18 June 2025
(Feature photo courtesy of Justin Waldman Sports Photography)
Hilton College, fresh off a confidence-boosting win over Northwood, would have quietly fancied their chances of adding another victory to their tally when they welcomed Maritzburg College to Gilfillan Field on Saturday. But sport has a way of delivering reminders that reputations don’t count for much once the whistle blows.
In a pulsating encounter, it was Maritzburg College who kept their composure when it mattered most, holding off a late Hilton surge to clinch a thrilling 23-20 victory. It was a result that felt all the more significant given the manner in which a very good College side had been outplayed at the same venue in 2023.
This time around, Coach Nico Breedt‘s charges brought a gritty intensity to the contest. They matched Hilton’s physicality up front and showed attacking invention when their opportunities came, while scrumhalf Dom du Toit‘s deadly boot ultimately proved the difference.
After an arm wrestle of an opening, it was College who struck first. Flyhalf Liyema Tsoko‘s superbly judged 50/22 set the visitors up deep in Hilton territory, and from the resulting lineout, flanker Cyril Cherayi came crashing infield from a maul to draw the defence. A slick scissors move with centre Olwethu Kosani cracked the line wide open, and Kosani didn’t need a second invitation to race through for the opening try.
Du Toit converted to make it 7-0 to the visitors after 10 minutes.
Hilton, known for their ability to grind down opponents with phase after phase of pressure, began to edge their way back into the contest. After hammering away at the fringes, lock Andrew Schnell finally breached the defensive wall, powering over from close range in the 23rd minute. The conversion attempt went wide, but the home side was on the board.
They would go into the break with the lead. After mauling inside the College 22, Hilton waited patiently before releasing the ball to captain and flyhalf Liyema Nela. A smart show-and-go fooled the defence and Nela glided over for a classy try under the posts. He converted his own score to hand Hilton a 12-7 advantage at halftime.
Nela extended that lead to 15-7 early in the second half with a long-range penalty, but College hit back through Du Toit, who matched his opposite number with a penalty of his own to make it 15-10.
The game then swung back in College’s favour in the 54th minute through a beautifully worked lineout move. Hooker Theo Boshoff‘s low dart to the front found prop Linamandla Mabanga, who popped the ball inside to the charging Cherayi. With Hilton’s defence momentarily scattered, the flank was through for his second try. Du Toit, unfazed out wide, nailed the conversion to edge College in front at 17-15.
Moments later, the cool-headed number nine slotted another penalty to push the College advantage to 20-15.
Hilton wasn’t done yet. With six minutes to play, they turned down a shot at goal and backed their lineout maul. Schnell, once again, rose to the occasion to secure possession, and a powerful surge towards the line set up John Grubb to finish out wide on the blindside. The score was level at 20-20 after the touchline conversion failed to find the mark.
But College had one final surge left in them. From a scrum near halfway, their pack delivered a mighty shove to win a penalty, and the supporters roared their approval. From 37 metres out, slightly to the left, du Toit stepped up and delivered, cool as ever, nudging his team back in front at 23-20.
There was still one last twist. With time up on the clock, Hilton earned a penalty and faced a defining decision – kick to the corner and go for a maul and the win, or kick at the posts and settle for a draw. They chose the latter. The responsibility fell to left wing John Grubb. From wide out, his strike had the distance but not the direction.
For Hilton, the loss will sting, but this coming weekend brings a massive opportunity to bounce back as they host Michaelhouse in one of schoolboy rugby’s most cherished rivalries.
While College enjoyed much the better of the results, take note of the Hilton 2nd XV, who continued an outstanding season with another win, convincingly beating College by 17 points. Maritzburg College’s u16A and u14A sides were especially impressive, scoring emphatic wins.
RESULTS
1st: Hilton 20-23 Maritzburg College
2nd: Hilton 24-7 Maritzburg College
3rd: Hilton 3-17 Maritzburg College
4th: Hilton 0-27 Maritzburg College
5th: Hilton 0-19 Maritzburg College
6th: Curro Hillcrest 1st 11-11 Maritzburg College
7th: Hilton 6th 0-31 Maritzburg College
8th: Hilton 7th 12-36 Maritzburg College
16A: Hilton 20-47 Maritzburg College
16B: Hilton 13-36 Maritzburg College
16C: Hilton 5-50 Maritzburg College
16E: St David’s u16C 15-14 Maritzburg College
16F: St Charles u16C 29-34 Maritzburg College
15A: Hilton 12-18 Maritzburg College
15B: Hilton 12-24 Maritzburg College
15C: Hilton 7-39 Maritzburg College
15D: Curro Hillcrest u15A 17-38 Maritzburg College
15E: Hilton u15D 0-50 Maritzburg College
15F: St David’s u15D 26-7 Maritzburg College
14A: Hilton 10-32 Maritzburg College
14B: Hilton 19-33 Maritzburg College
14C: Linpark u14A 13-24 Maritzburg College
14D: Hilton u14C 0-44 Maritzburg College
14E: St David’s u14D 8-50 Maritzburg College
HOCKEY
While the Maritzburg College 1st XV scored a notable win on Gillfillan Field in the afternoon, the Red Army, too, notched a big result in the morning on the Mansergh Astro, claiming a hard-fought 3-2 win over Hilton.
The u16A honours were shared, but College’s outstanding u14A team romped to a 4-0 victory.
RESULTS
1st: Hilton 2-3 Maritzburg College
2nd: Hilton 0-2 Maritzburg College
3rd: Hilton 0-4 Maritzburg College
4th: Hilton 3-1 Maritzburg College
5th: Hilton 0-0 Maritzburg College
16A: Hilton 1-1 Maritzburg College
16B: Hilton 0-2 Maritzburg College
16C: Hilton 2-3 Maritzburg College
16D: Hilton 1-4 Maritzburg College
16E: Hilton 1-3 Maritzburg College
14A: Hilton 0-4 Maritzburg College
14B: Hilton 3-2 Maritzburg College
14C: Hilton 4-2 Maritzburg College
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