FLIPPING BOOK CHRONICLE 2024

We welcomed Helpmekaar from Johannesburg for the third year in a row for the season opener. They travelled down with four open teams and two per age group. Yet again they provided a fantastic hit-out and physical first weekend of rugby. We came through relatively unscathed and achieved a 50% win ratio, which we were very pleased with. Our traditional school season included only nine games, with four home games and five away. We also had a double header against Kearsney owing to the state school holidays and ours not being aligned. We hosted Pretoria Boys High as our out-of province game on our Old Boys’ Day after travelling up to play them in the capital in 2023. First up was an away fixture against Westville, which is never easy, especially with the humidity in March. We fielded 23 teams – including down to E-teams in each age group – and managed to win 16 of the matches, including a very satisfying 17-10 result for Mr Chris Felix’s U14A. All in all, it was a brilliant start to the season before we broke for the Easter holidays. The First XV, Second XV and U16A then embarked on a tour to Cape Town, where they played games against Bishops, SACS, Wynberg and St Andrew’s as part of Bishops’ 175th anniversary celebrations. What a wonderful setting and experience for the boys, and they performed admirably. The U16A returned unbeaten, whereas the open teams each lost one game narrowly. The U15A hosted a festival at Michaelhouse and won all three of their games against St Andrew’s, St Alban’s and Cornwall Hill. The opportunity to give a wider squad game time and the chance to run on to Meadows were the highlights for the team. The U14A travelled to College, where they had a tough time playing Centurion, HTS Middleburg and EG Jansen. They won the first, drew the second and lost the third. However, it was an invaluable bonding time for the boys and a chance for the coaches to get to know the new boys. The First XV also attended the St Stithians festival over the Easter weekend, which was reduced to two games. They went down to St John’s, Harare, and beat St Andrew’s to retain the Currey-Clark Cup. The squad also enjoyed a visit to Loftus Versfeld, which included a recovery session in that venue’s impressive facility. Northwood were our first fixture of the second quarter. We raised 24 teams, including an U16F side, and managed to win all of our age-group A games and the First XV match, an impressive feat considering that Northwood are a strong school and had been back at school for two weeks while we were on holiday. In total, we won 17 games and lost only seven. A real credit to the boys. Our next weekend was the first of the two Kearsney fixtures. This one was officially at home, although the U15A, U16A and First XV played their games at Kings Park as part of the Sharks’ Schools trials. The teams played some great rugby again, winning 17 of the 21 games, including clean sweeps in the open and U16 age groups. This demonstrated how the strength and conditioning programme implemented in 2020 was paying dividends.

Hilton hosted us next and there was the usual buzz of excitement around the school. We felt ready and extremely motivated to show that our successes of 2023 had not been by chance. The teams certainly demonstrated that as we went on to win 16 of the 21 games, drawing one and losing just three. The opens and U15 age groups had clean sweeps, with only the U14s being on the receiving end of a few big scores. Overall, a very proud day for Michaelhouse rugby. Our final fixture before the half term took us to College on their old boys’ day. It proved to be a rude awakening, perhaps because we were still enjoying the successes of the Hilton games or possibly because of College’s motivation to humble us. It was probably a bit of both and we lost 19 of the 24 games. The Second XV pulled off a memorable 17-10 win, the Fourths were our best of the day, winning 29-10, the Fifths won 14-10 and U15Ds won 12-0. Despite most results not going our way, we enjoyed a wonderful day of rugby against our oldest rivals in front of record crowds. Pretoria Boys High travelled down the N3 to play us after the half term. It proved to be a wonderful weekend, with all their hockey and rugby teams staying over and our Old Boy functions on the go. They had been such good hosts in 2023 and we wanted to return the hospitality. The games were tightly contested, with Michaelhouse getting the better of the U16 and open age groups – losing only the U16Es – and Pretoria Boys edging the juniors, apart from the U14A and U15A matches. We played 23 games, winning 14 and losing nine in what was a very enjoyable fixture. DHS were our next opponents. They have become a real powerhouse in KZN schools rugby over the past few years. It was another old boys’ day and a great atmosphere around their Van Heerden field. The hosts had the edge over us, especially in their higher teams, winning 13 of the 20 games, but there was certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. The return fixture with Kearsney was our penultimate match and fell in the middle of our June exams, which can be a tough time to keep the troops at their best. Considering practices and matches as study breaks is probably the best way to approach them. We put up a strong showing again, winning 13 of the 19 games and losing six, one of those being the First XV match, which was a tough pill to swallow after our being so dominant in the Kings Park game. Credit must go to the Kearsney side, who produced some moments of magic, including a cross kick and gather on the touchline to score the winning try. Another old boys’ day and a happy or relieved bunch they were. We then hosted Hilton for our traditional final fixture of the season. The general mood was one of confidence and excitement again, even if the First XV had been left extremely disappointed by the Kearsney loss. Preparation went well and the day brought the buzz as expected. Our teams played brilliantly and ran out winners in 13 of the 19 games. There were a few big disappointments: the U15As, who had won away in the reverse fixture but were soundly beaten on Baileys; the Sevenths, who had enjoyed a huge win at Hilton only to lose 7-12; and the First XV, who came out all guns blazing to lead 22-7, only to concede three late tries, including a dramatic final one, to lose 25-26. That was an incredibly tough way to finish the season and, for some, their last game for Michaelhouse. 157