16 March 2023
The 2023 winter sports season swings into action on Saturday, 18 March, with five big derbies taking place.
Michaelhouse vs Maritzburg College
At Balgowan, Michaelhouse welcomes Maritzburg College to the Midlands. Last year, the teams shared a 65-point thriller, with Michaelhouse edging it 33-32.
Both schools will see an infusion of impressive talent from the under-16 ranks of 2022 into their open age group. The interesting part, especially in the early season, is to witness just how impactful those changes will be.
Michaelhouse has the advantage of playing at home, and of having already played one match. It was a tough opener, against Helpmekaar Kollege on Meadows, and it took a gutsy performance from ‘House to twice overcome a 14-point deficit to force a 24-24 draw.
Kearsney College vs Clifton College
Nearer the coast, Kearsney College hosts Clifton College at Botha’s Hill. Kearsney’s under-16 A team of 2022 enjoyed an excellent season, winning 12 of 13 matches, including a big win over Clifton.
Clifton, however, record an historic first-ever 1st XV victory over Kearsney at the Riverside Sports Club, and they were good value for their 24-17 win.
Following up on that success appears to be a big challenge. Kearsney has already played twice this season and run out comfortable winners in both matches, defeating Free State opposition, Voortrekker Bethlehem and Hentie Cilliers, 46-7 and 45-17 respectively.
Clifton, last weekend, ran roughshod over Richards Bay High School, powering their way to a 73-0 victory.
Glenwood High School vs Westville Boys’ High School
Glenwood are home to Westville Boys’ High. The Griffin had an inconsistent season in 2022 and were none too happy about it. They have since appointed Dusty Noble as the school’s Director of Rugby.
The Green Machine enjoyed a better 2022 season than Westville, but on the two occasions the schools met, on 5 March and 7 May, it was Westville that came away the winners by margins of 19-12 and 22-7.
Glenwood has a very proud rugby tradition and will want to halt Westville’s run of success against them as soon as possible, and home ground advantage in the early season will give them a reason to be optimistic .
Northwood School vs Hilton College
At Northwood, the Knights host Hilton College. It’s difficult to predict anything about this contest. Northwood’s 2022 1st team was inconsistent, while Hilton enjoyed a season for the ages, losing only once to Paarl Boys’ High in a great back-and-forth battle in Johannesburg. They also easily handled the Knights.
Northwood, though, enjoyed an impressive season at under-16 A level, and, in fact, soundly beat Hilton 31-0.
Already, this season, Hilton has tasted defeat, going down 17-29 to Hoërskool Secunda. That loss, however, should not be misconstrued. Secunda is a strong rugby school and blanked Hoërskool Nelspruit 15-0 a week before they played Hilton.
So, Hilton was stronger at 1st XV level than Northwood in 2022, but weaker at under-16 A level. How will the leftovers of the two first teams now combine with the incoming talent?
Durban High School vs Saint Charles College
Durban is also the venue for the weekend’s other derby, with Durban High School playing host to Saint Charles College.
Saints’ rugby has been on a steady upwards trajectory for some time now, but it has been a case of them playing good games without huge amounts of success against the top KZN schools, by and large. The most important thing is for the Pietermaritzburg school to continue its ascension, where performance and process might be more important than the result.
DHS, on Van Heerden’s, figures to be a tough nut to crack. They enjoyed a strong 2022 and their under-16 A team proved to be a formidable outfit. Also, they already have one match under their belt, and they were required to show character to win it, which should stand them in good stead going forward.
At home to Voortrekker Bethlehem last weekend, DHS trailed 8-17 at half-time. They rallied, though, to rattle off 31 unanswered points in the second half, on their way to a comfortable 39-17 win.
More than just 1st XV games
While the 1st XV matches are the big showcase contests, there will be plenty of entertaining rugby to be found throughout the age groups, and it will be interesting to see what they reveal about the strength of the schools in depth.
So, all aboard! The unknowns are interesting, the spirit of winter derbies thrilling, and the season now beckons for more of the best schoolboy rivalries in South Africa.
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