14 May 2023
Kearsney College welcomed Glenwood to Stott Field on Saturday, with both teams seeking to get back in the win column after Kearsney fell to Michaelhouse the previous weekend, and Glenwood went down to Maritzburg College.
Both teams had seen their fortunes dip after strong starts to the season so, if they were to return to winning ways, facing opposition in a similar boat presented a good opportunity to do that.
The Green Machine enjoyed a territorial advantage at the start of the match, but Kearsney gave little away. If the one-stripes have proved anything this season it is that they’re a tenacious defensive outfit, which functions effectively as a unit.
Closing down the options
Glenwood certainly tried to spread the ball wide – they have superb finishers on the flanks in the form of Bakhosibakhe Gamede and Chijundu Okanta – but the home side did an excellent job of closing down the visitors’ options.
It was interesting to see Devahn van der Walt’s side kick for touch when a kickable penalty presented itself after a quarter-of-an-hour. That’s something that has been a feature of almost every team in KZN this season, and it’s pleasing to see a positive approach to potential try-scoring opportunities. Not that they always work out. They didn’t for Kearsney on this occasion.
Fullback Jaco Williams has been a bright light for the Green Machine in 2023 – his performance against Welkom Gimnasium was the difference between victory and defeat – Williams the difference in one-point Glenwood win | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com) – and he almost caught the Botha’s Hill boys out after 24 minutes, kicking a short 22m drop out for himself, and then making a break after regathering the ball.
Williams then found the speedy Okanta around the halfway line. The right winger kicked ahead when confronted by a trio of converging defenders. He had them in trouble, trailing in his wake, but he knocked on as he attempted to gather the ball with the try-line just five metres ahead of him.
Deadlock broken
Mike Greenaway, in his report on the Michaelhouse vs DHS match – Furious finish sees Michaelhouse down DHS | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com) – described the first half as an arm wrestle, and that would be an appropriate description of the game on Stott Field. There was action, but the scoreboard remained static until the 32nd minute when Williams finally broke the deadlock with a simple penalty from inside the Kearsney 22.
Just before the break, Kearsney returned the favour with a similar score and the teams turned at 3-3.
The first try of the contest arrived five minutes into the second stanza and it was a sudden gut punch to the hosts. They had maintained possession through a number of phases and were working their way up the field, reaching their own 10m line, when they drove the ball up into a tackle situation. There were plenty of Kearsney players in support, but Glenwood’s industrious Keegan Goosen ripped the ball away in contact and burst away from the pack of players, pinning his ears back and going over for a five-pointer to put the Green Machine ahead.
It should have been an easy conversion, but there are no gimmes in rugby, and Glenwood were left with an 8-3 advantage.
It didn’t take long for Kearsney to reduce the deficit, with scrumhalf Chad Croshaw knocking over a penalty from midway between the 22 and 10m line, about 15 metres in from the right-hand touchline, to draw happy cheers from the home supporters.
Four minutes later, Glenwood had extended their advantage to five points again, with Williams on target from 32 metres, directly in front.
Brilliant counter-attack
Croshaw had a chance to bring Kearsney to within two points again after 18 minutes of the second half, but his kick from the 15m line, 39 metres out, passed right of the uprights. Williams, with some fancy footwork, then ran the ball out, neatly sidestepping a tackle before heading right and letting the ball go.
Glenwood, with some neat passing, worked the right-hand flank at pace, racing into the Kearsney half. Only a desperate last-gasp tackle prevented the flying Bakhosibakhe Gamede from going over in the corner.
The pressure was on the home team, however, and from a lineout Glenwood forced their way to within reach of the try-line, just beneath the posts. Kearsney stopped them, but the referee raised his right arm for a penalty to the Green Machine.
Wave after wave of attack
Captain Lithemba Mfupi chose to run it and Glenwood forced another penalty. Again, the Green Machine went for five. Kearsney scrambled and defended ferociously. Mfupi and company took the ball through many phases, but the one-stripes held firm, only to concede another penalty. The referee had a few words with Kearsney skipper Van der Walt.
Changing tack, Glenwood immediately tried to go wide from the tap. After three phases they were back on the Kearsney try-line. This time, though, instead of trying to power their way through the Kearsney pack, the ball went out to the backline and a massive double-skip pass picked out the dangerous Gamede on the left. He was snagged just before the line, but managed to get a pass away and Glenwood were over in the corner.
Williams added two to their tally with a sweet conversion from the touchline, making it Kearsney 6-18 Glenwood. Just less than 10 minutes remained in the game.
Immediate reply
Kearsney responded well. Within a couple of minutes, they were back on the scoreboard. After forcing a penalty deep inside the Green Machine’s 22, scrumhalf Croshaw took a quick tap and almost made it over the line. The Kearsney forwards were around the ball like a pack of wild dogs and soon forced their way over for a much-needed try.
Croshaw, who had instigated the try, put the conversion between the posts and just five points separated the two teams. Only five minutes remained, however.
Kearsney played most of that time inside the Glenwood half, but never threatened the visiting team’s 22 until time had expired.
Then, they won a penalty, and a kick for touch took them to 10 metres out from the Glenwood try-line. Kearsney came close to securing a storybook ending, but they were stopped just two metres short of an equalising score and the Green Machine took a hard-fought 18-13 win.
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