WBHS rugby and Hockey teams visited DHS last weekend for the Annual Founders Day celebrations.
The WBHS 1st Rugby team experienced a heartbreak loss 14-24 in a game which was a lot closer than the score might reflect. Having suffered decimating injuries to 24 of the 1st team squad this season, it was a relief that injuries on this occasion were kept to a minimum. This was always going to be a tough game, with DHS having enjoyed a most successful season. The game also offered a number of positives for the players and the coaches, with opportunities being created for replacement younger players. In the words of captain, Dylan Labuschagne, ‘the juniors rose to the occasion’.
In the 1st team game, DHS started off empathically with two tries early in the first half to open a 12-0 lead. The Westville boys combined solid defence and enterprising play to strike back in the last five minutes of the first half which led to a try in the corner by Andrew Lotz. This was converted by Dylan Labuschagne to narrow the deficit to 7-12. The Westville boys also started the second half in impressive fashion. Philani Mahaye dotted down in the corner, and Labuschagne’s conversion took WBHS into a 14-12 lead, which they held for the majority of the second half. DHS struck back with a try of their own to take a 17-14 lead. Westville’s persistence in threatening the DHS line eventually led to an opportunity for a try under the DHS posts, which would have secured the victory for WBHS. However, having breached the DHS try-line, the Westville boys lost the ball forward to offer the DHS team a huge reprieve with a 5m scrum which DHS proceeded to win. A surprise break-away try by the DHS prop under the Westville posts in the last minute then sealed the deal for DHS.
Overall, WBHS once again took the honours in both the Rugby and Hockey fixtures. DHS were able to field 13 Rugby teams, which meant that most of Westville’s 28 teams did not play in this fixture. Excluding the results of two staggers lost against higher DHS teams, WBHS won 7 of 11 games, for a 64% success rate. On the Hockey front, DHS fielded 6 teams, with WBHS winning 5 and drawing 1, for a 100% success rate. The WBHS 1st Hockey team were impressive once again, with an 11-0 win. The remaining WBHS Hockey teams also met with success in their filler fixtures against Reddam. The 1st, 2nd, U16A and U14A sides had a busy week, with good wins over St Benedicts (Jhb).