On a day thick with rivalry and dramatic comebacks, St Stithians clawed their way back from the abyss to secure a nail-biting 21-21 draw against St John’s. Meanwhile, schools across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape threw down the gauntlet with performances that ranged from gritty victories to outright thrashings.
At St John’s, the hosts seemed untouchable in the first half, with Shane Dalton, Ethan Francke, and Lwandile Khupe each crossing the try line to establish a formidable 21-0 lead. The tide, however, turned dramatically after halftime. St Stithians, refusing to buckle under the pressure, mounted a fierce comeback led by center Reece Hubner and a double from captain Siphosamandosi Cele. Their efforts culminated in a last-gasp draw that left the home crowd stunned and silent.
"We just kept believing and pushing. This is a testament to the heart and spirit of our team,"
noted an elated Cele post-match.In other matches, St Benedict’s finally snapped a demoralizing five-game losing streak with a clutch penalty that handed them a 23-20 win over St David’s. Down in KwaZulu-Natal, Michaelhouse scraped past Hilton with a tight 20-16 victory, while Kearsney College showed no mercy in a staggering 94-10 demolition of St Alban’s.
The Eastern Cape also witnessed its share of action-packed games. Dale College outpaced St Andrew’s 46-36 in a high-scoring affair. Selborne College and Graeme College weren’t far behind in dishing out rugby lessons, with Selborne decimating Stirling 85-7, and Graeme College putting Union High School to the sword, 51-10. Kingswood College also made headlines with a robust 48-7 win over Woodridge, and Hudson Park secured a 22-15 victory against Port Rex.
The weekend’s results paint a vivid picture of the passion and prowess permeating school rugby. With upsets, comebacks, and cricket scores in rugby matches, it’s clear that the young talents are not just playing for the win but also for the sheer love of the game and the glory of school pride.
Selected Schools Results:
- Noordvaal: St John’s 21 - St Stithians 21, St David’s 20 - St Benedicts 23
- KwaZulu-Natal: Michaelhouse 20 - Hilton 16, Kearsney 94 - St Alban’s 10
- Eastern Cape: Selborne 85 - Stirling 7, St Andrew’s 36 - Dale 46, Graeme 51 - Union 10, Woodridge 7 - Kingswood 48, Hudson Park 22 - Port Rex 15