Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival Day One: Match 4 and Match 5 results: The 13^th Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival kicked off in beautiful, warm sunshine following a week of KwaZulu-Ntal being battered by heavy rains. The Stott looked magnificent and in good condition, ready to welcome back players and spectators after seeing little action for two years during the Covid pandemic.

Play opened with a minute’s silence for the two Dale College 1^st XV players, Liyabona Teyise and Lisakhanya Lwana, who tragically died recently.  Dale has participated in several Kearsney festivals, including the inaugural one in 2008.

Match 5 Glenwood 29 – 12 Pretoria Boys

In the penultimate game on the first day, Glenwood played Pretoria Boys. Both sides were keen to run with the ball, resulting in many handling mistakes; but it was an entertaining game.Glenwood wing Mnelisi Gamede opened the scoring with a 60m run down the left touchline, outstripping the defence. This was followed with the Glenwood eighthman Lwazi Ngcobo breaking through the defence to dive over. Frederick Marx converted for the KZN side to lead 12-0.

Pretoria Boys got on to the scoreboard when right wing Liam Brown had a determined run to score in the right corner. Marx then added to Glenwood’s tally with a penalty, putting them into a 15-5 lead. A kick ahead from their 22m area was chased by Glenwood wing Renaldo Le Fleur, and a kind bounce enabled a dive over after outstripping the defence in the corner to increase the lead to 22-5 after a conversion by Marx.

Pretoria Boys ended the half with a determined run by captain Lilitha Matsiliza, converted by Justin Tattersall, for the half-time score 12-22 in favour of Glenwood. The Green Machine were first to score in the second half when fullback Andrew Maartins had a good run to dot down in the corner, and a good kick to add the extra points for a 29-12 lead. Despite the Pretoria boys pressing hard for the last 20 minutes of the game, they could not get through the Glenwood defence.

Scorers:

• Glenwood High School: Tries Gamede, Le Fleur, Maartins, Ngcobo; Conversions Marx (3); Penalty Marx
• Pretoria Boys High: Tries Brown, Matshiliza; Conversion Tattersall

Game 5 Pretoria Boys Lilitha Matswiliza

Match 4 Hoërskool Noord-Kaap 17 – 43 Selborne College

The fourth game saw East Londoners Selborne College pit themselves against Hoërskool Noord-Kaap from Kimberley. Selborne had greater weight in the scrums but the backs of Noord-Kaap were more agile. In the first four minutes Selborne were ahead with a try by wing Okwam Qavane. Noord-Kaap had a good run ending with the player being tackled just short, but Selborne were penalised for not rolling away.

The Noord-Kaap scrumhalf Bryan Kenny took a quick tap and dived over in the corner to score. Noord-Kaap kept hustling and with a long pass to the wing Fazludean Saim, he evaded the Selborne cover defences. Selborne flank Gareth Kriel helped by his forwards went over the line and with the conversion by Kyle van Wyk successful, put Selborne into a 12-5 lead at half time.

Early in the second half saw some dominance by Noord-Kaap which culminated in a try by centre Eldridge Jack following a quick ball from a scrum. This was converted by Keanon Davids and scores were again level at 12-12. Wing Saim then used some pace to score in the corner for Noord-Kaap to lead 17-12.

This galvanised Selborne and they then held sway as the forwards dominated. Twice in quick succession when forwards drove ended with first No 8 Aaron van Dyk scoring, and then flank Kriel going over with Van Wyk converting one for Selborne to hold a 24-17 lead. This was increased as their forwards continued to dominate. With the backs receiving plenty of ball, centre Blake Schwulst dived over, for a well converted by Van Wyk and a healthy 31-17 lead.

Flank Jacobs scored their sixth try when he scored close to the upright for an easy conversion by Van Wyk and the lead increasing to 38-17. Fullback Schwulst had the last say when he scored to increase the lead to 43 and a successful conversion by Van Wyk to 43-17.

Point scorers:

• Selborne Tries Qavane, Schwult, Nqungcream, Van Dyk, Jacobs, Kriel, Schwale; Conversons Van Wyk
• Noord-Kaap Tries Saim, Jack, Kenny; Conversions Davids

Game 4 Selborne fly half Kyle van Wyk

Game 4 Selborne fullback Caleb Schwagele.

All photos by TRACEY VAN DEN AARDWEG