Kearsney captain and No 8 Nhalanhla Ndlovu heads for the tryline in his team's defeat of Rustenburg on Day One.
Image: Gaby Swanepoel
After a thrilling opening day at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, Saturday’s schedule promises more rich entertainment, with the day’s final match between Westville and Helpmekaar the one that stands out.
On Thursday, Helpmekaar was more efficient than spectacular, and not at their best after their recent participation in the Noord/Suid Tournament. Playing the first match of the day against Glenwood, they were let down by their hands as both units struggled with the morning dew. With improved handling, they could have inflicted some serious damage. Instead, they won 24-5.
They’re going to have to be better, though, when they take on Westville, who overwhelmed Framesby, turning a 17-0 lead at halftime into an 83-0 victory with power, speed, and precision. Helpmekaar will need to contest every ball because the Griffins showed that with quality possession, they have devastating runners.
The day’s action begins at 08:00 with a clash that should deliver huge dollops of running rugby, with both Peterhouse and Milnerton at their best when the game is looser. Both teams like to give the ball air.
At 9:20, Durban High School (DHS), fresh off an intense 31-14 victory over Zwartkop, takes on Rustenburg. Two seasons ago, a rugged DHS side blanked Rusties 45-0, and they won 41-7 in 2025. They’ll be focused on avoiding a let-down after a taxing test from Zwarries.
The North West school, meanwhile, will be eager to erase the sour taste of those defeats. They played some good rugby against Kearsney, exhibiting good structure, and they drove the ball up effectively through their forwards, but the home side punished them for turning over the ball with some long-range counterattacking tries.
Much like DHS, Zwartkop will need to lift themselves for their clash against Dr EG Jansen at 10:40. Their challenge will be to replicate the intensity they put into their opening match. Their backline looked dangerous and tested DHS, a sound defensive unit, and Jansies will have to be on their game to prevent Zwarries from moving the ball wide.
EG Jansen were at their best when they kept the game tight against Milnerton, and they’ll need to employ that formula to bag another win against Zwartkop.
Glenwood faces Framesby at 13:00. It’s an opportunity for both sides to pick up a first win of the festival. The Green Machine was let down by their handling against Helpmekaar in the early morning on Stott Field on Thursday, but they won’t face that same challenge on Saturday. They’ll know they played themselves into some good positions, only to be stopped by their unforced errors.
The Gqeberha boys endured a nightmare outing against Westville. Intensity will be key for them, and also ensuring that they play a far tighter game. When the match became loose against Westville, they were exposed. Their response to that big loss could be a defining outing in their season.
Kearsney College’s clash against Transvalia at 14:20 should present an interesting clash of contrasting styles. Kearsney’s slick handling and ability to get the ball wide quickly caught the eye in their win over Rustenburg on Thursday. Transvalia, meanwhile, shut down Peterhouse with a methodical, structured approach. Both can be winning formulas.
Kearsney, in wins over St Charles and Glenwood, have already shown they can win in different ways in different playing conditions. Transvalia might have to show adaptability, too, to challenge the exciting One-Stripe.
All matches will be live-streamed on the SuperSport Schools app and website.
FIXTURES
Boys High and Girls U16 teams
Day Two, Saturday 4 April
08:00 Peterhouse vs Milnerton; 09:20 DHS School vs Rustenburg; 10:40 Zwartkop vs Dr EG Jansen; 12:00 Ogwini v Ohlange; 13:00 Glenwood vs Framesby; 14:20 Kearsney vs Transvalia; 15:40 Westville vs Helpmekaa.
Day Three, Monday 6 April
08:00 Transvalia vs Framesby; 09:20 Glenwood vs Dr EG Jansen; 10:40 Peterhouse vs Rustenburg; 12:00 Ogwini v Mowat Park; 12:50 Closing ceremony; 13:00 Westville vs Milnerton; 14:20 DHS vs Helpmekaar; 15:40 Kearsney vs Zwartkop.