Preview: College vs Glenwood
Both Maritzburg College and Glenwood come off losses in Pretoria over the weekend and would like nothing more than to get a valuable win under the belt when they meet on Goldstones this Saturday.
College lost 25-26 to Pretoria Boys High while Glenwood was beaten 10-28 by Affies in their last outings.
For College, the painful experience of going down by a single point must have felt like déjà vu. College is not a school to cry over spilled milk but as a neutral one just has to feel for them knowing that 11 more points scored across the board in five big games would have brought them five more victories – the kind of results that could have reshaped their 2012 season.
The feeling in the College camp is that Boys High was one of those games where crucial mistakes at times cost them dearly. Fighting back from being 23-11 at a stage, College scored two tries, the second near the death but it was a Pretoria Boys’ penalty in between the two dot downs that pushed the home team out of range and eventually sealed the deal. For College, flank Cameron Christie scored twice as part of a performance that was described as superb.
Looking ahead to the weekend’s game, the fullback position has been a concern at College. SA Schools player Jesse Kriel is again unavailable for this end of season clash and finding a reliable replacement has therefore been high on the priority list. As a result in comes debutant J Alexander who will no doubt have huge boots to fill.
Glenwood struggled to get hold of the ball in their encounter with Affies. AHS turned this possession into points whereas Glenwood did not maximise on their own opportunities. Glenwood looked dangerous when they did have ball but their lack of finishing meant they did not get what they deserved out of the game points wise.
For this weekend, the Green Machine will be looking for improvement in a number of areas. Importantly they want to show character as a team. There is a strong feeling that for a talented group, this year’s team has not operated in top gear for long enough to make it meaningful. They also want to improve on overall offensive defence and be more accurate with ball in hand.
Last time out these two teams drew 16-all following an unusual ending to the game. This is an indication of how closely matched the College and Glenwood are and sets the tone for a thrilling rematch. Saturday’s derby definitely carries one of those “not to be missed” tags. Spectators can look forward to a wonderful atmosphere and some passionate quality schoolboy rugby.
Enjoy the rugby.
The teams:
Maritzburg College: 15 J Alexander,14 C Muil,13 M Coetzee,12 M Janse Van Rensburg,11 B Ngwenya,10 L Booysen,9 J Rencken,8 R Smith (C),7 C Christie,6 N Muller,5 R Kamhoot,4 R Pieterse,3 M Khumalo,2 V Khatide,1 N Gumede
Glenwood: 15 U Makasi,14 D Stopforth,13 N Marwana,12 A Nela,11 S Ngcobo,10 W Potgieter,9 M Mkhabela,8 C Swart,7 M Mazibuko,6 R Kay,5 M Van Aardt,4 S Ngxabi,3 M Coetzee (C),2 K Westman,1 M Worral-Clare
By Beet