21 January 2025
Article by Marlowe Bloem
The blue sky was sparsely populated with clouds on a classic Durban summer’s day when Northwood School hosted Durban High School (DHS) in cricket, basketball and water polo matches on Saturday.
In the early afternoon, the first team water polo match caught my attention. Last year, Northwood and DHS emerged as potential contenders for the top spot in KZN water polo as the sport experienced an uptick in the province.
At the end of 2024, however, their water polo teams were outshone by other KZN sides, including Kearsney and Hilton, although a win by DHS over one of the traditional powers, Clifton, in the KZN Top 10, was a clear indication of their improvement and the danger they will pose in 2025.
Saturday’s clash was an opportunity to see the sides in action for a first time in the new school year, and to get a feel for where they might be headed.
In the opening chukka, DHS enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession. They hit the woodwork twice from long-range shots, but they scored the opening goal of the game through their captain and SA Schools’ defender, Kirk Wilson, who beat the ‘keeper with a powerful blast from the penalty spot.
It was 1-0 at the end of the first chukka, but DHS looked likelier to score, thanks to their sound defence, and they added another three goals before half-time.
The third quarter produced more goal-scoring, with the Knights striking twice, but the Horseflies replied with another three as Adrian Truter made his presence felt with strong finishing from the left.
DHS, then, added two more goals in the final quarter to score a convincing 9-3 win.
School is going to challenge the established top dogs in 2025, no doubt. The Knights, meanwhile, are clawing their way towards that top tier and it feels as if they’re trying to flick a switch, which would take them from potential to performance. Keep an eye on them!
Commenting on the game afterwards, DHS captain Kirk Wilson said: “It’s a first win for DHS in a long time against Northwood. It’s a good way to start the season.
“For a long time, we’ve been waiting for this year, to be in matric and to be one of the top dogs.”
The current standard of coaching in KwaZulu-Natal is exceptional, which is why KZN sides are on the rise, and DHS, too, is blessed with formidable coaches, as Wilson explained: “We have a new coach on board, Mr Donn Stewart. He’s an Olympian, and Mr Luke Manthe, who has come from New Zealand.
“Mr Stewart is the 1st team coach and he has been drilling us with swim sets the past few weeks, and the benefits of that are showing in the pool. Mr Manthe is still working out his role in water polo, but he has a lot of experience. It’s really exciting.”
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