AT 3pm on Saturday, 16 June 2018 on Hilton’s Graeme Gilfillan Field, the landmark 200^th first XV match between Hilton College and Michaelhouse will take place. Michaelhouse have won 99, Hilton College 90. There have been 10 draws. In 1987 both matches ended in draws… 7-7 and 9-9. The 0-0 draw in 1917 might rank as the least thrilling encounter. Michaelhouse have notched up 2 371 points in the 199 matches… Hilton have chalked up 2 236… The average score per match – over 199 matches – is 12-11 in Michaelhouse’s favour.

Both sides have enjoyed winning streaks of 7 fixtures… Michaelhouse more recently, between 2007 and 2011… Hilton’s coming between 1926 and 1929.

Michaelhouse’s greatest winning margin was 51-0 in 1910, followed closely by the 48-0 win in 1921. Hilton’s 42-12 win in 2013 beats last year’s 41-12 on Meadows by a dash of whitewash.

The first match was in 1904, which Hilton won 6-0. From that point, Michaelhouse enjoyed considerable success. Hilton had to wait until 1932 to regain the lead. Hilton had now edged in front by 20 victories to 19.

The first XV win/loss lead was to change hands six or seven more times before 1966, when Hilton College relinquished a lead they have yet to regain. By 1976 Hilton had managed to regain parity on 58 wins apiece, but the boys in Red and White’s 10 wins and two draws in the next 12 encounters cemented their advantage, which remains at Michaelhouse 99 and Hilton College 90 as the days and hours tick ever-so-slowly by ahead of Super Saturday’s 3pm Big Show on Hilton’s Graeme Gilfillan Field.

Photo Martin Ashworth

Here are the last 7 years’ stats in the distinguished 115-year history of Hilton College vs Michaelhouse first XV rugby matches:

2012 – 1 win each
2013 – Hilton won both
2014 – Michaelhouse won both
2015 – Michaelhouse won both
2016 – 1 win each: Hilton won 10-8 and Michaelhouse won 21-17
2017 – Hilton won both: 38-21 and 41-12
2018 – Michaelhouse 5 Hilton 22 (Meadows)

Photo Martin Ashworth

* There were a few years in the 155 years of Hilton/Michaelhouse first XV contests where, for various reasons, just a single fixture was contested.

# Thanks to Murray Witherspoon and Ray Mkhulisi for the information.