Overview Sporting Achievements
College’s rugby, hockey and tennis 1st teams headed up to St Stithian’s to take part in the Saints Sports festival over the weekend.
On campus, College hosted a very successful U11 and U13 Prep Schools Rugby Festival with primary schools from around the province participating
Rugby
College’s 1st XV played three games at the St Stithian’s Sports Festival, winning one and losing two. The first game was against Michaelhouse which they lost 32-33. They played Bishops on Saturday losing 10-31 but made a great recovery against Grey High winning the game 36-27.
1st XV March Reports (Mr Tim Orchard, 1st XV coach)
Vs Michaelhouse Lost 32-33
College played their first match at the Festival against midlands rival Michaelhouse in what was a mouth-watering encounter for the large number of Old Boys from both schools in attendance. Michaelhouse started the better side and as a result dominated the opening proceedings. College took time to get back into the match, which combined with many individual errors, prevented them from asserting any form of control on the match. The scoreboard swung between the sides but in the end, Michaelhouse prevailed in a tight affair which was an exhilarating encounter for the neutral observer.
Maritzburg College 32
Tries: Van den Berg, Bester, Ngcobo x2
Conversions: Knoetze x 3
Penalty Goals: Knoetze x 1
Michaelhouse 33
Vs Bishops Diocesan College Lost 10-31
On the second day of the Festival, Maritzburg College played Bishops on a damp, dreary morning. The conditions had an impact on proceedings as several mistakes which could be attributed to the damp pitch occurred. College came out firing and had Bishops under pressure early on, but unfortunately against a side like Bishops, could not convert that pressure into points. Bishops held a narrow lead at halftime, leading 14-3 but the second half was entirely all Bishops as they scored 16 points to College’s 7, winning the match 30-10.
Maritzburg College 10
Tries: Van Den Berg
Conversions: Knoetze x1
Penalties: Knoetze x1
Bishops 31
Vs Grey High School
The final day of the Festival saw Maritzburg College face Grey High School in a must win for both sides. The first half was entirely all Grey High who undoubtably played the better rugby, but Maritzburg College managed to hang in there with the deficit being 24-12 to Grey. Several changes were made at half time by the College coaches which had a direct bearing on the match, the most important being the shift of Spah Ngcobo to flyhalf from fullback. This allowed the College side to be more direct on attack and placed huge pressure on a Grey defence which started to creak. If the first half belonged to Grey, then the second half definitely belonged to Maritzburg College. College scored 24 points to Grey’s 3 in a scintillating display of what the team is capable of on attack.
Maritzburg College 36
Tries: Ngcobo, Van Den Berg, Prinsloo L, Bester, Mbonambi
Conversions: Knoetze x4
Penalties: Knoetze x1
Grey High School 27
Hockey
College 1st XI had a great Saints Festival, winning three of their five matches, drawing one and losing one.
Summary of Results:
vs St Andrews won 2-1
vs St Benedicts won 2-1
vs Parel Vallei drew 1-1
vs St Stithians lost 1-2
vs St Albans won 5-1
1st XI Match Reports (Mr Kyle Emerson, 1st XI coach)
Vs St Andrews College Won 2-1
The first game of the festival was against St Andrews College from Grahamstown and it was College who got off to a superior start. The College 1st XI controlled possession and tempo well and gained numerous circle entries early on; the best of the lot coming from an attacking long corner, where the ball was transferred to Matthew Ponter, which he slapped in powerfully from distance and finding an unmarked Connor Fulton, who got off a snap shot which drew an excellent save from the St Andrews keeper. Moments later, College were awarded their first penalty corner. College got off lightly, as an error in routine forced the umpire to award a free out.
College again, started the second period brightly and it wasn’t long before Glenton Winlock laid off a pass to Connor Fulton at the top of the circle, who eliminated his defender and entered the circle. The ball ended up on the stick of Alwande Chiliza, who calmly finished from the right baseline past the keepers near post, taking College into the lead.
For long periods post the opening goal, it was not all smooth sailing for Maritzburg College. St Andrews managed to gain some momentum and held onto possession with efficiency. St Andrews started pressing slightly higher, forcing some errors from the Maritzburg College outfit. Despite some adversity, College earned their second penalty corner of the game, through a dynamic individual effort by Alex Styan. Unfortunately, the result was another save by the St Andrews keeper. Moments before the end of the half, St Andrews earned a penalty corner, which College defended poorly and allowed the St Andrews drag flicker to slot one into the College goal. The score was 1-1 going into the second half.
The second half started with attacks both ways and it was St Andrews who got the first penalty corner of the half. Fortunately Roan Marais and the College defence kept the score at 1-1 with some resolute defence on numerous attacks from St Andrews.
The fourth quarter started extremely well for College. Phiwa Dlamini made a good infield break from the right touch line and managed a circle entry, before the ball ended up with Connor Fulton who fired a second phase shot which ended up in the net. College taking a 2-1 lead, which ended up being enough to seal the win. Mixed emotions from the College 1st XI, as it was not the best performance, but a win nonetheless.
Vs St Benedict’s Won 2-1
College took on St Benedict’s in their second match of the festival. It was the first of two games for the day and College would have been confident to be superior in this match. Despite a decent few minutes at the start of the game, it did not go according to plan for the College side, conceding an early and rather soft goal. Countless technical errors in the College deep defence gifted St Benedict’s the first goal of the match, forcing College to play catch up early on. Before the end of the quarter, Alex Styan created a good turnover in midfield and thereafter threaded a pass to Oliver Currie in the circle, who unfortunately missed the target. College struggled to find any sort of rhythm and would have welcomed the quarter break to reset.
The second period started better for College, with Matthew Ponter offering good control in the outlet. College managed a few circle entries on the right side as the quarter progressed, with Matthew Ponter again being the catalyst. College started to gain some momentum and if it wasn’t for some technical errors in the final third, could have certainly created more attacking chances. Oliver Currie then made a long attacking run, using an aerial skill effectively and broke into the circle and fired a shot that unfortunately hit the upright. Momentum was starting to swing and College were gaining some much needed confidence and rhythm.
The second half started with College desperate to improve and it started relatively well, with many good phases being put together. College eventually got their desired outcome, after Asanda Khumalo slapped a ball over distance, where Ross Graham won the contest and combined well, when Landiswa Seshemane eventually got on the end of a goal mouth scramble and tapped it in to make it 1-1. The third period was frantic both ends, with a massive lack of discipline from the College side. A number of cards meant the game lacked any sort of rhythm and consistency. St Benedict’s caused some trouble for the College press through their right side on a number of occasions and subsequently gained a few entries into the College circle. The game remained 1-1 at the end of the third quarter and it was all to play for in the last.
At the start of the fourth quarter, College got an attacking long corner and transferred the ball to Asanda Khumalo who played the ball into the circle. Connor Fulton got onto the end of it and set Ross Graham up for an easy tap in after beating the keeper. Ross Graham’s goal proving enough to secure the second win of the festival. A good result, but College would again be disappointed at their application and discipline.
Vs Parel Vallei High School Drew 1-1
The final game of day two and the third game of the festival, saw a College side at back of two from two wins, come up against unfamiliar opposition in Parel Vallei. A game which College would have expected to dominate, certainly was not the case throughout.
The first quarter saw the College side with one of the best passages of play this year, manipulating the Parel Vallei press with thorough movement, efficient passing and executing the game plan to perfection. The ball started deep in the College half, the ball was transferred to Kyle Dobeyn, who played an infield ball to Alex Styan who neatly deflected the ball to a free Connor Fulton. Fulton received and broke infield and rolled a wonderful ball into the final third that was played in early to find Ross Graham who calmly tapped in for the opening goal of the game. College dominated the first quarter, but sadly let their lead slip through a lapse in concentration, which saw Parel Vallei earning a penalty stroke, which they subsequently converted to level things up.
Despite not getting ahead of the game, it was one of the better performances from the College 1st XI against a well organised and disciplined opposition. College were unlucky not to snatch victory towards the end of the game, with two high quality circle entries which the College boys should have converted. 1-1 the final score, which saw the team remain unbeaten ahead of well needed rest day, before a tough last day.
Vs St Stithian’s Lost 1 – 2
After the rest day on Friday, College would take on hosts St Stithian’s which was set to be a good game after both teams had showed that they play with structure and are tactically aware. The match got off to a fast start and in the first minute of the match College would take a one nil lead. Matthew Ponter played a great ball up the Ross Graham at striker who crossed the ball into the circle and after it hit a defenders stick it bounced up into the air and Connor Fulton smashed the bouncing ball into the back of the net.
College were unlucky to not receive a penalty corner after it hit a defenders foot and from the counter attach St Stithians would run down the field and earn their own penalty corner for a bad tackle in the 7th minute. St Stithian’s would send a good drag flick into the goal and tie the score at 1-1. St Stithian’s would take the lead in the 4th minute of the second quarter. Another drag flick into the corner of the goal. Both teams created chances and Roan Marais made a great save when St Stithian’s were awarded a stroke after a bad foul in the circle. The score would end 2-1 to St Stithian’s who did well to take their chances in the game and earn a well-deserved victory.
Vs St Alban’s Won 5 – 1
The last match of the festival was against an organised St Alban;s team coached by a previous 1st XI coach of Maritzburg College, Guy Elliot. It was also going to be a tactical battle and the result would come down to who were able to create better chances in the game.
The first quarter saw both teams create scoring opportunities and the St Alban’s goalkeeper kept the score line at 0-0 going in to the quarter break. St Alban’s would have the first penalty corner of the game and Roan Marais made a good first save and Alex Styan made the second save off the line. College would break the deadlock 5 minutes from half time when Cameron van der Vliet rolled the ball into the 9-yard area and Awande Chiliza did well to flick the ball over the goalkeeper. It was in the third quarter that College would assert their dominance and take the game away from St Alban’s. Landiswa Seshemane was the next on the scoresheet when he shot low and hard when he was passed the ball by Connor Fulton. 30 seconds later and College would make it 3-0 when Kyle Dobeyn passed the ball to Seshemane in the circle who rolled it to Glenton Winlock who hit the ball firmly into the bottom corner of the goal to beat the diving goalkeeper. Two minutes later and it was Oliver Currie who flicked the ball passed the goalkeeper on his near post after Asanda Khumalo did well to beat the defender on the right side of the circle and find him in the circle.
St Alban’s were able to pull a goal back at the start of the 4th quarter after College failed to clear the ball from the circle and the St Alban’s striker was able to easily roll the ball into the goal. Jared de Billot would seal a good performance off with a fifth goal for College after a well-worked penalty corner variation. The match would end 5-1 to College and score line was a good reflection on the team’s ability to convert good chances in this game.
Tennis
In their first outing at the St Stithian’s Sports Festival, College’s tennis team had a busy couple of days playing a number of round robin matches against St Benedicts, Saints, Clifton, PBHS and Helpmekaar. They struggled, eventually finishing 8th overall, but learned an enormous amount playing against some of the top teams, and thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Canoeing
A number of College boys took part in KZN Sprint Champions placing in various categories
1000m K1
U14
Scott Venniker – 1st
Keegan Vogt – 5th
U16
Jayden Janse van Rensburg – 4th
Keith Award – 5th
U18
Ian Hemingway – 5th
1000m K2
U14
Scott Venniker & Fynn Venniker – 3rd
U16
Jayden Janse van Rensburg & Keith Award – 2nd
Luke O’ Connor & Keelyn Tucker – 4th
500m K1
U14
Scott Venniker – 1st
Keegan Vogt – 6th
U16
Keith Award – 3rd
Jayden Janse van Rensburg – 4th
Luke O’ Connor – 6th
U18
Ian Hemingway – 4th
500m K2
U14
Scott Venniker & Fynn Venniker – 1st
U16
Jayden Janse van Rensburg & Keith Award – 3rd
Luke O’ Connor & Keilyn Tucker – 4th