1 February 2023
Extremely tight games were the order of the day for the Westville 1st water polo team when they took on some of South Africa’s leading schools in the SAC Shield Tournament on the weekend of 28 January at Saint Andrew’s College in the Eastern Cape. There was little more than a goal or two in it in the majority of their outings.
Westville opened with a narrow 7-6 win over Rondebosch Boys’ High, but were then beaten 9-7 by Saint Stithians. In a clash of traditional rivals, Hilton College handed Westville a second defeat, recording a 7-4 win.
The Griffin were back on the winning track in their next game, however, holding on for a 6-5 win over Selborne College. In their final round-robin clash, Westville saw off Grey High School 7-4.
Playoffs
Up against Paul Roos in the quarterfinals, the Griffin were edged out, suffering a tight 4-5 loss.
They next took on Saint Stithians, for a second time, in the playoffs for fifth through eighth place. Saints, winners by two goals earlier in the tournament, recorded a more comfortable victory the second time around, triumphing 9-4.
That loss put Westville into a playoff for seventh place against Saint John’s College. It turned out to be a cracker of a match.
The teams went at it hammer and tongs, but, with time slipping away, Westville edged ahead by a 12-10 margin.
A good defensive stand by Saint John’s, though, saw the Johannesburgers turn over possession. They then closed the gap to a single goal, making for a nerve-wracking finish to an entertaining contest.
Westville, though, kept calm and held on to claim a 12-11 win and seventh place overall.
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