Don’t miss the Kearsney College rugby festival thrilling final day
Kick-off is at 9.30am. Entry is R25 per person with ample secure parking.
JUDGING from the caliber of rugby played at this year’s Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, those attending today’s final day (Monday, 22 April) are in for a treat after two days of thrilling rugby, dogged defense and some surprising results.
Five sides go into the final day unbeaten, although Pretoria Boys High is the only team having won both its fixtures, 27-11 against hosts Kearsney College in the opening festival game and 22-17 against festival newcomers Transvalia. Pretoria Boys’ 22-17 win over the Vanderbijlpark team was an entertaining game, especially in the second half when most of the points were scored.
Glenwood and Selborne College go into the last day having each won one match, with their second – against each other – abandoned due to lightning. Their game, tipped to be the match of the festival, was abandoned on Saturday when lightning threatened play just after halftime, at which point Selborne was 15-10 ahead.
Both schools won their first games – Selborne 29-10 against Hoerskool Noord-Kaap and Glenwood 27-26 against Dr EG Jansen in the last minute of the game, when they came from behind to snatch the one-point win with full time showing on the clock. A brilliant conversion from the touch-line by Jordan Hendrickse ensured Glenwood’s victory, after EG Jansen had scored four tries to Glenwood’s three.
Selborne had an easier win in their first match, beating Hoerskool Noord-Kaap 29-10. Today, (Monday) they will play Hoerskool Framesby, who beat hosts Kearsney on Saturday, and drew with Welkom Gimnasium 25-25 on the first day.
Glenwood plays the penultimate game of the festival on Monday, when they face Hoerskool Transvalia, who beat DHS on the first day and lost to Pretoria Boys High yesterday.
Hoerskool Framesby and Welkom Gimnasium have each won one match and drawn their second. Framesby will play Selborne at noon on Monday; whilst Welkom Gim play hosts Kearsney in the final game of the festival at 15h45.
In Saturday’s opening match, played in glorious autumn sunshine between Hoërskool Noord-Kaap and HTS Middelburg, both teams were keen to get their first win at the festival. Noord-Kaap held a slender three-point lead at halftime, although they looked the more dangerous with ball in hand. An entertaining second half saw a resurgent Middelburg come back and, with five tries scored in the second half, the appreciative crowd became increasingly vocal. Play swung from touch-line to touch-line with both sides giving their best. Noord-Kaap ended 27-21 winners at the end of an exciting game.
In the game between hosts Kearsney College and Hoërskool Framesby, a well-conditioned unit from Port Elizabeth, Framesby won the lion’s share of the ball in the first half. With 10 minutes remaining, Kearsney fullback Derick Marshall broke through a number of tackles and, from a subsequent ruck, the ball went to centre Luke Wilson who sniped through, scoring under the crossbar. Jordan Bamber converted and Kearsney had narrowed the gap to 14-26. Kearsney kept the pressure on Framesby and centre Connor de Bruyn scored, converted by Bamber, to bring their points to 21-26.
In the penultimate game on Saturday, after a full day of running rugby and with a darkening sky, two jerseys, both navy and yellow, made it difficult for the referee and spectators alike. EG Jansen’s yellow stripe over the shoulders helped slightly to differentiate from DHS. With DHS defending and EG running with the ball, an intercept by speedy DHS flank Brian Dosemba led to an exciting 80m dash to score under the poles.
Early in the second half, a mistake by the DHS defence saw a pop kick land in the hands of EG Jansen and enabled them to take a 20-7 lead. With DHS’ heads beginning to sag and with time up on the clock, the Boksburg boys took a 39-12 win.
The festival has highlighted the pleasure of watching fast-paced physical running rugby, a style typical of schoolboy rugby in South Africa. Well matched teams have produced mostly close results, adding to spectators’ enjoyment.
Kick-off on Monday is at 9.30am. Entry is R25 per person with ample secure parking. Food and refreshment outlets, a coffee shop and KidZone will ensure a day of entertaining rugby and fun for the whole family.
After the final match has ended, three stand-out players from the festival will each be awarded a contract to The Sharks Academy for 2020, which will include accommodation and a tuition bursary with one of its education partners.
FIXTURES:
MONDAY: 8.30am Highbury v U13 KZN Ibutho; 9.30am Hoërskool Noord-Kaap v EG Jansen; 10.45am HTS Middelburg v Pretoria Boys; noonSelborne v HoërskoolFramesby; 1.15pm DHS v HTS Drostdy; 2.30pm Glenwood v Hoërskool Transvalia; 3.45pm Kearsney v Welkom Gimnasium
RESULTS:
THURSDAY: Umhlali Prep 20-20 U13 KZN Ibutho; Kearsney 11-27 Pretoria Boys; Hoërskool Framesby 25-25 Welkom Gimnasium; Selborne 29-10 HoërskoolNoord-Kaap; HTS Middelburg 14-19 HTS Drostdy; Glenwood 27-26 EG Jansen; DHS 12-34 Hoërskool Transvalia
SATURDAY:6 Hillcrest Primary 12-36 U13 KZN Ibutho; Hoërskool Noord-Kaap 27-21 HTS Middelburg; Hoërskool Transvalia 17-22 Pretoria Boys; Kearsney 21-26 Hoërskool Framesby; Welkom Gimnasium32-16 HTS Drostdy; DHS 12-39 EG Jansen; Selborne v Glenwood no result
