Overview Sporting Achievements The weekend saw the much-anticipated Premier Interschools rugby derby between longstanding rivals College and DHS. College had 22 rugby teams and 15 hockey teams take to the field, and as a result of the significant depth of the teams, there with a few filler games mostly played on the stagger, against Howick High and Amanzimtoti High.
Rugby:
Rugby Most of College’s rugby teams travelled down to Durban to take on DHS with the 1st XV fighting for the coveted Skonk Nicholson Trophy.
1st team report (Tim Orchard, 1st XV coach) On Saturday Maritzburg College travelled to Durban to take on their oldest rivals, Durban High School, in a Premier Inter-School’s fixture. The match was not only for the bragging rights but also for the Skonk Nicholson Trophy.
In very blustery conditions, College began the fixture by kicking off and forcing an early mistake from the home team. College went through several phases gaining good field possession but ultimately an unforced error gave the ball back to DHS. The match swung back and forth, and DHS had the best of the opening exchanges with a stiff breeze at their backs forcing College to retreat deep into their own half every time they lost possession. DHS scored their first try after sustained pressure on the College line.
College fought bravely to get back into the match, but a mis-kicked touch finder gifted possession back to the host team. DHS punished a toiling College team to score their second and final points of the game. College now had to overcome a fourteen-point deficit if they wanted to win the match. With the wind at their backs for the second half, College had an opportunity to triumph over their foes.
The second half began well for College who immediately looked to speed up the play as the intensity of the match began to take its toll on the home team. College’s first chance of the half came after some intelligent kicking from fullback L. Kunene. He placed a well-weighted kick into the right-hand corner of the DHS 22m area. College were awarded a scrum on the right-hand side of the pitch. From the scrum L. du Toit, with the try line beckoning, managed to get himself tied into a knot after a tremendous show-and- go, spilt the ball as he lunged for the whitewash. This was a big moment as one felt that if College had scored then, momentum would have shifted, and they would have had a great opportunity to win the game.
After a five minute period where DHS could not leave their 22m area, P. Kubheka showed tremendous power to rumble over the try-line for College’s first try of the match. This was as a result of a dominant rolling maul by the College pack. The try was duly converted by du Toit and a second half comeback was on the cards provided that College could keep DHS on the defensive and stop gifting the opposition possession. The mounting pressure began to take its toll on the DHS defenders who were pinned deep in their half by a College team who would not go away. The last five minutes of the match was all College as they fought to stay in the game. After a succession of rumbles close to the line, it appeared that captain S. Kadira with a smart low pick-and- go had pierced the defense. This was not to be as the referee had ruled that there was no clear grounding of the ball. The players were bewildered by this decision. Again, College gamely attempted another assault on the DHS try line but to no avail. DHS held on to win the match by a margin. Perhaps a draw would ave been a fairer reflection on a hard- fought game.
Maritzburg College: 7 Try: P. Kubheka Conversion: L. du Toit
DHS: Summary of results
Team Opposition Result 1st MC vs DHS lost 7-14 2nd MC vs DHS drew 7-7 3rd MC vs DHS won 12-10 4th MC vs DHS won 33-0 5th MC vs DHS won 56-5 6th MC vs DHS won 45-7 7th MC vs Toti 1st lost 5-19
Hockey
Most of College’s hockey matches were away matches against DHS with a few filler games against Howick High.
1st team report (Kyle Emerson, 1st XI coach) This would be the first time that DHS would host College at their newly laid astroturf. The conditions were tough, very hot and humid and a spongey turf meant that the boys would have to adapt to the conditions. DHS earned a penalty corner in the first minute, signalling their intention and showing their vigour from the outset. The penalty corner was well saved by Nic Holmes. The best chance of the first quarter fell to College when Asanda Khumalo was on the back post and received the ball from Bryn Brokensha but was unable to direct it goalwards. DHS opened the scoring after earning their second penalty corner five minutes before half time. The flicker was not run-down and the ball found the back of the net after the goalkeeper was unsighted. Shortly afterwards College earned a penalty corner but were unable to hit the target. DHS played with a high intensity and high press which College found difficult to get out of and stifled them from asserting themselves on the game. Having said that, they created enough opportunities to get on the scoreboard but were unable to convert. Penalty corners were saved and in the third quarter DHS found the goal that they needed to secure the result with another flick. This was a wellexecuted flick into the top corner of the goal. College did not give up and fought hard to get onto the scoreboard, earning themselves a penalty corner just three minutes after conceding. Bryn Brokensha’s straight poke was excellently saved by the DHS goalkeeper as he dived full stretched to his bottom right. The follow up penalty corner saw College score their first goal when Brokensha finished off a penalty corner variation at the end of the third quarter. On the stroke of full-time, College again had a chance to make the result a draw but were unable to hit the target and force a save from the goalkeeper. DHS did well to earn their first win over College in many years. Their intensity and ability to win the 1 vs 1 would be the difference on the day. Final score 1-2.
Team Opposition Result:
1st MC vs DHS lost 1-2 2nd MC vs DHS lost 0-2 3rd MC vs DHS won 3-0 4th MC vs Howick 1st lost 1-4 5th MC vs Howick 16A lost 1-2 Team Opposition Result 16A MC vs DHS lost 0-2 16B MC vs DHS won 4-1 16C MC vs DHS drew 2-2 16D MC vs DHS won 5-0 16E MC vs DHS drew 0-0 16F MC vs Howick Jnr won 2-0
Team Opposition Result 14A MC vs DHS lost 1-3 14B MC vs DHS lost 0-3 14C MC vs DHS won 2-0 14D MC vs DHS won 1-0
Sports report compiled by Maritzburg College
