CC: Glenwood win brilliant match
'Still is beauty out of harshness bred.' A DHS man wrote that - Roy Campbell, South Africa's greatest poet. And it was true of Saturday's FNB Classic Clash in which Glenwood beat DHS 34-9 on Dixon's Field at Glenwood.
A lot of the background to the match was fraught with tension and upset, rumour, allegation and insult. The weather on the day of the match was horrible. But the match was itself was splendid as two hear-neighbours, great rivals played the game in the best possible way - with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure.
And the Traditions were there - the boys smart in their buttoned blazers and rejoicing in every success of their team,. The DHS team walking up their tunnel and then sprinting down it to rhythmic clapping. Glenwood sprinting around their curve of excited boys and then forming their huddle.
The wind blew and was behind Glenwood who led 17-0-3 at the break, thanks to a splendid try and the metronomic boot of flyhalf Warren Potgieter - and he did it into the wind as well. In fact, as many teams do, Glenwood found playing into the wind more productive as they ran the ball and passes became more sympathetic. With the wind made kicking easier and at times careless but into the wind the passing was magnificent.
On the score of passing: it was worth noting how well the boys of both teams handled, wind notwithstanding.
The very first tackle of the match - on Nkululeko Marwana, who had an excellent match, produced the first penalty and with it the first score when the flyhalf goaled.
The first try came soon afterwards when Glenwood went right and a magnificent, fast skip-pass went straight to Dylan Coulson who sprinted down the touch and dived for the try. 8-0 after 5 minutes. Three minutes later Warren Potgieter goaled a penalty again.
A chip by DHS's Kurt Webster put DHS on the attack, hammering at the Glenwood line, fuelled by two penalties and a five-metre scrum but flank Rupert Kay won a turnover and scrumhalf Mtokosizi Mkhabela hoofed the ball into the land of DHS where Warren Potgieter made it 14-0 after 16 minutes. He tried one from his own 10-metre line but it dipped just under the crossbar - just.
Carel Swart, who had had a heavy tackle, had a splendid run but Glenwood lost the ball over the goal-line when a try seemed inevitable.
Dylan Coulson incurred a bizarre yellow card. He chipped and went to follow, colliding almost immediately with Notha Sibisi of DHS who had leapt to charge the kick down. The assistant referee reported Dylan Coulson for an air tackle. You will never see that again.
Glenwood were penalised for a trip and Kurt Webster goaled into the wind. 14-4 after 31 minutes but then Warren Webster goaled his fourth a minute later.
DHS had the wind and opened the scoring when their splendid centre Le Roux van Zyl let fly with an angled drop from 45 metres out and it flew high and true. 17-6 after 44 minutes and then 17-9 when Kurt Webster goaled his second.
But really the half belonged to Glenwood. They ere close down the left and then from a five-metre scrum, eighthman Michael van Aardt picked up and ploughed through three defenders for the try 24-9.
From a scrum, Glenwood went right - 8 - 9 - 14 and Dylan Coulson cut back to score his second try. Potgieter converted and ended the scoring with yet another penalty goal.
The occasion was enhanced by television broadcasts in English with Andy Capistagno and Warren Brosnihan and in Afrikaans with Hennie Koortzen and Breyton Paulse.
The scorers:
For Glenwood:
Tries: Dylan Coulson 2, Michael van Aardt
Cons: Warren Potgieter 2
Pens: Potgieter 5
For DHS:
Pens: Kurt Webster 2
DG: Le Roux van Zyl
The teams:
DHS: 15 Kevin Tlale, 14 Andrew Kelner, 13 Ntlantla Ngubane, 12 Le Roux van Zyl, 11 Notha Sibisi, 10 Kurt Webster, 9 Ryan Killian, 8 Gilmore Munro, 7 Mitchell Hayes, 6 Jarred Ryder, 5 Carlos Lausberg, 4 Werner Kotze, 3 JP Pieterse, 2 Zuko Nqawe (captain), 1 Lindani Dlamini.
Replacements: 16 Matthew Drew, 17 Pedro Miguel, 18 Dane Mare, 19 Ruhan Venter, 20 Siphesihle Khanyile, 21 Nicholas Vels, 22 Blessing Buthelezi.
Coaches: Deon Gericke, Bryan Adam
Glenwood: 15 Untahi Makasi, 14 Dylan Coulson, 13 Nkululeko Marwana, 12 Akhona Nela, 11 Corné Vermaak, 10 Warren Potgieter, 9 Mtokosizi Mkhabela, 8 Michael van Aardt, 7 Rupert Kay, 6 Carel Swart, 5 Sihle Ngxabi, 4 Wandile Mazibuko, 3 Marne Coetzee (captain), 2 Sanele Pina,1 Matthew Worral-Clare.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Westman, 17 Wayne Vermeulen, 18 Jaques Meintjies, 19 Sebastiano Bracco, 20 Nkululeko Mcuma, 21 Sphamandla Ngcobo, 22 Heino Beneke, 23 Vusi Mthembu, 24 Thayne Flanagan.
Coaches: Sean Erasmus, Rudi Dames
Referee: Zane Watson (KwaZulu-Natal Referees' Society)
Assistant referees: Wesley van der Linde (KwaZulu-Natal Referees' Society), Nhlanhla Bulose (KwaZulu-Natal Referees' Society)