Glenwood continued their outstanding form with a comprehensive win on the third and final day of yet another highly successful Standard Bank Easter Rugby Festival, hosted so professionally (as always) by Kearsney College, but the two other KZN10 school first teams – Kearsney and DHS – ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

Glenwood (31) 38 Transvalia (7) 7

With rain falling steadily, the conditions were not conducive to running rugby and yet Glenwood’s handling was barely affected.

Mistakes in the wet by Transvalia cost them points as the Glenwood boys were quick to counter-attack, which led to tries against the run of play.

Tracey van den Aardweg feature image: Glenwood wing Carlo Cloete en route to touchdown time against Transvalia.

Transvalia scored in the first five minutes following a maul, hooker Bernard du Plessis breaking from the back to dive over, for a converted try by Shaun Christie (7-0).

 

 

A penalty by Glenwood ace Jordan Hendrikse made it 3-7. Glenwood, more adept in the wet, scored their first try when centre Martino van Wyk sliced through; again converted by Hendrikse.

The lead changed hands in the Green Machine’s favour (10-7).

Then a kick, chase and gather saw Green Machine winger Carlo Cloete race away from the defence to score in the corner.

Once again the prolific Hendrikse boot spliced the uprights – this fine young talent seems to revel in the challenges placed on him by touchline conversions (17-7).

Two further converted tries, first by flanker Ethan Smit and the second by hooker Sikholisa Nanto saw Glenwood into a comfortable 31-7 lead at the changeover.

 

 

When play restarted, the mist was billowing in and conditions worsened. The rugby, however, continued to enthrall, with good running and good defence.

Glenwood scored again through fullback Steven Gibb and, with the conversion, the Durban lads went into an unassailable 38-7 lead.

Scores:
Glenwood: Tries: Smit, Cloete, Van Wyk, Nanto, Gibb; Conversions Hendrikse (5); Penalty Hendrikse
Drostdy: Try Du Plessis; Conversion Christie

 

 

Kearsney College (3) 8 Welkom Gim (7) 21

The final game of the 12^th Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival was between hosts Kearsney College and Welkom Gim.

The prevailing conditions were not good.

Kearsney opened the scoring with an early penalty by Jordan Bamber. The Welkom Gim backs battled to employ their trademark running style, so knock-ons and losing their footing was all-too prevalent.

Welkom Gim lock forward Christo Steyn forced his way over for Welkom’s opening try; converted by Marchall Andrews, for the Free State side to lead 7-3.

The rest of the half saw Welkom coming close, but they could not add to their tally, leaving the halftime score 7-3.

 

 

With conditions darkening and thick mist coming in again, the rugby was a forwards game.

Kearsney stood up to the challenge and eighthman Massimo Fierro opened the scoring in the second half, going over in a flurry of bodies in the corner.

This put the hosts 8-7 in front with 20 minutes remaining.

Welkom were awarded a penalty and Andrews added the three points to put his side into a 10-8 lead; with the mist making it difficult to see across the field at this stage.

This lead was increased when Andrews converted his second penalty and Welkom led 13-8 with 13 minutes remaining.

 

 

A try was scored in the far corner by Welkom wing Morne Maastriet, which increased the lead to 18-8.

Andrews was deadly with his boot even in these conditions, and he added his third penalty for Welkom Gim to lead 21-8.

Kearsney pressed for the last few minutes but could not get over the line, leaving Welkom deserved winners by 21-8.

Point scorers:
Welkom: Tries Steyn, Maastriet; Conversion: Andrews; Penalties: Andrews (3)
Kearsney: Try Fierro; Penalty: Bamber

 

 

DHS (12) 19 HTS Drostdy (20) 27

The first of the KZN10 sides to play on Day 3, DHS, muscled up against the Western Cape’s HTS Drostdy from the Western Cape.

The latter had won their first game against Middelburg, but lost their second match to Welkom Gim. DHS were looking for their first victory, having lost to Transvalia and EG Jansen.

Drostdy opened the scoring with a penalty by flyhalf Carlton Pietersen after just five minutes.

DHS scrumhalf Jayden Cederos then chipped ahead for Sim Ngcobo to dot down ahead of the defence, to take a 7-3 lead after a successful conversion by Ngobani Dlamini.

Drostdy’s Pietersen converted his second penalty to narrow the gap to one point (7-6).

 

 

Centre Roann Jansen picked up the ball after a kick ahead to score under the poles and, with Pietersen converting, the lead changed to Drostdy (13-7).

Shortly thereafter Brian Dosemba went over in a flurry of bodies to narrow the gap to 12-13 and then a break by Pietersen fed fullback Keane Galant, who scored, leaving an easy conversion for Pietersen to make the half-time score 20-12 to Drostdy.

DHS were the first to score in the second half when Kaid O’Neill went over, converted by Ngobani Dlamini to again make it a one-point game (19-20).

The Cape boys increased their lead when flank Wynand du Plessis scored again, converted by Pietersen, for a 27-19 lead.

Rain started falling, which made handling more difficult. Both teams came close to scoring again, but the board remained 27-19 to Drostdy, giving them their second win of the festival.

Point scorers:
DHS: Tries Dosember, O’Neill, Ngcobo; Conversions Dlamini (2)
Drostdy: Tries Jansen, Du Plessis, Galant; Conversions Pietersen (3); Penalties Pietersen (2)

 

 

*****

Other results: Selborne 20 Framesby 14; HTS Middelburg 32 PBHS 27; Noord Kaap 24 EG Jansen 21

* The 20-14 Selborne win was their second of the festival, this after Saturday’s fixture against Glenwood was abandoned due to lightning… with the outcome still very much in the balance.