20 May 2025
Match two of the Sharks High Schools’ Rugby Day, on Hilton College‘s Weightman-Smith Field, delivered rich entertainment.
Northwood and Michaelhouse, fierce rivals who played out a 15-13 nail-biter earlier this season, combined for the day’s most thrilling contest, a nine-try spectacle that ended with the Knights pulling clear late to claim a 43-29 victory.
Michaelhouse struck first through left wing Rourke O’Sullivan, who finished expertly in the corner. From there, the match opened up. Northwood responded swiftly, and the scoreboard became a tug-of-war. With five minutes to play, the game hung in the balance at 33-29 in favour of the Knights.
Then came a crucial moment. Northwood, showing composure and discipline, opted for a kick at poles when awarded a penalty. Trevor van Volenstee slotted the three to make it a seven-point game. Minutes later, Ludi van der Walt sealed it with a fantastic finish, giving Northwood the cushion they needed.
“I thought it was a great contest,” Northwood coach Jacques Deen said afterwards. “Credit to [coach] James Fleming and his Michaelhouse team. They’re physical, well-drilled, and they came at us hard today. But I’m proud of the way we stuck to our processes. We knew if we got our set pieces right, the rest would follow.”
The Knights’ scrum played a telling role, applying consistent pressure and laying the foundation for their backline to fire. Bongane Khumalo, as always, made the most of his opportunities, slicing through the defence for another superb try.
Michaelhouse, though, had their own magic man in flyhalf Stefan Moolman, whose solo effort – stepping, spinning, and slicing through the line – was a moment of real quality.
Northwood’s number eight Jamie Wimble delivered a standout performance, combining vision and power. Locks Chad Howse and Lian Terblanche added physicality and energy around the park, underlining the Durban team’s all-round effort.
“This team isn’t built around individuals,” Deen noted. “We have talented players, like Jamie, Sphe Ntshangase, Bongane, Tristan Parkinson, but our success is rooted in everyone doing their job. That’s what carried us through today.”
Michaelhouse skipper William Ridl led from the front with a brace of tries, bringing his trademark physicality to the fore, but when the final whistle blew, Northwood had run in six tries to ‘House‘s four. The Balgowan Boys put up a committed fight, but the Knights left Hilton with a deserved double over their Midlands rivals.
While beaten in the 1st XV match, Michaelhouse claimed victories in the u16A, u15A, and u14A games.
The remainder of their sides clashes with Westville Boys’ High on Saturday, and they were given a hard workout.
It has been a good rugby season for Westville and their depth came through, with the Griffin winning 13 matches, buoyed by a dominant showing from their u14s, while Northwood won four. It’s not often that they are trumped for depth, but they were on Saturday.
RESULTS
1st: Northwood 43-29 Michaelhouse
2nd: Northwood 10-15 Westville
3rd: Northwood 14-39 Westville
4th: Northwood 33-24 Westville
5th: Northwood 0-27 Westville
6th: Northwood 5-29 Westville
16A: Northwood 21-27 Michaelhouse
16B: Northwood 12-22 Westville
16C: Northwood 10-0 Westville
16D: Northwood 50-0 Westville
16E: Northwood 14-12 Westville
15A: Northwood 19-40 Michaelhouse
15B: Northwood 12-48 Westville
15C: Northwood 0-19 Westville
15D: Northwood 10-47 Westville
15E: Northwood 14-34 Westville
14A: Northwood 12-19 Michaelhouse
14B: Northwood 0-50 Westville
14C: Northwood 0-45 Westville
14D: Northwood 0-24 Westville
14E: Northwood 0-55 Westville
HOCKEY
Beaten 5-4 by Michaelhouse on the Punchbowl Astro early in the season, the Knights returned to Balgowan and claimed a 3-2 win over a team that has enjoyed an impressive season.
Northwood also won the u16A match, while the u14s shared the spoils.
Northwood played further matches against Westville Boys’ High, with the Durban school winning five, Westville four, and three games finishing in draws.
RESULTS
1st: Michaelhouse 2-3 Northwood
2nd: Northwood 0-2 Westville
3rd: Northwood 2-1 Westville
4th: Northwood 2-0 Westville
16A: Michaelhouse 0-2 Northwood
16B: Northwood 3-0 Westville
16C: Northwood 1-1 Westville
16D: Northwood 1-2 Westville
16E: Northwood 2-2 Westville
16F: Northwood 2-3 Westville
14A: Michaelhouse 2-2 Northwood
14B: Northwood 1-0 Westville
14C: Northwood 0-2 Westville
14D: Northwood 2-0 Westville
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