10 June 2025
On a day of celebration with Old Boys packed along the touchlines to mark the 70th anniversary of Westville Boys’ High, the Griffin delivered a performance worthy of the occasion, seeing off Kearsney College 33-15 in a pulsating King Price Derby Series clash, on Bowden’s Field, on Saturday.
The victory not only extended Westville’s unbeaten run in 2025 but underlined the resurgence of a rugby programme that’s been on a steady rise. From the appointment of Pam Hayward as Director of Sport, to the leadership of Director of Rugby Dusty Noble, and the sharp tactical mind of first team coach Zander Erasmus, everything seems to be coming together for Westville.
Erasmus, who previously worked with many of his players at u16 level, spoke of the energy that enveloped the day: “I’ve never seen so many Old Boys at the school,” he said. “The tunnel from the changerooms to the field was packed. It was insane. Afterwards, the field was full of people taking photos with the players. Goosebumps!”
Westville’s start mirrored the electric atmosphere. Fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya, back in the lineup after missing the previous match against Glenwood, announced his return with a clever assist for outside centre Jadrian Afrikaner, who went over in the opening minutes.
But Kearsney was not going to roll over. A penalty from fullback Lwazi Mbebe got them on the board, and the visitors stifled Westville’s momentum for much of the remainder of the half. “We lost a bit of focus,” Erasmus admitted. “I think the excitement got to the boys after the early try. We started giving the ball away. In the second half, we reminded them to play in the right areas and trust the process.”
Kearsney, to their credit, matched Westville’s intensity. Inside centre Keanu Williamson, who was immense throughout, helped them claw back into the contest with a sharp break through the middle for a converted try under the posts, narrowing the gap to just two at 12-10.
But just before the break, Westville struck back. With time running out in the half, captain Liam Simpkins took a quick tap from a penalty just inside Kearsney’s half. Lock Lwandile Mlaba surged forward before offloading to Siyaya, who finished smartly in the corner. The home side led 19-10 at the break.
“Our performance really was a game of two halves,” Erasmus said. “In the second, we controlled territory and built pressure much better.”
Afrikaner added to his tally soon after the restart, running onto a flat pass at full tilt and crashing over near the uprights to complete his hat-trick. He was later named the King Price Man of the Match. Jade-Will Koopman slotted the extras to make it 26-10.
Kearsney continued to ask questions. A sharp counterattack involving Mbebe and Williamson looked to have paid off when Lwandle Mkhize dived over in the corner. However, the try was chalked off for a foot in touch, much to the relief of the Westville faithful.
Instead, it was Westville who struck next. Koopman fired a long pass to Avumile Lisa, who pinned his ears back and scorched down the left touchline to score. The flyhalf’s conversion pushed the lead to 33-10.
To their credit, Kearsney kept battling and found some consolation late on when Mkhize finally dotted down in the corner, capping off a spirited effort from the visitors.
Erasmus was full of praise for his charges. He highlighted the work of replacement eighthman Sange Nkonki, who filled in for Craven Week star Lwandile Simelane. “He was excellent over the ball. He’s a proper fetcher and gave us great value,” the coach said. He also singled out flanker Lwandile Makhanya and Simpkins for their tireless work rate and game management.
“Liam Simpkins doesn’t always get the attention he deserves,” Erasmus noted. “His leadership is exceptional. He knows when to speed up or slow down the game, and he’s always calm under pressure.”
Reflecting on Kearsney’s approach, Erasmus was generous in his praise, saying Kearsney caused his team issues at lineout time and also tested the Griffin with their cross-kicking, which other teams had been hesitant to try against the potent Westville backs.
He concluded: We knew we were up for a tough challenge. Credit has to go to the Kearsney coaches and players for showing up and making it a massive spectacle on Old Boys’ Day.”
For the first time in their history, Westville won all of their rugby fixtures for a second weekend in succession. They got it right against Glenwood the previous week, and those results reflect the rude health that the school’s rugby programme finds itself in.
RESULTS
1st: Westville 33-15 Kearsney
2nd: Westville 29-10 Kearsney
3rd: Westville 15-14 Kearsney
4th: Westville 20-12 Kearsney
5th: Westville 38-10 Kearsney
6th: Westville 24-0 Kearsney
16A: Westville 26-8 Kearsney
16B: Westville 28-0 Kearsney
16C: Westville 42-0 Kearsney
16D: Westville 33-15 Kearsney
15A: Westville 29-17 Kearsney
15B: Westville 52-12 Kearsney
15C: Westville 51-5 Kearsney
14A: Westville 36-30 Kearsney
14B: Westville 26-10 Kearsney
14C: Westville 53-3 Kearsney
HOCKEY
On the Astro, the Westville and Kearsney 1st XIs played out a 1-1 draw.
Both teams scored from penalty corners, with Westville skipper Seth Simpson slotting for the home team, while Keegan de Jager returned the favour for the visitors.
While Westville owned the rugby matches, it was far tighter in the hockey games. Westville won five, Kearsney won two and an incredible seven contests ended in draws. One of Kearsney’s victories came in the u16A match, while the u14A game ended in a draw.
RESULTS
1st: Westville 1-1 Kearsney
2nd: Westville 0-0 Kearsney
3rd: Westville 0-2 Kearsney
4th: Westville 0-0 Kearsney
16A: Westville 1-2 Kearsney
16B: Westville 1-1 Kearsney
16C: Westville 3-0 Kearsney
16D: Westville 6-0 Kearsney
16E: Westville 1-1 Kearsney 5th
16F: Westville 4-1 Kearsney 16E
14A: Westville 1-1 Kearsney
14B: Westville 1-1 Kearsney
14C: Westville 7-1 Kearsney
14D: Westville 2-0 Kearsney
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