11 June 2022
By Brad Morgan
The Northwood Knights hosted Clifton in warm, slightly windy conditions on Saturday, 11 June, in an eagerly awaited showdown. For Clifton, 2022 was a breakthrough season, and, based on their results leading up to the showdown, they were in with a fair chance of taking down their near neighbours away from home.
Indeed, Clifton’s recent first-ever win over Kearsney, by a well-deserved 24-10 margin, suggested they could notch another first-time victory over Northwood, especially as Kearsney had handed the Knights a 29-17 defeat. But matches are played on the field and not on paper.
Other games against common opponents revealed that the outcome was likely to be a toss-up: both had fallen to Glenwood – Northwood 17-43 and Clifton 10-26, although very wet conditions made it a lower scoring game. Both had beaten Saint Charles, without lighting up the scoreboard: Northwood 18-8 Saint Charles, Clifton 17-10 Saint Charles.
Early in the season, Clifton failed to fire in a 17-43 loss to Westville. Northwood, meanwhile, went down 10-24. However, in mid-May, they managed to reverse that loss, edging Westville 27-23. The point, though, was there was no clear favourite for the clash, which took place in ideal, warm conditions.
Against the wind
As had happened when they took down Kearsney, Clifton played into the wind in the first half. Against Kearsney, a stout defensive effort had kept the boys in red, white, and black in the game at the break, trailing 5-12, before taking charge with judicious use of the wind in the second stanza. Against Northwood, however, they had less success.
The home team dominated possession, while Clifton lacked the accuracy that had been a hallmark of their impressive victory over Kearsney, and they were made to pay as the Knights ran out to a 20-0 lead at the break.
With flyhalf Greg McGlashan pulling the strings of a well-balanced attack from the forwards and backs, they crossed for a couple of tries, including one under the uprights, spectacularly finished by fullback Siyanda Nkosi with a swan dive.
He had sniped into the Knights’ backline about 10 metres outside of the Clifton 22. Moving left, he broke a tackle in the midfield, then cut outside and rounded the opposition’s cover defence before dotting down in an easy position for scrumhalf Gareth Viljoen to add the extras.
Defensive stand
Viljoen’s reliable boot ensured Northwood continued to tack on points, turning their pressure into points. Every bit as important, though, was a defensive stand as time wound down towards the break.
After throwing in at a lineout on the Knights’ 22, Clifton set up a maul from which scrumhalf Michael Langston was able to make a clean break. When he was dragged down close to the line, Clifton retained possession and drove towards the line where desperate defence from the home team kept them at bay. Clifton, then, conceded a penalty under pressure from the hardy Northwood defence to end their try-scoring threat.
One thing that the 2022 season had revealed about Clifton, though, is that one of the strengths of their 1st XV is its character and that was evident when soon after the restart they went over for a try.
After stretching the Northwood defence by bashing it up at the line a number of times, Clifton swiftly sent the ball out to the left where burly hooker Okuhle Meyiwa drew in two tacklers with a typically robust charge before offloading to flank Cameron Vernes, who went over in the corner for the five-pointer. A sharp conversion made it 20-7 to the home team.
Decided by the bounce of the ball
The next score would surely determine whether or not the contest would be a nail-biter or a relatively comfortable win for Northwood. With only six minutes remaining, it was decided by the bounce of the ball.
In possession, Clifton, who had failed to utilise the wind at their backs as effectively as they had done in their win over Kearsney, hoisted a kick onto Northwood’s lively fullback Siyanda Nkosi. He neatly fielded the ball, then beat a couple of players by cutting inside. Nkosi then chipped the ball in behind the Clifton defensive line. The race was on.
Centre Keith Chirwa managed to get a toe on the ball, which bounced favourably, as the Clifton defence scrambled. Ears pinned back, he directed it towards the right-hand corner of the try scoring area and was able to dive onto it ahead of the pursuing defenders to add another try to the Knights’ tally.
The final say
With time almost up, Northwood enjoyed a convincing 30-7 advantage. Clifton’s fight, though, was not extinguished and they were rewarded with the final say in the game.
As time wound down, their forwards laid siege to the Northwood try-line with a series of pick-and-goes, and when one of those was stopped practically on the try-line scrumhalf Michael Langston was able to dive and extend his right arm to plant the ball over the line. Joshua Kennedy slotted the conversion to make the final score 30-14 in favour of Northwood.
It was, no doubt, a deserved victory for the home team, but a somewhat disappointing performance for Clifton, who had won five of six, that sole setback being the defeat to Glenwood. Northwood’s season had been far more inconsistent than that of the visitors, but, on this day, they were full value for the victory.
After a hard-fought battle for Durban North honours during the game, the teams were appreciative of their opponents after the game. (Photo: Ashton Morgan)
RESULTS
1st: Northwood 30-14 Clifton
2nd: Northwood 40-10 Clifton
3rd: Northwood 55-0 Clifton
4th: Northwood 10-0 Clifton
u16A: Northwood 56-0 Clifton
u16B: Northwood 52-0 Clifton
u15A: Northwood 53-5 Clifton
u14A: Northwood 47-5 Clifton
u14B: Northwood 50-0 Clifton
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