Durban High School (DHS) and Northwood produced a match worthy of a final when the two 1st XVs met on Van Heerden Field on Saturday at DHS in a meeting of the two best teams in KwaZulu-Natal in 2024.
In their previous meeting, at Northwood on 13 April, the teams had drawn 7-7, with both showing off typically terrier-like defence. There was more of that on display on Saturday but, at the end of a tight, gutsy tussle, DHS claimed a hard-fought 18-11 victory.
Looking back on a stirring contest in which the Horseflies had the better of the first half and the Knights edged the second half, DHS Director of Rugby, Peter Engeldow, said: “Today, the boys were up for the challenge. They knew what was coming. Northwood is a fantastic side this year. We knew it would be tough, especially up front.”
Engeldow said he had expected a Test match-like contest and so it proved, with both teams excelling at putting their opposition under pressure, which resulted a number of unforced errors. The intensity was impressive and a testament to the outstanding conditioning of both sides.
School started well, creating a number of opportunities out wide in the early going, which brought them a reward in the fifth minute when Adriano Jackson went over in the right-hand corner after a superb pass from flyhalf Allston Cedras created an overlap. After that, however, Northwood clamped down and allowed few other opportunities for DHS to get the ball out to their wings.
The Knights levelled the scores after 20 minutes, expertly executing a training ground move from a five-metre scrum, which drew in the home team’s defence and opened up ample space for left-wing Carlos Lovell to scamper over in the corner for his side’s first points.
Just before half-time, DHS took the lead. Flank Daniel Ikotela was driven over the try line from a lineout deep inside the Northwood and flyhalf Cedras added the extras to make it 12-5. Once his kick passed between the uprights, the whistle sounded for the break.
Northwood grabbed greater momentum in the second half and put the Horseflies under pressure. DHS, though, owns one of the best, if not the best defensive records among South Africa’s top tier school 1st XVs in 2024, and they did a superb job of withstanding the Knights’ onslaught.
The visitors’ flyhalf Siya Nkosi was instrumental in keeping the pressure on the home side. His reading of the game was exceptional and almost every DHS kick seemed to find the Northwood no. 10, who then returned those kicks with interest, which he mixed up with occasional sniping runs.
“He is a very talented player,” Northwood coach Jacques Deen said. “His understanding of the game and his rugby IQ is phenomenal. He is such a good player.”
When Cedras tacked on three points to School’s tally from a penalty, Northwood responded immediately after receiving a penalty of their own from the kick-off. Ramatuku Sikhakane bisected the uprights from just outside the 22, wide on the left and it was 15-8.
A good bounce and a good chase from DHS forced Northwood to hold onto the ball at a ruck, and Cedras, once more, was on target.
With less than five minutes to play, Savio Stevens completed the scoring, making an easy kick from directly in front, midway into the home team’s 22.
At the final whistle, there was celebration for DHS and despair for Northwood. Honour, though, was shared around. Both sets of players had delivered magnificent efforts.
Reflecting on yet another outstanding defensive effort from his charges and their status as, arguably, the best in the country in that metric, DHS’s Peter Engeldow said: I am very proud about that, as a coach.”
Northwood’s Jacques Deen had plenty of reason to be proud of his players, too. “We couldn’t have asked for a greater effort,” he said. “They had a good mindset.”
One word on the clash of the 2nd XVs. DHS won by 18 points. Another win, on Saturday at Glenwood, and the DHS 2nd XV will be unbeaten for a first time since 1936!
POINTS SCORERS
DHS 18 (12) – Tries: Adriano Jackson, Daniel Ikotela. Conversion: Allston Cedras. Penalties; Allston Cedras (2); Northwood 11 (5) – Try: Carlos Lovell. Penalties: Ramatuku Sikhakane, Savio Stevens.
RESULTS
1st: DHS 18-11 Northwood
2nd: DHS 36-19 Northwood
3rd: DHS 25-0 Northwood
4th: DHS 11-19 Northwood
16A: DHS 48-0 Northwood
16B: DHS 26-19 Northwood
16C: DHS 17-12 Northwood
15A: DHS 3-10 Northwood
15B: DHS 6-5 Northwood
15C: DHS 0-29 Northwood
15D: DHS 7-25 Northwood
14A: DHS 47-7 Northwood
14B: DHS 50-0 Northwood
14C: DHS 31-10 Northwood
HOCKEY
The hockey programme featured only six matches, but those games demonstrated just how evenly matched the two schools are, with four clashes ending in draws.
The two open age group games ended 2-2. DHS took the u16A honours 3-1, while Northwood’s u14B’s won 3-0. In total, Northwood scored nine goals and DHS 10.
In the meeting of the 1st XIs, the Knights stunned DHS with a goal from Luke Allen only 30 seconds into the contest.
DHS quickly regrouped and took the game to the visitors, and they rewarded with a goal from Lethabo Mathabela in the second chukka. Six minutes later, another strike, this time from Lebanzi Zulu, put the Horseflies ahead.
It appeared as if Northwood was headed for defeat, but with typical grit they kept pushing until the end. In the last minute, that effort paid off when they were awarded a penalty stroke. Trent Jessop buried it, and the teams drew 2-2.
That late goal was a reversal of the first meeting of the sides in which DHS scored in the last minute at Northwood to rescue a 3-3 draw.
RESULTS
1st: DHS 2-2 Northwood
2nd: DHS 2-2 Northwood
16A: DHS 3-1 Northwood
16B: DHS 1-1 Northwood
14A: DHS 1-1 Northwood
14B: DHS 0-3 Northwood
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