PHOTO: KES FACEBOOK
This past weekend saw school rugby at its finest, with teams delivering dramatic finishes, dominant victories, and intense physical battles across South Africa. Here’s a breakdown of some of the biggest clashes from the schoolboy rugby scene.
Muller Magic: Paarl Gim beat Stellenberg in Dominant Display
Paarl Gim showcased their class and tactical precision with a commanding 39-17 victory over a promising Stellenberg side on home turf. In a game defined by power, precision, and standout individual performances, outside centre Markus Muller stole the show with a stunning four-try performance, including a hat trick before halftime.
The Gimmies wasted no time asserting dominance, scoring in the 5th minute through a well-structured rolling maul. In a tactical twist, it was not a forward but Muller a 13 who steered the drive from the back, crashing over for the first of his four tries.
The hosts doubled down just two minutes later, when fullback Badenhorst ignited a barnstorming run, forcing Stellenberg into a penalty. Gim, true to their attacking intent, kicked to the corner, setting up Muller’s second try, coolly converted.
Stellenberg showed their intent through their highly skilled flyhalf, Ethan van Biljon, whose pinpoint up-and-under in the 11th minute tested the Paarl Gim defense. The response from Gim was swift, as their tighthead prop bulldozed his way over after a sequence of well-constructed phases.
Just when it seemed like Paarl Gim would run away with the game, Stellenberg struck back. Van Biljon slotted a penalty (19th min) before a moment of ingenuity changed the momentum: a tap penalty caught Gim off guard, and left wing Keagen Moses dived over in the corner (25th min).
However, Paarl Gim’s defensive pressure proved too much. After turning over possession, Gim pounced on a Stellenberg mistake, forcing a chargedown that led to Muller’s third try. At halftime, Gim held a 22-17 lead, but Stellenberg had shown flashes of brilliance that hinted at a bright future.
The Gimmies wasted little time after the break, turning early pressure into points. A tap penalty in the 45th minute saw loosehead Cillie rampage towards the line, only to be stopped inches short. With the defense stretched, scrumhalf Burden dummied and darted over, extending the lead to 29-17.
Muller wasn’t done yet. In the 48th minute, Stellenberg looked to mount an attack, but the Paarl Gim centre read the play perfectly, intercepting a pass and racing away for his fourth try, an absolute gut punch for the visitors.
The 55th minute produced another moment of brilliance, winger Saunders launched a chip-and-chase, only for the ball to take an awkward bounce over multiple players before landing in the safe hands of Quintin Potgieter, the massive 8th man who powered over to seal the deal.
The final moments saw a gritty battle between two well-drilled sides, but Gim’s structure and discipline proved too much for a spirited yet youthful Stellenberg outfit.
Grey College’s Second-Half Blitz Stuns Oakdale
Grey College once again proved why they are a force to be reckoned with in school rugby, overturning a halftime deficit to defeat Oakdale 25-10 in Bloemfontein.
The visitors imposed themselves early, with their powerful forwards dictating the pace and forcing Grey onto the back foot. Oakdale’s fullback Reinhardt Viljoen sliced through the defense for a well-taken try, and flyhalf CT Vosloo added a conversion and a penalty to give his side a 10-8 lead at the break.
However, the second half saw Grey College shift into another gear. Hooker Tian Fourie muscled over from a rolling maul, while Toriq Schambreel capitalized on a charge-down to extend their advantage. The final dagger came when Lamla Mgedezi finished off a sweeping counter-attack to seal the win.
Affies Crush Helpmekaar in Statement Win
Affies delivered a dominant second-half performance to power past Helpmekaar, securing an emphatic 40-8 victory in Pretoria.
Despite a slow start, Affies’ pack took control, setting a formidable platform for their backs to attack with freedom. Flanker Lohan Potgieter and prop Deon Botes each crossed the whitewash twice, while lock Christiaan de Wet added a spectacular long-range effort.
Helpmekaar showed moments of resilience, particularly through their scrummaging and physical presence at the breakdown, but Affies’ relentless pace and precision proved too much.
Northwood Snatches Last-Second Win Over Michaelhouse
In one of the most dramatic finishes of the weekend, Northwood stunned Michaelhouse with a last-second penalty to claim a narrow 15-13 win.
Michaelhouse started strong, dominating territory and possession. Scrumhalf Dan Aissing caught Northwood off guard with a quick-tap try, while flyhalf Stefan Moolman added two penalties to establish a lead.
Northwood clawed back through fullback Trevor van Vollenstee, who latched onto a perfectly weighted grubber to score before halftime. In the dying moments, after a tense battle in the opposition’s 22, Van Vollenstee stepped up to slot a long-range penalty, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Jeppe Edge Out Pretoria Boys in Hard-Fought Battle
Despite a resolute defensive performance from Pretoria Boys High School, Jeppe High School for Boys secured a 27-18 victory at Collard Field in Johannesburg. Pretoria Boys, held firm against Jeppe’s attacking threats, forcing errors and making key stops near their try line. However, Jeppe capitalized on two lapses in concentration, with Lagan Leisher and captain Talent Sithole crossing for crucial tries.
The game saw a fierce kicking duel between Nehemia Hollenbach and Blake Mger, with Hollenbach slotting five penalties and a conversion, while Mger kept his side in contention with a flawless six penalties.
DHS Overpowers Maritzburg College in Derby Clash
DHS asserted their dominance with a commanding 29-13 victory over Maritzburg College in the King Price Derby Series.
After trading early penalties, DHS broke the deadlock when centre Zenkosi Mthiyane finished off a slick backline move. Minutes later, scrumhalf Marcwin Nero gathered a loose ball and raced over to give DHS a comfortable halftime lead.
Maritzburg College showed resilience, with captain Wasi Vyambwera barging over for a late try, but DHS had already done enough to secure an important derby win.
KES Edge St John’s
King Edward VII School claimed bragging rights in a fiercely contested match against St John’s College, holding on for a 17-15 win thanks to the composure of fullback Kenny Prins, whose accurate kicking proved the difference.
KES got off to a strong start, with wingers Luyanda Mbandama and Jarrel Mbuyi each finishing off well-worked tries to put the visitors in control. Prins kept his cool from the kicking tee, converting both scores and adding a crucial penalty in the second half.
St John’s, however, refused to back down. Right-wing Lwandile Khupe dazzled with his footwork, slicing through the KES defense for a brilliant try, while flyhalf Gerald van Wyk dictated play, setting up Tumelo Bopape for another score. Van Wyk’s reliable boot kept the scoreboard ticking, but St John’s ultimately fell just short as KES’s defensive resilience held firm in the closing minutes.
Westville Withstands Hilton’s Late Surge to Claim Gritty Victory
In a fiercely contested showdown at Gilfillan Field, Westville secured a 23-15 victory over Hilton College on Saturday. Both teams showcased their experience, but Westville’s clinical finishing and defensive resilience proved decisive.
Flyhalf Lux Sononkonkono set the tone early for Westville with two penalties before lock Moustapher Gcina crashed over for the game’s first try, extending their lead to 13-3 at halftime. Hilton struck back in the second half through hooker Josh Grant, closing the gap to three points, but Sean McGough responded for Westville with a powerful drive over the line. A long-range penalty from Zekhethelo Siyaya further cemented Westville’s control at 23-10.
Hilton fought until the final whistle, with Ricky Adonis scoring late in the match, but the missed conversion kept them beyond reach. Despite Hilton’s determined second-half push, Westville managed the game well in the closing moments to secure an impressive away win.
Queens College Overpowers Ooskus After Early Shock
Queen’s College showcased their strength with a commanding 39-7 victory over Ooskus Gimnasium on Saturday, despite an early setback.
Ooskus stunned the hosts in the fourth minute when Kwagga Liebenberg intercepted a pass and sprinted over the line for the opening try, converting his own effort to give the visitors a 7-0 lead. However, Queen’s responded with resilience, controlling possession and applying relentless pressure to score three tries before halftime, heading into the break with a 15-7 advantage.
The second half saw Queen’s shift into a higher gear, dominating the physical exchanges and capitalizing on Ooskus’s mistakes. Speedy winger Ncute Kepe led the charge with two tries, while Jeffrey Niland, Sbabalwe Magwebu, Bulumko Manqina, Milisa Malapi, and Inga Mnunu also got their names on the scoresheet. Mveli Mqulo added two conversions to seal the emphatic win.
Ooskus put up a brave fight, with Jandré le Roux standing out in defense alongside Sabian Riek and Kwagga Liebenberg, but the relentless attack from Queen’s was too much to handle.
Dale Fends Off Port Rex in a Gritty Battle
Dale had to dig deep to secure an 8-3 victory over a determined Port Rex side in a tightly contested clash at The Graveyard in Qonce.
Flyhalf Phiko Mtyalela put Dale ahead early with a penalty in the fourth minute, but Port Rex took control of possession for much of the first quarter. Dale’s defense was tested to the limit as the visitors pressed hard for a try, but Port Rex eventually settled for a Ndimphiwe Songqwaba penalty in the 19th minute, leveling the scores at 3-3.
Dale had an opportunity to take the lead just before halftime when winger Yamkela Molose made a stunning break, but the try was ruled out due to an earlier infringement. With both teams locked in a defensive battle, it took a costly Port Rex mistake to break the deadlock. Replacement flyhalf Inga Mafanga pounced on an intercepted pass to score the only try of the match.
The final 12 minutes were a tense affair, with Port Rex camping inside Dale’s half, searching for a match-winning try. However, Dale’s rock-solid defense held firm, denying the visitors at every turn to secure a hard-fought victory.
Selborne Strikes Late to Edge Hudson Park
Selborne College overcame a slow start to claim a narrow 12-3 win over East London rivals Hudson Park.
Hudson took an early 3-0 lead thanks to a Landile Gidi penalty and carried that advantage into halftime. However, Selborne found their rhythm in the second half, controlling possession and applying sustained pressure on the Hudson defense.
Their persistence paid off with two well-worked tries from Robert John-Osunkwo and Samora Bushet, with Bungqina Nuku adding a conversion to complete the comeback.
