A day to remember in Balgowan

Michaelhouse hosted Glenwood in Balgowan on a spectacular late summer day. The visitors would have been smarting after their narrow defeat against Kearsney the previous week, but buoyed by the fact that they had not lost to Michaelhouse since 2008.

Kickoff was earlier than usual to ensure that the predicted storm didn’t have an effect the game.

The hosts got off to a great start, dominating the early territory stakes, also forcing the first penalty after eight minutes. Michaelhouse converted this early ascendency into points when 2014 Academy flyhalf, Bader Pretorius calmly slotted a drop goal to take the hosts into the lead. Glenwood wasted no time in responding and quickly scored the first try of the encounter. Flyhalf Jerome Bossr converted with a tricky kick from the left hand touchline.

Michaelhouse continued to drive dominantly and it was not long before fullback, Liam Furniss, relishing the position shift from wing, managed to unlock Glenwood’s defence to run in an unconverted try. Glenwood’s pivot had brought his kicking boots to Balgowan and slotted a penalty just before the break to regain the visitors' lead.  

The second half became something of an arm-wrestle with Michaelhouse managing to secure more possession and forcing a few penalties.  The two sides traded successful penalties and the score remained at 13-11 to Glenwood for much of the second half.

After sustained driving pressure late in the second half, Michaelhouse flung the ball wide for a try through right wing, Frank Goble. The conversion by Pretorius extended the hosts' lead to 18-13. Pretorius would have been disappointed with his place-kicking game, leaving eight points behind on Meadows – albeit, six of them were long range attempts from the half-way line.

Glenwood attacked the Michaelhouse try-line relentlessly for the final four minutes of the game and were rewarded by crossing the try-line; but it was a fantastic, try-saving tackle by Liam Furniss, who managed to hold the ball up, preventing an otherwise definite try and handing a good 18-13 win to Michaelhouse.

While Glenwood dominated the age group encounters on the day, it was a day to be remembered for open rugby at Michaelhouse, with the second’s going down narrowly 17-20, the third XV claiming a solid 17-10 win; a draw for the fourths, a tight loss for the fifths and wins for the sixth XV all the way down to the eighths.

From Murray Witherspoon