Northwood kept a dangerous Jeppe High School for Boys 1st XV from crossing their try line, holding the visitors to their lowest points’ output of the season, in a 30-6 win on Reece-Edwards Field on Saturday.
The 24-point margin, perhaps, doesn’t do justice to how tough the battle was. At halftime, the Knights led only 9-3, which, shortly after the restart, became 9-6. But they scored the only tries of the match, three in total, after that, including one right before the final whistle to claim a handsome win.
It was a last outing on Reece-Edwards for Northwood’s matrics, and they rose to the occasion against a school that had overrun them the last time they visited Durban, winning 40-8 after leading by only seven points at halftime.
Flyhalf Sondelani Sheleni was money, making all of his kicks, three penalties, including one from near halfway, and three conversions, including one from the touchline.
Up front, the Northwood pack bossed Jeppe in the set scrums, but the visitors possess a redoubtable spirit, and they kept fighting hard.
Fullback Trevor von Volenstee crossed for the first try. He occupied the no. 10 channel, then looped around Sheleni before taking a return pass and knifing into a gap. A dummy run by left-wing Jadon Smith froze the defenders for a moment, and that was all Van Volenstee needed. With a hard step off his right foot, he was over for five.
Phinda Nkosi then showed Jeppe a clean pair of heels after sharp ball movement, from one side of the field to the other, created some space on the right, and he took an outside gap before making the dive for five in the right corner.
It was Nkosi’s day because he was also the recipient of a try-scoring pass laid on by lock Nala Shabangu. Again, the Knights moved Jeppe from one touchline to the other. Shabangu then showed a sharp turn of pace to beat a defender out wide before drawing the last man and putting Nkosi clear. He celebrated with a theatrical dive for a try under the uprights.
It was a good day for Northwood’s rugby teams. They won six of the seven open age group matches, and shared the u16 results, two-all, which included a win for the u16A side.
Jeppe ruled the u15 matches, scoring four wins out of four, while Northwood won three of four u14 games, although Jeppe claimed the A-team victory by a tight two points.
Add that up, and Northwood scored 11 wins to Jeppe’s eight.
RUGBY
Results
1st: Northwood 30-6 Jeppe
2nd: Northwood 27-24 Jeppe
3rd: Northwood 12-3 Jeppe
4th: Northwood 24-12 Jeppe
5th: Northwood 10-7 Jeppe
6th: Northwood 24-19 Jeppe
7th: Northwood 7-49 Jeppe
16A: Northwood 25-14 Jeppe
16B: Northwood 24-33 Jeppe
16C: Northwood 52-0 Jeppe
16D: Northwood 5-49 Jeppe
15A: Northwood 0-41 Jeppe
15B: Northwood 5-59 Jeppe
15C: Northwood 10-12 Jeppe
15D: Northwood 7-35 Jeppe
14A: Northwood 12-14 Jeppe
14B: Northwood 35-22 Jeppe
14C: Northwood 29-7 Jeppe
14D: Northwood 12-5 Jeppe
HOCKEY
On the Astro, in a meeting of two in-form teams, Jeppe scraped a 1-0 win in the meeting of the 1st XIs.
Clearly, the Kensington school’s hockey programme is in a good space. They won four of the six open age group games, and the other two ended in draws.
Jeppe repeated their 1-0 win in the u16A match. In the seven games at that level, Jeppe won three, three were drawn, and Northwood picked up a win.
The u14A match ended 1-1. The B-teams also shared a draw, while Northwood won the other two matches.
Overall, that made it seven wins to Jeppe, three to Northwood, and seven draws.
Results
1st: Northwood 0-1 Jeppe
2nd: Northwood 0-2 Jeppe
3rd: Northwood 1-1 Jeppe
4th: Northwood 0-5 Jeppe
5th: Northwood 1-1 Jeppe
6th: Northwood 0-9 Jeppe
16A: Northwood 0-1 Jeppe
16B: Northwood 3-3 Jeppe
16C: Northwood 0-4 Jeppe
16D: Northwood 1-1 Jeppe
16E: Northwood 1-1 Jeppe
16F: Northwood 5-0 Jeppe
16G: Northwood 2-4 Jeppe
14A: Northwood 1-1 Jeppe
14B: Northwood 0-0 Jeppe
14C: Northwood 1-0 Jeppe
14D: Northwood 3-1 Jeppe u14D/u14E