The Chronicle 2022

went really well including first XV wins over Selborne at Kings Park and Maritzburg College at the Saints Festival. We certainly learnt to appreciate sporting fixtures and festivals more having missed out over the previous two years and focussed on making the most of every opportunity. Northwood travelled up to Michaelhouse for our first weekend after the holidays and again the boys performed extremely well despite the break. Our skill levels and confidence were noticeably better than in previous years and we played some fantastic rugby winning ten, losing four and drawing three games on the day. This gave the school a lot more belief going into the Hilton away fixture on the occasion of their 150th celebration. The Hilton birthday bash was a phenomenal occasion and one that I am sure all the boys will remember for a long time. Only our A and B Blockers had played in the traditional derby before which made it even more memorable. The number of supporters had the school abuzz and the stands bursting at their seams. Again, our teams played some great rugby and managed to win eleven of the twenty games, losing seven and drawing two. The first XV came up against a very slick and strong home side but certainly were no pushovers going down 32-17. We then welcomed Kearsney to Michaelhouse and again had a great day on the rugby fields. The hard work the boys had put in during training meant we were outlasting our opponents and our performances improved commensurately. Our injury counts were also way down and we found ourselves having more teams available than schools equal to or bigger than us. We won twelve of the fifteen fixtures against Kearsney which was very pleasing. The weekend before half term saw us take on a rejuvenated DHS in Durban. Our teams produced some fantastic rugby and we managed to win ten of our eighteen games, the lowest overall success rate of the season. Our performance of the day went to Messrs Hugo and Ncamani’s U15A side who snuck in a 17-15 win on Van Heerden Field. Sadly, the first XV went down 17-23, but we could hold our heads high as the hosts were certainly a lot stronger than when we hosted them in 2019. Our next fixture was against Westville on their Old Boys’ Day. It proved to be a feisty and tightly contested Saturday where we maintained our form winning twelve games, losing five and drawing one. The firsts produced one of their games of the season in front of an excitable crowd and incredible atmosphere winning 31-21. Some of the tries they scored were simply outstanding. We hosted St Charles for our penultimate fixture and again produced some brilliant rugby. The skill levels had dropped another gear and the conditioning and confidence of the teams was clear as we produced a clean sweep winning all sixteen games. We introduced a new tradition where the previous weekend’s team of the week kicked off the first match on Meadows which meant they were livestreamed on Supersport Schools. That honour went to the U14A side who did not disappoint running out 49-0 winners.

a belief that we could build on our performances in the away leg and possibly topple their formidable first XV who were unbeaten in the province. Our teams again played some great rugby and thoroughly enjoyed their first experience of a home Hilton Michaelhouse derby since 2019. We won twelve of the sixteen games played but sadly went down 30-22 in the first XV game. Our U14A, U15A and seventh XVs all turned around away defeats to win at home which was very rewarding for the work they had put in during the season. The seventh’s win was also the perfect send off for Mr McMichael as he retired at the end of the year. Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the day, and worth documenting is the fact that our age group teams, from U14C up to U16A chalked up 416 points, conceding just 75 on the day. Sporting results do not always go the way you would like them to despite how much effort goes into preparing. One thing is for sure though, 2022 produced some of the best rugby we have played in the last five years and our boys and staff took their commitment to another level. Overall, it was a hugely pleasing and rewarding season where we won 68% of our games and did not lose more matches than we won against any of our opponents. Special mention goes to Messrs Ngcobo and Gengan’s fifths and Mr Stevens’ U14D XV, both going unbeaten. The first, U15C and U14C XVs, who all scored more than 300 points in their seasons and Mr Noel’s U14A side which lost their first five games but never stopped believing and working and went on to win their last three on the trot. The spirit of rugby was best demonstrated by Colm Geraghty who, after playing first XV in 2021 suffered a devastating season ending shoulder injury which required surgery, who took to assisting the U14A boys with his arm in a sling, helping them turn their season around. The courage shown by two matrics who had been age group A team players, Tristan Butler (second ruptured ACL) and Rupert Hechter (fractured jaw), to come back from injury and finish the season in the second XV was remarkable. We bade farewell to some key rugby staff at the end of 2022, Dean Forword, Mark Blew, Paul MacKay, Cameron Barry, Ollie Hugo, Richard McMichael and Ayanda Duma, all of whom have added so much to Michaelhouse rugby in their times here.

RUGBY 2022 TEAM P

W

D

L 5 4 4 2 0 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 3

PF

PA

%

1st XV 2nd XV 3rd XV 4th XV 5th XV 6th XV 7th XV 8th XV 9th XV

14 11

9 7 4 6 7 4 1 0 0 8 7 7 2

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2

362 190 177 229 267

243 181 144

64 64 50 75

8 8 8 5 3 1 1 8 8 7

92 46 44 53 33 50

100

68 22

80 33

0 7

0 0

U16A U16B U16C U16D

11

275 229 210 101

163

73 88 88 29

46 58

The excitement levels in the school were tangible as we welcomed Hilton to Balgowan for our final fixture of the season. There was

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