Day two of the NMI Toyota Noord-Suid 2026 festival delivered everything the tournament promises – big scorelines, individual brilliance, and enough late drama to keep every set of supporters on edge until the final whistle. Eight matches, 365 points, and a day that announced several names who will be worth watching for the rest of the week.
Trio 27 HTS Middelburg 25
This one was tight from the first whistle and did not let up until the final act. HTS Middelburg drew first blood through the boot, Ruhan Jansen van Vuuren slotting a penalty after 25 scoreless minutes to break the deadlock.
Trio’s response said a lot about their character. Given a penalty of their own in front of the posts, flyhalf Tyron Adams ignored the easy three and tapped quickly, finding Robert van der Vyfver who was held up just short. WJ van Niekerk read the moment perfectly, grabbing and going from the base and diving over in the corner. Jansen van Vuuren added a second penalty just before the break to send HTS Middelburg in 6-7 ahead, but Trio had shown enough to suggest the second half would be different.
It was. Jayden Bienas knocked over an early penalty to put Trio back in front, but HTS Middelburg had an answer. They kicked to the corner from a maul infringement and ran a training ground lineout move, the ball going straight back to Argu Kruger while still in the air, and the loosehead prop was over before the defence could react. Dante Lubbe then forced his way over after sustained pressure on the Trio line, Jansen van Vuuren converting, and suddenly HTS Middelburg had a cushion.
Trio needed something and they found it through Jaylin Jonas, the HTS rush defence leaving him with open space out wide after quick phase play from a tap penalty. Then Jaydin Bienas got involved in the best way possible – the fullback saw space, pinned his ears back, drew a defender and put Teagan Jantjies over in the corner. Jantjies was not done. Three minutes later he was over again, rounding the first defender after taking a long pass. Two tries in three minutes from a substitute who changed the game.
HTS Middelburg had one last say, a hard-working score through prop Ox Mathelela with time up, but the conversion came too late. Trio held on by two points in a match that deserved every one of its spectators.
Welkom Gim 54 Nico Malan 43
Nico Malan led this one 33-21 at half-time and looked like they had done the hard work. They had not. Welkom Gim came out after the break a different side and did not stop until they had put 33 unanswered points on the board.
Lleyton Minnie was the story of the first half for Nico Malan. The scrum half was everywhere – probing the fringes, staying on his feet in contact, and keeping his pack moving. Janu Janse van Rensburg crossed twice in the half, a wrecking ball of a carrier who bounced defenders and stayed on his feet when most would have gone to ground. Kian van Schalkwyk, Callie de Lange, and Erich van Zyl also crossed as Nico Malan built what looked like a commanding lead. Masood Knowlden was reliable from the tee throughout.
Then Emile Mahlelebe happened. The Welkom back rower finished with a hat-trick and was the engine of their second-half revival. His third try came at the end of a sustained passage of Welkom possession – patience, width, and Mahlelebe doing the ugly work to get over the line. Tumelo Masukela got one with a hand-off and dive that the commentary called out before it even happened. A penalty try arrived when Welkom were stopped illegally with the line wide open – the referee had no choice. Jadewin Solomons was perfect from the tee with six from six, and Leano Williams, Lyle Afrikaner, and Ave Schalk all crossed as Welkom turned the screw.
Nico Malan got late consolation through Liviwe Nelani and a second from Janse van Rensburg, but by then the game was long gone. 97 points, a 12-point deficit overturned, and Mahlelebe the name everyone was talking about afterward.
Witteberg 41 Middelburg 38
Middelburg led at half-time and looked the more likely winners for long stretches of this one. Witteberg had other ideas. They levelled at 31-all in the second half and then found enough to pull clear and hold on in a match that produced 79 points and barely a dull moment.
Middelburg’s scrum was a weapon throughout, their front row winning penalties and creating the platform for a confident first-half display. Sifiso Hlungwane crossed twice, a handful in contact and difficult to bring down in open play. Jano Wilson added two of his own, busy and direct, and finished the match with three conversions from the tee as well. Blake Faber got one, the centre collecting from his scrumhalf and finishing with a clean hand-off, and Ryan Blake rounded off the Middelburg scoring. Kgontse Masilela contributed a conversion as Middelburg did enough in front to build what looked like a winning lead.
Witteberg’s response was built on patience and accuracy. Chriswin Delport ran the game well at flyhalf, finishing with a try of his own, four conversions, and a crucial penalty that kept his side in touch at the right moments. Q-Lin Booise crossed twice, dangerous with the ball in hand and someone Middelburg could not find a consistent answer to. Jacques Jordaan, Buks Davel, and JC van Rhyn all added tries as Witteberg steadily cut into the deficit. When Delport levelled it at 31-all the momentum had shifted completely, and Witteberg found the composure to see it out.
Middelburg will feel this one. They did enough to win it for most of the afternoon, but Witteberg’s second-half character proved the difference.
Durbanville 25 Rustenburg 7
Unfortunately we were unable to find a full game stream of this fixture, points scorers below:
Durbanville
Tries: Muller van Vuuren, Tylo Hess, Hadley Eras,us
Conversions: De Wet Viljoen (2)
Penalties: De Wet Viljoen (2)
Rustenburg
Tries: Zak Swanepoel
Conversion: Ricardo Enos
Menlopark 46 Boland Landbou 28
Menlopark and Boland Landbou were locked at 21-all at the break in a first half that had everything. By the end, Menlopark had pulled clear through a dominant second-half display, but this was a contest that deserved its spectators for the full match.
Boland Landbou struck first through Tiaan Malan, the prop barging his way over from close range after his pack had built sustained pressure at the driving maul. Gehano van Bo added a second, finishing well after Oloff Bergh and the Boland loose forwards had done the hard work to create the opportunity. Divan Meyer was reliable from the tee throughout, converting four from four across the match.
Menlopark’s response was built around one man. Danie Bothma was extraordinary, finishing with a hat-trick and causing Boland Landbou problems every time he touched the ball. His first was a spectacular individual effort – he collected, beat the first defender with footwork, and had enough strength to brush off two more before touching down. His second came at the end of a flowing move, Bothma finishing on the outside after an offload from Dylan Stumke. He completed his hat-trick in the second half with a burst through the middle that had the commentary reaching for superlatives. Dylan Stumke also crossed twice – direct, strong carries that Boland Landbou simply could not stop.
Willie Pieterse ran the show at flyhalf, distributing sharply and finishing with four conversions and a penalty. When Menlopark needed a moment of clarity he provided it, and his kicking accuracy kept the scoreboard moving throughout.
Mendriano-Jody Abrahams added a try of his own in the second half, the comms team who described the man with “jet shoes” finishing with pace after a slick Menlopark move. Duran Pieterse, denied in the first half, got his reward after the break. Jannes Eksteen came off the bench and scored late to seal it.
Boland Landbou pushed hard until the end but could not match Menlopark’s finishing power. Malan crossed for his second late on but the gap was already too wide. Menlopark remain unbeaten.
Paarl Gim 61 Noordheuwel 10
A big win for Gimmies to maintain their momentum. Paarl Gim led 35-0 at half-time and never let up, running out 61-10 winners in a one-sided Noord-Suid contest that showcased everything good about their forward pack and the clinical finishing of their backline.
Dirk Hugo was the standout, crossing twice and causing Noordheuwel problems every time he carried. His first came from a sharp show-and-go off the back of a driving maul, his second a beautiful individual effort – a step at pace that had the commentary reaching for superlatives. For a back row forward to move like that is something special.
Louis Koen was immaculate from the tee, landing seven from eight conversions and controlling the game at flyhalf with distribution that kept Paarl Gim’s attack fluid and direct. Charles Whitehead was a constant menace at the breakdown and around the fringes, his show-and-go a feature of Paarl Gim’s first-half dominance. Corné Niemand helped himself to a brace in the second half, both well-taken finishes after Paarl Gim recycled patiently and found space wide. Bernhardt Schulze also crossed twice, the lock doing exactly what a good lock should – arriving late, carrying hard, and making the most of the work done around him.
Hannes de Kock came off the bench and made an immediate impact, scoring shortly after his introduction. Corné de Beer added another as Paarl Gim ran the scoreboard well into the 60s.
Noordheuwel refused to lie down entirely. Armand van Eck gave them their first points and JB Blount, another substitute, scored late with a direct carry that at least gave the scoreline some respectability. But this was Paarl Gim’s day from the first whistle.
Grey College 51 Helpmekaar 19
Lamla Mgedezi was the name on everyone’s lips by the final whistle, finishing with a hat-trick that confirmed his status as one of the most dangerous runners at the tournament. He scored his first with a direct burst through the Helpmekaar defence, and each subsequent try came with growing ease as Grey College’s forward platform improved.
Jonathan Drysdale was the architect behind much of it – the scrumhalf was tireless, finding space around the fringes, feeding his backs with quick clean ball, and occasionally threatening on his own account. His distribution was the engine that kept Grey College moving.
Helpmekaar were competitive early. Jeandré van der Merwe got them off the mark and Shaye Lourens – who also converted his own try – showed some real individual quality. The Helpmekaar pack worked hard throughout and their 12-point half-time tally reflected a genuine contest in the first period. John van Druten added a third try late on but by then Grey College had long since taken control.
JW Coetzee, Xander de Beer, Eddie Mabena, and AJ Hendricks all crossed for Grey College as they cut through Helpmekaar’s defence in the second half with increasing fluency. Christoff Crous was composed at flyhalf, landing three conversions and two penalties, with Samson Lackay adding two more from the tee.
Affies 28 Oakdale 17
Affies held on at home on Super Saturday, but Oakdale Landbou made them work harder than the scoreline suggests. A tight, physical contest played largely through the forwards, it was Affies’ composure and the accuracy of Reuben Smith at flyhalf that proved the difference.
Francois de Beer got Affies off the mark early, the fullback finishing after his side had built momentum through sustained forward pressure. Kyle van Staden added another as Affies began to find space on the edges, and Reuben Smith – the Grade 11 flyhalf who did not miss a kick all afternoon – converted both and kept the scoreboard ticking with his composure under pressure. Estian Marx was a constant threat in contact, powerful and direct, and his try reflected a man who had been working hard all match. Juan Ferreira rounded off the scoring late after Fourie Roberts had done the hard work to create the opportunity.
Oakdale were not without their moments. Bernard Badenhorst crossed in the first half and Marc-Hein Fourie added a second after the break as Oakdale cut the lead to four points and threatened a comeback. Caleb Williams converted both and added a penalty to keep his side in the hunt, but they could not find the decisive score. Dylan Jordaan and Jacobus de Villiers were prominent in the loose for Oakdale, and Andre van der Merwe caused problems in the wide channels throughout.
Affies led 21-17 at one point late in the match before Smith’s boot stretched the lead back to eleven and ended the contest.
TEAM OF THE DAY
15) Lamla Mgedezi (Grey College)
14) Jaydin Binas (Trio)
13) Danie Bothma (Menlopark)
12) O’Ryan Kleyn (Grey College)
11) Qlin Booyse (Witteberg)
10) Louis Koen (Paarl Gim)
9) Fourie Roberts (Affies)
8) Muller van Vuuren (Durbanville)
7) Dirk Hugo (Paarl Gim)
6) Emile Mahlelebe (Welkom Gim)
5) Sifiso Hlungwane (Middelburg)
4) JW Coetzee (Grey College)
3) Tiaan Malan (Boland Landbou)
2) Janu Janse van Vuuren (Nico Malan)
1) Kyle Burger (Oakdale)
