Overview Sporting Achievements:
The first round of winter fixtures for term 2, saw College head down to Clifton in Durban to play a number of rugby and hockey matches. In addition, College’s rugby teams also played several filler games against Voortrekker and Howick High. In addition, three College boys achieved excellent results at the KZN Canoe Sprint Championship.
Rugby:
With over 30 rugby teams, finding matches for all our boys is often a challenge for Maritzburg College. After a busy week of festival and tournaments during the Easter holidays, College fielded eight rugby teams against Clifton (using the squad format in several cases) as well as several filler games all played on the stagger against Voortrekker and Howick High.
1st XV match report (Mr Tim Orchard – 1st XV coach) Saturday heralded the first official fixture between Maritzburg College and Clifton College at the Riverside Sports Grounds. Maritzburg College had just returned from a gruelling Easter holiday schedule and still managed to outscore their hosts by eight tries to one. Colm Reardon bagged a hattrick of tries whilst Luc du Toit scored one try and four conversions during the match.
The first half was a lively affair with Clifton charging hard out of the gates, but renewed College pressure was eventually converted with Reardon scoring his first try of the match, after a well worked backline move allowed him to canter under the poles.
The match fell into an uneasy rhythm with College dominating proceedings but unable to convert that ascendency into points, with a number of penalisations for breakdown infringements. College eventually struck again with Reardon crossing the whitewash after a strong finish to score his second try of the day. Clifton scored before the halftime whistle to put the score at 14-5.
The second half started off in a similar manner to the first, and it was Luc du Toit who scored under the poles to extend College’s lead. Clifton managed to wrestle possession away from their visitors but could not convert that pressure into points, and Reardon eventually grabbed his third try of the match when he plucked a wayward pass and raced away to score under the poles, and du Toit calmly slotting the easiest of conversions. The match was finished off when M. Chiringende scored in the righthand corner to put a gloss over what was a very frustrating half for the College faithful in attendance. The final score reading 33-5 to Maritzburg College.
Maritzburg College now turn their sights on Pretoria Boys High School when they play their longtime rivals in Pretoria next weekend.
Maritzburg College 33 Tries: C. Reardon x3, L. du Toit, M. Chiringende Conversions: L. du Toit x4 Clifton College 5
Hockey:
College fielded CC teams against Clifton, winning six, drawing one and losing four. The 1st XI suffered a surprise defeat to Clifton going down 1-2.
1st XI march report (Mr Kyle Emerson – 1st XI coach) College started the game well as they executed the game plan and were able to negotiate their way around Clifton’s zonal press with ease. College created two good scoring opportunities in the first quarter but both times the ball was missed by a College forward in the circle. Early in the second quarter College earned a penalty corner and after a well worked variation, Asanda Khumalo flicked the ball into the goal to make it 1-0. College would continue to dominate possession and territory and had another penalty corner just before half time but could not make the most of the opportunity to extend their lead. Clifton gained some momentum in the third quarter and started to create some opportunities of their own. College had multiple chances to extend their lead but the Clifton goalkeeper made save after save, and poor decision making did not allow them to penetrate the Clifton goal. College had a penalty corner saved and it was from this that the Clifton launched a counterattack and earned a long corner. From the resulting long corner, they entered the circle on the right and the resulting shot clattered into the post. The umpire somehow adjudged the ball to have crossed the line and awarded the goal. This gave Clifton some confidence, and after some good build up play the earned a free hit just outside the circle. The Clifton forward ran the ball straight into the circle and was fouled before taking his shot, and the umpire awarded a stroke. Another very big call to make. Clifton scored the stroke taking the score 2-1 to Clifton. College continued to create chances but couldn’t pull a goal back to level the scores. It was a game of two halves, where College did not take their opportunities to put the game out of Clifton’s reach when they had the clear ascendency, and learnt a hard lesson because of it.
Canoeing:
Three College paddlers competed in the KZN sprints championships over the weekend, producing excellent results and winning several medals.
U/14 Josh Worthmann
• K1 200m Gold • K1 500m Gold • K1 1000m Gold • K1 5000m Gold
• K2 200m Gold • K2 500m Gold • K2 1000m Gold • K2 LD Gold.
U/16 Luke O’Connor • K1 5000m Bronze
Jayden Jansen van Rensburg
• K1 200m Silver • K1 500m Silver • K1 1000m Silver • K1 5000m Silver
Luke O’Connor and Jayden Jansen van Rensberg • K2 200m Gold • K2 500m Bronze • K2 1000m Silver • K2 LD Gold
Match report compiled by Maritzburg College.