Athletics:
A team of seven Michaelhouse athletes turned up the heat at the KZN Athletics age group championships staged at the Msunduzi Athletics Stadium on the weekend. Quarter miler Tshiamo Boikhutsho bagged a silver medal in the U18 final, setting a new PB of 49.43 in the process, just 0.09 behind the gold medalist. Rising star, Ruben Visagie blew the field away in the U18 800m and 1500m races, smashing the provincial records in both events. They will carry the hopes of the school and the province at the upcoming ASA National Championships at the end of the month, followed by the SA Schools Championships in Germiston in April.
Rugby:
Michaelhouse rugby dipped its toe into the winter season with nine fixtures against early season visitors Helpmekaar. It was hot and heavy underfoot – the groundsman striking the water table just 20cm down when the uprights were erected a few days before kickoff – but Balgowan dished up perfect spectating conditions for the one-and-a-half odd thousand rugby enthusiasts gathered in the shade on the banks of Meadows.
The hosts were literally bullied out of the game in the six age group fixtures where they were generally outsized and outpaced by teams who obviously already had some game time under the belt. It was a different story in the open games where House were dominant. Helpies thirds added a little respectability to the result late in the game for a 12-27 full time score. House’s seconds – a team to watch in 2023 – blasted the visitors off the park in a spectacle of controlled running schoolboy rugby and were deserved 40-15 victors in their first outing of the year. House’s firsts were clearly intent on running Helpies’ giant forwards off their feet but early season rustiness was evident in their handling and slightly off the pace ruck speed as they attempted to control the tempo of the encounter. Michaelhouse nevertheless took the early lead through a longish range penalty, sweetly struck by debutant Luke Davidson. The early advantage was quickly cancelled by a penalty and two converted tries in as many minutes, rocking the hosts into a 3-17 chasing game. Five minutes later, flyhalf and vice-captain Murray Baker received from a messy lineout on the Helpmekaar line to slice through the defence with a snappy dummy and some slippery footwork to dot the ball under the pins for House’s first converted try. Michaelhouse then tightened up their game a notch or two; Helpies were able to absorb territorial pressure but eventually dished up another long range penalty opportunity which sailed agonizingly close to the left of the uprights. The visitors then applied their own expansive game to cross the whitewash out wide for a goal to restore their 14 point lead. An arm wrestle then ensued, broken when veteran outside centre Campbell Ridle dazzled over the line for a converted try, followed a few minutes later when House, able to string some meaningful phases together and recycle their quickest ruck of the day, expressed the ball to right winger Graham Wynne who muscled through three defenders to score in the corner. Davidson’s conversion from the touchline suggested that he had no intention of losing his first start in the broad stripes by two points. The 24-all result was probably a fair reflection of the game and importantly a solid starting block ahead of next Saturday’s home clash with ‘Martizburg College – the 178th – and the team’s trip north to chillier conditions at the end of the month where they will represent South Africa at Rugby School’s celebration of the 200th year of the game.
Sports report compiled by Michaelhouse.
