drew 27-27 at the Sisa Dukashe. Wits will host the final because they finished number one on the log standing followed by WSU All Blacks. The halftime score was 17-16 underlining the tightness of the game in Mdantsane. The All Blacks tries in the first half came through a brace from winger Ahlule Zokoza. All Blacks head coach Thembani Mkokeli’s charges managed 25 points in the second half to walk away with the win. The second half scores included a penalty try from a push over scrum, a lightning dot down by captain Lukhangele Tshayi and a rolling maul score at the end. Click here to join the Daily Dispatch’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered straight to your phone. Daily Dispatch

In Thursday’s match, Westville showed intent early in their clash against Framesby when the jet-shoed Avumile Lisa sped clear for a long-range try to put the Griffins up 5-0 within the first few minutes.

It was the start of an astonishing performance from the local side. Unbeaten at the festival in 2025, Westville were full of running and quickly began punching holes in the Gqeberha side’s defensive line.

After a tight first half, Westville let loose. Framesby couldn’t hang with their speed, precision and execution, and ultimately saw the game taken away from them at 83-0.

The Herald