WESTVILLE Boys’ High School rugby teams claimed a clean sweep against Kearsney in front of a capacity crowd two weeks ago.
Most games were closely-fought and highly-competitive affairs. To be fair to the visitors from Kearsney, the host’s home ground advantage and the fact that it was Westville’s Old Boys’ Day swung the cliff-hangers in Westville’s favour. Nonetheless, the clean sweep against one of the top rugby schools in KZN was something that the WBHS Old Boys will remember for some time.
The first half was a tense tactical battle. Both sides employed a ‘kicking game’ in an attempt to gain territorial advantage. The game was played mainly between the two ten-yard lines. Kearsney had the first opportunity to put points on the scoreboard with a long-range penalty kick, but James Tedder’s kick was short and wide. Westville’s Niel van Rooyen was successful with his first attempt, and after a tense opening quarter the home team led 3-0.
The defence from both teams nullified any attempts to build momentum from phase play and it took a brilliant line break from Westville’s centre, Brogan Boulle, to set up the first try of the game. Right wing, James Wheeler, then finished strongly in the right corner and Van Rooyen’s kick was accurate to give the home team a 10-0 lead. Kearsney competed well from the kick-off and pressured the home team into conceding a penalty. Tedder made no mistake, and the visitors were on the board. Kearsney had a golden opportunity just before the break to add to their tally with a penalty five metres out under Westville’s poles. They chose instead to opt for an attacking scrum, but excellent defence from the home team snuffed out any chance of scoring.
Westville began to play with more confidence in the second half and took control of the game. Van Rooyen goaled another penalty and then Boulle, who was having a cracking match, made another scintillating break from a scrum move to power over for a great try. Van Rooyen was unable to convert, but at 18-3 the home team looked to be in control.
Kearsney, to their credit, absorbed the pressure and took their chances. Turning over the ball metres from their tryline, they launched a brilliant counter-attack which took them the length of the field. They kept the ball in the Westville red zone and forced the home team into committing numbers at the breakdown. This gave Kearsney the space out wide, and Tedder showed his class by stepping inside the scramble defence to score a fine try. He converted to bring his team back into the game.
Westville took control of the game again and pressurised the opposition into conceding penalties deep in their own half. Van Rooyen goaled a further two penalties to extend the home team’s score to 24-10. Kearsney refused to lie down and came storming back. After an extended period of pressure, lock, Jarred Meyer, crashed over from close range and Tedder converted to set up a tense final five minutes. The home dug deep and showed resolute defence to keep out the Kearsney attack.
The final score was 24-17 to Westville and both teams received warm appreciation from the crowd for a great game of schoolboy rugby.
The rest of the rugby matches all went Westville’s way, including the fillers against Maritzburg College. They played and won all 21 games.
