24 September 2024
Hilton College led the KZN challenge at the SACS Water Polo Tournament, which ended on Monday with Bishops Diocesan College winning the title for the first time in their history, beating St John’s College 5-2 in the final.
Jason Sileno‘s charges made it through to the quarterfinals where they suffered a narrow 3-4 loss to a St John’s team that had finished top of Pool A after recording eight wins and only one defeat, by a single goal, to Paul Roos.
In a key group match, Hilton handed Clifton a 5-2 defeat. It was, perhaps, a tighter game than the score might suggest. Make no mistake, Hilton deserved the win, but Clifton twice struck the frame of the goal.
Paul Martin‘s boys suffered a key loss to St David’s Marist Inanda, going down 1-3, which left them two points adrift of Hilton at the completion of the pool matches. Inconsistency, which has been a bit of an issue since the graduation of a host of very experienced players at the end of 2023, again cost the Durban school.
Hilton finished fourth in the group, winning six matches and losing three, and their best win was, arguably, that victory against Clifton, who had beaten them in the battle for third in the 2023 SACS Water Polo Tournament.
Clifton’s best result, no doubt, was a 4-1 win over previously undefeated St Stithians, who would go on to finish third after a 5-2 win against Rondebosch, the team that topped Pool B. Clifton finished with five wins and four defeats.
The other KZN interest in the tournament came from Northwood, who were in Pool A. They drew their opening game on Saturday, but then, unfortunately for the Knights, lost two in succession by a single goal, and that margin of defeat occurred twice more.
Losses against St John’s and Paul Roos on day two ensured they wouldn’t be challenging for a quarterfinals place. Northwood ended with a record of three wins, a draw and five losses. However, their series of narrow losses against the best teams in the country suggests there is more to come from the Knights, and they’re a dark horse side to make some noise this season.
The quarterfinals made for interesting reading, with five Western Cape schools – Bishops, SACS, Rondebosch, Wynberg and Paul Roos, two from Gauteng – St John’s and St Stithians – and KZN’s Hilton College qualifying for the last eight. That suggests that the power in the schoolboy game continues to reside in the Western Cape, but, with some more time together, playing in a different pool, in a different tournament, things could work out differently for their opposition from other provinces.
With the Clifton Water Polo Tournament around the corner, the KZN schools would certainly be hoping to deliver improved play and results when it starts on Thursday. SACS are the defending champions.
Hilton College Results
Hilton 5-3 St David’s
Hilton 5-2 Clifton
Hilton 3-4 St Stithians
Hilton 8-3 Jeppe
Hilton 3-5 Rondebosch
Hilton 2-4 Bishops
Hilton 9-3 Grey High
Hilton 9-4 Pretoria Boys High
Hilton 6-0 Grey College
Hilton 3-4 St John’s
Clifton College Results
Clifton 4-3 Jeppe
Clifton 2-5 Hilton
Clifton 1-4 Bishops
Clifton 4-5 Rondebosch
Clifton 4-1 St Stithians
Clifton 8-1 Grey College
Clifton 8-4 Pretoria Boys High
Clifton 1-3 St David’s
Clifton 4-3 Grey High
Northwood School Results
Northwood 2-2 St Andrew’s
Northwood 2-3 Wynberg
Northwood 3-4 St Benedict’s
Northwood 3-2 Selborne
Northwood 5-0 Parktown
Northwood 5-1 St Alban’s
Northwood 3-4 Paul Roos
Northwood 3-6 SACS
Northwood 3-4 St John’s
Full Results
Saturday, 21 September
Pool A
St Andrew’s 2-2 Northwood
SACS 4-3 Wynberg
Selborne 8-0 Parktown
St John’s 7-1 St Benedict’s
Paul Roos 4-1 St Alban’s
Wynberg 3-2 Northwood
SACS 16-0 Parktown
Paul Roos 4-1 St Benedict’s
St John’s 5-0 St Alban’s
Selborne 6-4 St Andrew’s
Wynberg 12-0 Parktown
St John’s 5-4 SACS
St Andrew’s 1-0 St Alban’s
Selborne 4-1 Paul Roos
Northwood 3-4 St Benedict’s
St John’s 6-2 Wynberg
St Andrew’s 1-2 Paul Roos
Selborne 2-3 Northwood
St Benedict’s 6-2 Parktown
SACS 6-1 St Alban’s
Pool B
Rondebosch 9-3 Pretoria Boys High
Hilton 5-3 St David’s
Bishops 8-2 Grey College
St Stithians 3-1 Grey High
Clifton 4-3 Jeppe
Rondebosch 4-1 St David’s
St Stithians 7-0 Pretoria Boys High
Bishops 7-3 Grey High
Grey College 2-5 Jeppe
Hilton 5-2 Clifton
Pretoria Boys High 4-4 Grey High
Rondebosch 6-2 Jeppe
Bishops 4-1 Clifton
St Stithians 4-3 Hilton
St David’s 5-2 Grey College
Hilton 8-3 Jeppe
Bishops 8-2 Pretoria Boys High
St Stithians 5-1 St David’s
Grey High 4-4 Grey College
Rondebosch 5-4 Clifton
Sunday, 22 September
Pool A
Selborne 2-5 Wynberg
St Andrew’s 3-4 SACS
St Benedict’s 2-2 St Alban’s
St John’s 4-5 Paul Roos
Northwood 5-0 Parktown
Selborne 4-4 SACS
St John’s 8-4 St Andrew’s
Northwood 4-1 St Alban’s
Wynberg 3-2 St Benedict’s
Paul Roos 9-0 Parktown
Selborne 2-3 St John’s
Wynberg 3-1 St Alban’s
SACS 11-2 St Benedict’s
Paul Roos 4-3 Northwood
St John’s 12-0 Parktown
Selborne 6-1 St Alban’s
St Andrew’s 4-3 St Benedict’s
SACS 6-3 Northwood
Paul Roos 2-2 Wynberg
St Andrew’s 7-1 Parktown
Selborne 7-1 St Benedict’s
Parktown 0-4 St Alban’s
St John’s 4-3 Northwood
St Andrew’s 2-3 Wynberg
SACS 7-1 Paul Roos
Pool B
Grey High 4-6 Jeppe
Bishops 3-0 St David’s
St Stithians 1-4 Clifton
Pretoria Boys High 3-2 Grey College
Rondebosch 5-3 Hilton
St David’s 5-3 Grey High
Pretoria Boys High 4-4 Jeppe
Bishops 4-2 Hilton
St Stithians 6-1 Rondebosch
Clifton 8-1 Grey College
St David’s 5-4 Jeppe
Bishops 5-5 St Stithians
Hilton 9-3 Grey High
Clifton 8-4 Pretoria Boys High
Rondebosch 7-1 Grey College
Bishops 5-3 Jeppe
Hilton 9-4 Pretoria Boys High
Clifton 1-3 St David’s
Rondebosch 3-1 Grey High
St Stithians 9-1 Grey College
St David’s 4-3 Pretoria Boys High
Clifton 4-3 Grey High
St Stithians 3-2 Jeppe
Hilton 6-0 Grey College
Bishops 3-5 Rondebosch
Quarterfinals
Wynberg 3-4 St Stithians
SACS 2-4 Bishops
St John’s 4-3 Hilton
Paul Roos 5-6 Rondebosch
Semi-finals
St Stithians 5-8 St John’s
Bishops 3-1 Rondebosch
Third place playoff
St Stithians 5-2 Rondebosch
Final
St John’s 2-5 Bishops
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