11 March 2023
Durban High School’s eye-catching new Blue and Gold AstroTurf played host to KwaZulu-Natal’s leading boys’ 1st hockey teams on the weekend, with the 10 schools engaging in non-cap, but fully competitive matches, as they prepare for the forthcoming season.
It created an opportunity to get a good look at the new facility and to check out the talent on offer this season. Neither disappointed.
First of all, the new Astro, with its rich gold lines and deep blue playing surface, makes a wonderful statement. It’s a fantastic asset, not only for DHS, but also for hockey in the Durban region and beyond.
Furthermore, it played remarkably well for a new field; usually new Astros are pretty bouncy for a good while, but it appears that this one is settling down nicely. There was little evidence of questionable hops.
Certainly, extensive use of the Blue and Gold Astro, like was seen on Friday and Saturday, when the schools engaged in a long list of fixtures, will help speed up that process.
In addition, happily, the field appears as if it was always meant to be laid where it is. The northern side features slightly elevated terraced seating, which makes it ideal for viewing.
Parts of the terraces are shaded, which means spectators have the option of either open or covered seating. On a hot day like Saturday – it peaked in the mid-thirties – the shade was welcome, but with most hockey being played in the cooler months the uncovered areas will also be popular.
At the west end, the facility features a flat roof area, in the south-eastern corner, right up against the field, from where teams are able to video their matches. That’s very useful and many schools made use of it. The southern side, where the teams sit, also has clear separation from others, which, one imagines, is how coaches would like it to be.
DHS has made a big investment, but, no doubt, they will regard it as long overdue and very worthwhile. Given the massive leaps the school’s hockey teams and players have made in recent years, they will be well-rewarded; the 1st team appears to be a very talented outfit with, arguably, the best player in KwaZulu-Natal, Lerou Ditlhakanyane, who has already been selected for the South African under-21 team.
Early impressions
Now, to the teams in action, and, disclaimer, these thoughts are based on seeing them playing only one match, remembering, too, that many of these players were, just one week ago, participating in cricket, basketball or water polo interschools games.
These early season outings are also not about the result, even though the teams, obviously, played to win. Coaches and players use such games to resolve questions they have: to try out tactical approaches, to run players in different positions to see how they handle their responsibilities there, to maybe try out a penalty corner option or two.
Impressive
In hot weather, which reached into the mid-thirties (never mind the higher temperature on the Astro itself), the players performed impressively, both in terms of fitness and skills’ execution, considering how early it is in the season.
Clifton, Hilton, DHS, Maritzburg College and Westville most impressed on the day, but each of the teams offered up their good moments.
Clifton and Michaelhouse appeared well matched, but Clifton’s sharp penalty corner routine garnered them two goals, and their forwards impressed not only as an attacking force, but also with their defensive work.
Saint Charles deserve plaudits for their gutsy come-from-behind 3-2 win over Northwood. They trailed 0-2 after the first stanza and appeared to be down and out. Clearly the players had no such thoughts, and they clinched victory with a stunning counter-attack and neat finish with only seconds remaining in the contest.
Hilton dominated the opening stages of their match against DHS, forcing the home team to play most of it deep in their own half. Credit to DHS, though, they were able to push back against Hilton in the next two chukkas, and it was thanks to the players’ skills and confidence on the ball that they were able to do that. Some lesser teams might find themselves under an unbearable load against a very well-organised Hilton this season.
Maritzburg College played assured hockey and their ability to get players forward in numbers when on the attack paid dividends in their outing against Glenwood. At the same time, they commanded matters on the defensive end, leading to a quiet afternoon for Glenwood’s strikers, who didn’t see much quality ball.
Westville and Kearsney engaged in a tight duel, with Westville doing a better job of stretching the field. Their confidence to play across the back and wait until an opportunity for forward progress presented itself was impressive. Too often teams execute one or two switches and then they’re done, settling for a less than sure pass instead of maintaining possession and manipulating the defenders.
Overall, it was an encouraging start to the season, and one looks forward to some fantastic competition when the season kicks into gear with full winter derby days on the weekend of 18 March. Hopefully the coaches have found the answers they were after before the past weekend’s play.
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