29 July 2023
Maritzburg College faced off against Pretoria Boys’ High for the second time in the 2023 season on Saturday, but this time the venue was Goldstones in Pietermaritzburg, not Brook Field in Pretoria. Still, the result was remarkably similar to the first time, with College recording a convincing victory.
Earlier in the season, in Pretoria, it was 47-15 in favour of the red, black and white. This time around, it was 43-12 in their favour.
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The concern for the hosts, heading into the contest, was that there might be a let-down following College’s superb 50-31 victory over Affies the previous weekend in Pretoria. Avoiding that had, therefore, been something they focussed on in the build-up to Saturday’s clash.
“We had to come out of the blocks hard,” College’s skipper, Sasha Kadira, told Pinnacle Schools. “We knew that with the result we got last week they would come hard at us. They would be fired up and wanting to win the game. We had to make sure they couldn’t get any pressure on us.”
College’s SA Schools’ loosehead prop Phiwayinkosi Kubheka, nicknamed Rambo, said: “We spoke about it. We wanted to take the mentality that we had when we played against Affies. We did that for the first half. But in the second half, I feel like we went off script.”
College in control
True. In the first half, there was only one team in it. College crossed for two early tries – the first within 30 seconds by Swelithle Mbatha and the second by Kubheka after four minutes – and dominated play to surge into a 31-0 lead at the break.
Their third try, scored by scrumhalf Rhett Quinn, was a show-stealer. Fed by 8th-man Kadira off the back of a scrum, Quinn made as if he was about to kick. Then, quick as a flash, he pulled the ball back in and hit a gap that had opened up because of his dummy. He raced away down the right, but then he swerved back to the left and headed towards the poles, diving over to their left for a stunning score (see feature photo).
Not as long range, but an outstanding try, nonetheless, was College’s fourth, scored by the prolific left wing, Colm Reardon. He received a pass midway into Boys’ High’s 22, up against the sideline, and with a man in front of him. Three times, he stepped inside off of his left foot to beat a covering defender. Then, when PBHS defenders got a hand on him, he spun and powered his way through two would-be tacklers to score.
To end off the half, College stole a lineout. After a stuttering start to an attack, captain Kadira took possession of the ball 10 metres out and with a bullocking run dragged a number of defenders with him as he went over, at full stretch, next to the posts. Du Toit’s simple conversion completed the first half scoring.
College’s rugged defence had kept the visitors pinned deep in their half, and once they turned over ball it had become a matter of time before they broke through to score. It was physical, ruthless and extremely effective.
In the second half, the teams played to a 12-12 draw.
Second half PBHS fightback
PBHS drew first blood after keeping possession for an extended period of time for the first time in the contest. Scrumhalf Joshua Naude made a sharp break and then opened up a gap on the outside for Rickus Wessels to go over in the right-hand corner. A fine kick from Kyle Hezlett made it seven points for the visitors’ efforts.
It didn’t take long for College to find a riposte, and it came from Travis Walton, who was awarded the five-pointer, correctly so, after consultation between the referee and one of his assistants, after a hard drive at the try-line.
Early in the match, Pretoria scrumhalf Naude had blotted his copybook when he picked up a yellow card. But in the 51st minute he made up for that with a scintillating break over the top of a ruck to catch College flat-footed. He sprinted away from 32 metres out to dot down in the left-hand corner. A big smile creased his features afterwards. It was College 36-12 Pretoria Boys’ High.
As time ticked away, the final say in the game went the way of Maritzburg College. SA Schools’ flyer Luyanda Kunene made the running from outside the Boys’ High 22, into the area, before feeding Langelihle Makhatini who rounded the Pretoria Boys’ High defenders on the right. Another successful kick from flyhalf Luc du Toit took the home team’s tally to 43.
“It was a good game”
When the final whistle rang out, it was Maritzburg College the winners by 31 points. “It was a good game,” coach Tim Orchard said. “We came out firing. It was always going to be tough after last week’s win, but we did well. A very good performance.”
Captain Shaun Schurmann and his men had pushed College hard. Sharks’ hooker Elbie Mouton was hobbling gingerly after the game, looking very uncomfortable. Captain Sasha Kadira, who struggled with flu in the build-up to the match, said: “It has been tough. But I am managing. I’m trying my best.”
Phiwayinkosi Kubheka, who had not only run out for the Sharks in the holidays, but also for SA Schools, admitted the physical workload has come at a cost. “It has taken a toll, but I am, at least, doing something that I love,” he said.
Credit to Boys’ High for fighting back so hard after taking a battering in the first half, but there were extenuating circumstances for College going off of the boil and, truth be told, it had something to do with their next opponents, not Boys’ High.
Coach Tim Orchard explained: “We started well, which allowed us to bring on all the substitutes, and give the guys a breather before the KES game next week.”
The Johannesburg school has enjoyed a good season, but they have also suffered a number of hiccups along the way, including a head-scratching 19-21 loss to Queen’s College, who had been thumped 51-5 by Jeppe two days earlier. KES beat Jeppe 23-20. In May, Affies handled KES, too, winning 43-20.
Hard to call
Based on those results, College, especially on Goldstones, should be regarded as favourites against the visitors from Johannesburg this coming Saturday. KES, though, were good enough to give Paarl Boys’ High all they could handle when the two sides duelled on 8 April, with the boys from the Western Cape escaping with a narrow 10-8 win.
The match will see SA Schools prop Kubheka facing his SA Schools hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele in the front row. Questioned about that challenge, Kuhheka said: “At the end of the day, it’s all love, but on the field it’s every man for himself. Off the field, it is all love. The brotherhood is still there.”
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