28 May 2023
Before we get into the Glenwood vs Hilton College game, first things first. Big ups to the ground staff at Glenwood. Pinnacle Schools paid a very early visit to the school, before the day’s matches got underway on Dixon’s, and the surface was magnificent. It must have been a real pleasure for the boys to play on it.
Now, onto the showpiece match… The Hilton College 1st XV have enjoyed another strong season while Glenwood have been less consistent. But the Green Machine, on home ground, on Founders Day, were always going to present a tough challenge, and they certainly took the game to the visitors.
They were in charge early on, with Lithemba Mfupi and his men racing into a 12-0 lead. Hilton, then, found a reply to reduce the deficit to 12-5.
The pick of the action
Glenwood’s first try, scored in the fourth minute, was the pick of the action. In fact, it was the best passage of play in the entire game.
It came about after wonderful interplay between the back and forwards after beginning on halfway from a set scrum. Jaco Williams, running onto an inside pass, made good ground, just past the Hilton 10m line, before offloading.
Stopped for a moment on the 22, the Green Machine quickly moved the ball to the blind side, where Chijundu Okanta took it up. Kade Plasket-Burn, then, did well to release the ball in the tackle. From there, Glenwood’s two big props, captain Lithemba Mfupi and Bongani Dlamini hit it up, causing further ruptures in the visitors’ defence.
A quick release from the ruck and centre MJ Schoeman was over out on the left. An excellent opening score for the home team, and a successful conversion extended the Glenwood lead to 7-0.
Soon, it was 12-0 as the home team turned territorial dominance into further points.
Bashed it up
Good team that they are, Hilton responded well, forcing their way deep into the Glenwood 22. In typical Hilton fashion, they kept their structure and their discipline and bashed it up at the line from close range with their forwards. Eventually, loosehead prop Bunono Jabavu went over and the visitors were on the board.
In the windy conditions, scrumhalf Luke Watt needed to hold the ball for his flyhalf Chris Horak’s conversion attempt. Still, it was a little surprising to see the normally accurate Horak push his kick left of the uprights from the 15m line on the right.
Glenwood coach Derek Heiberg described the sequence of events to Pinnacle Schools: “They scored a try with a chip, when they got a fortunate bounce. That was 12-12, and then they scored a mauling try from 30 metres out. Momentum swung completely. Whereas we had controlled the first 15 minutes to lead 12-0, they controlled the last 20 minutes of the first half.”
A late Michael Horak penalty extended the visitors’ advantage at the break to 10 points at 22-12 in their favour.
Next to the field, Glenwood’s Old Boys and the schoolboys combined for some impressive school chants and support as the teams plotted their second half approach.
Glenwood on the attack
After the restart, it was all Glenwood as they put Hilton on the back foot. Only a few minutes into the second stanza, they won a penalty directly in front of the posts, about 27 metres out, but a kick at the uprights was off target and the two-score gap remained.
Hilton defended impressively, keeping a disciplined line, as Lithemba Mfupi and company pinned them back in their half. Glenwood, though, were awarded a penalty almost beneath the uprights. It was a gimme three-pointer, but Mfupi opted for the tap ‘n go. They were denied, with Zuki Tom stopped only centimetres from going over the whitewash.
Horak and his Hilton team were outstanding on defence, but the pressure eventually told and Glenwood went over wide on the right when a clever pass from Okanta opened up some space for Renaldo Le Fleur and he sprinted down the touchline to go over in the corner. It had taken 22 minutes of unrelenting second half pressure, but the home team was on the board again.
Hilton on the offensive
Having conceded the try, though, Hilton had also, at last, managed to extricate themselves from their half.
Horak tried his luck with a penalty kick against the wind, but he couldn’t find the mark and it remained Glenwood 19-22 Hilton. The Green Machine were, however, stuck in their 22. Then, with time almost up, Horak coolly slotted a penalty from 27 metres out to extend the Hilton lead.
Glenwood staged a furious finish, probing with their backline on both flanks, but Hilton doggedly defended. It ended when the boys in white and black won a penalty at a ruck. Glenwood 19-25 Hilton.
It had been a challenging test of character for the visitors, who had been forced to defend for long periods of time. But they had passed the test with flying colours. It was why they won the match.
Coach’s comments
“In the second half, they weren’t in the game,” Glenwood coach Heiberg reckoned. “We dominated territory, dominated possession… We just didn’t capitalise on our opportunities in the second half, unfortunately.
“They had five opportunities to score tries and they scored three. We had 12 opportunities to score, and we took only three. I said to the boys, those key moments are costly against good teams. They’re a good team.
While he was disappointed to see his charges go down in a game they could well have won, Heiberg was pleased by the effort they put forth. “I can’t fault the commitment of the players. They were amazing. We just, unfortunately, weren’t accurate in key moments. That’s what caused us to lose.”
He was also happy with the manner in which his team dealt with Hilton’s approach, which was what Heiberg expected it to be. “It’s very much [coach] Brad McLeod-Henderson,” he said. “He likes the kicking game and the set piece.”
With an excellent scrumhalf/flyhalf combo in Sharks’ under-18 selections, Luke Watt and Chris Horak, both of whom own educated boots, it made sense for Hilton to adopt that approach, anyway.
“I was very happy with how we managed that. We put them under massive pressure,” coach Heiberg said. “We were able to field the aerial threat. We did that, but we just couldn’t nail the moments inside the 22. That was pretty hard to swallow.”
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