25 March 2025
(Feature photo: Maritzburg College on Facebook)
For the second consecutive week, Northwood School showcased their resilience and determination, staging a dramatic late comeback to edge out Maritzburg College 24-21 in a thrilling King Price Derby Series encounter at Goldstone’s on Friday.
Trailing 10-21 with just 10 minutes left, the Knights refused to back down, proving that their fighting spirit is what defines them.
Winning at Goldstone’s is a massive feat, and while Northwood’s victories in recent weeks have been characterised by dramatic finishes, head coach Jacques Deen might be slightly concerned about his team’s tendency to fall behind early. Yet, in the end, all that matters is the result, and Northwood once again delivered when it mattered most.
With the imposing Basher Ridge packed with College supporters, the home side drew first blood in the seventh minute. Adam Cahill slotted a 28-metre penalty to put College 3-0 up. Northwood, however, responded almost immediately when Ludi van der Walt stepped up and calmly slotted a penalty from inside the hosts’ 22 to level the scores.
The visitors then gained a territorial advantage through a brilliant 50/22 kick from fullback Trevor van Vollenstee, setting up an attacking platform just five metres from the College try line. From a well-executed scrum move, right-wing Aphiwe Maphisa timed his run to perfection, looping around flyhalf Van der Walt before slicing through the College defence to score a well-taken try. Van der Walt added the conversion, giving Northwood a 10-3 lead.
College, known for their physical, direct style of play, stuck to their strengths, using their powerful forwards to hammer away at Northwood’s defensive line. Their persistence was rewarded with a penalty, which Cahill nailed from long range to reduce the deficit to 6-10.
After the break, College came out firing. Hooker Theo Boshoff made a strong carry off a driving maul, setting up captain Wasi Vyambwera to crash over for a well-earned try. Cahill converted, handing the home side a 13-10 lead.
Northwood responded with urgency, pressuring College deep inside their own 22. A near try for Maphisa was denied by the assistant referee, but from the ensuing College lineout, the ball went loose, and Northwood pounced. However, the referee had already blown for an infraction, allowing College to clear their lines.
College extended their lead to 16-10 through another Cahill penalty before executing a superb counterattack. A wide kick from Jordan Thackeray found Ntsika Mkize in space, on the left and quick interplay among the forwards saw prop Indiphile Mlotshwa dive over for a try. At 21-10, it looked like College was on course for victory.
But Northwood refused to surrender. A powerful driving maul allowed Jamie Wimble to score, and Van Vollenstee’s conversion cut the deficit to four. Then, in the dying moments, Jaydon Smith carved through the defence with a highlight reel run to dot down under the posts. Van Vollenstee’s conversion sealed a remarkable 24-21 victory.
Once again, Northwood had stolen victory at the death, proving their grit, composure, and never-say-die attitude.
RESULTS
1st: Maritzburg College 21-24 Northwood
2nd: Maritzburg College 24-7 Northwood
3rd: Maritzburg College 15-12 Northwood
4th: Maritzburg College 29-7 Northwood
5th: Maritzburg College 32-5 Northwood
6th: Maritzburg College 35-5 Northwood
7th: Maritzburg College 29-10 Alex 1st
8th: Maritzburg College 20-24 Michaelhouse
9th: Maritzburg College 25-20 Michaelhouse
10th: Maritzburg College 26-14 Michaelhouse
16A: Maritzburg College 26-45 Northwood
16B: Maritzburg College 17-7 Northwood
16C: Maritzburg College 25-17 Northwood
16D: Maritzburg College 24-19 Northwood
16E: Maritzburg College 41-12 Northwood
16F: Maritzburg College 12-17 Haythorne Secondary School
15A: Maritzburg College 20-19 Northwood
15B: Maritzburg College 10-5 Northwood
15C: Maritzburg College 6-3 Northwood
15D: Maritzburg College 44-12 Northwood
15E: Maritzburg College 27-12 Northwood
15F: Maritzburg College 10-46 Linpark A
14A: Maritzburg College 26-12 Northwood
14B: Maritzburg College 36-0 Northwood
14C: Maritzburg College 29-12 Northwood
14D: Maritzburg College 50-0 Northwood
14E: Maritzburg College 41-12 Northwood
14F: Maritzburg College 5-36 Northwood
HOCKEY
The Northwood 1st XI’s matches early in the hockey season have been goal-packed, which is not something that coach Justin Collins necessarily enjoys – he would prefer to see fewer goals conceded – but, from a neutral’s standpoint, the entertainment has been excellent.
Beaten 5-4 by Michaelhouse the previous weekend, the Knights bounced back to win for only the second time ever on Pape’s, edging out Maritzburg College 4-3 in a cracking contest.
Competition in the open age group was tight as could be, with two wins for College, two for Northwood, and one draw, with College scoring nine goals to eight in five matches.
Northwood held the edge in the u16 age group, with the hosts’ depth coming through at the lower level, while the u14 matches were evenly contested. One of the highlights of the day was the u14E game, which delivered an astonishing 12 goals, with College sneaking a 7-5 victory.
RESULTS
1st: Maritzburg College 3-4 Northwood
2nd: Maritzburg College 2-0 Northwood
3rd: Maritzburg College 1-1 Northwood
4th: Maritzburg College 2-1 Northwood
5th: Maritzburg College 1-2 Northwood
16A: Maritzburg College 0-1 Northwood
16B: Maritzburg College 2-5 Northwood
16C: Maritzburg College 0-1 Northwood
16D: Maritzburg College 1-2 Northwood
16E: Maritzburg College 3-0 Northwood
16F: Maritzburg College 3-2 Northwood
14A: Maritzburg College 3-1 Northwood
14B: Maritzburg College 1-1 Northwood
14C: Maritzburg College 0-0 Northwood
14D: Maritzburg College 0-3 Northwood
14E: Maritzburg College 7-5 Northwood
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