Wildeklawer 2024 Day 1 , 2 and 3.
Day 1 Rugby
An impressive opening ceremony for the 2024 version of the 14th edition Wildeklawer Festival saw over 4000 learners pack the rugby field at Diamantveld High on Wednesday evening.(1 May 2024)
The learners represented 192 teams from 111 schools from all over South Africa as well as two from overseas, ie St Johns College from New Zealand and Kirkham Grammar School from England. .
Two matches were played, one before the opening which was between the host, Diamantveld and Marlow, which produced a titanic battle but it was the home team who ran out victors 57-25. In the the second match after the main opening, saw Affies get the better of a more fancied Paarl Boys High, where the Pretoria outfit proved too strong for Paarl, running out winners by 42-21.
Day 2
The first match of the day, between Noordheuwel and Glenwood, saw Noordheuwel running out comfortable winners 55-13.
In the second fixture between Waterkloof and Outiniqua, the Pretoria outfit proved too strong for the fancied Outiniqua outfit by 51 points to 32, which actually saw a tougher game, as the score show, as scores from previous matches, yesterday and this morning. The best game yesterday was the Affies Paarl Boys High, although there were only two matches.
Next was the turn of Durban High and Oakdale and here the two sides appeared to be more evenly balanced. The halftime score shows how tough the game was, 13-7 to Durban High.
The Durban outfit started putting pressure on in the second half taking the score to 25-12 with a try to each team and with 7 minutes left, Durban increased their lead by 16 points, to 28-12, via a penalty in front of the posts. .Durban eventually ran out victors by 33 points to 14.
Paarl Gym started off strongly in their fixture against E G Jansen, leading 19-7 at the halftime break, but scored three tries to one of EG Jansen in the second half taking the score to 35-14. EG Jansen came back strongly in the, scoring three tries, converting 2, taking the final score to 36 to Paarl Gym and 33 to EG Jansen. A very tight match, the best of the tournament so far.
Next on the program was between Boland Landbou and Helpmekaar, Helpmekaar opened the score line with a converted try and a penalty, taking an early lead 10 nil., increased their lead with another converted try taking the score to 17 nil.the halftime score was 24 nil to Helpmekaar.The score moved on to 31 nil with another converted try for Helpmekaar, proving that they were too strong for Boland Landbou. However Boland Landbou fought back strongly towards the end of the match with two converted try of their own taking the score to 31-21. In the end it was Helpmekaar who ran away with the match, winning 43-21.
Paul Roos took on Monument in the following match, with Paul Roos getting the game on the way, scoring the first points via a penalty, 3 nil. However Monument came back with a great pushover try, which was converted, increased their lead, putting them 7-3 in the lead. Monument went on to score another converted try halfway through the first half, increasing their lead to 14-3.Paul Roos came back with a try of their own, which was unconverted taking the score to 14-8, 6 point difference, which did not last too long as they score another, basically from the kickoff, converting and taking the lead 15-14, which was the halftime score. A very exciting game with only two points difference between the two teams with Paul Roos edging out Monument (Monas).
The second last fixture of the day was between Garsfontein and Stellenberg, which started on tan even footing 7-5, a try each except Garsfontein converted theirs. Stellenberg snatched the lead from Garsfontein at the halftime break 12-10, 3 tries, 1 converted to 1 converted try and a penalty. Stellenberg increased their ;lead to 19-10, but Garsfontein scored a try of their own taking the 19-17. However Garsfontein scored a try, with 10 minuted left in the game, but Stellenberg put the final nail in the coffin winning by 26 to 22.
The final fixture of the day was between Grey College and Maritzburg College, which Grey ran out winners by 46 points to Nil, playing outstanding rugby.
Scores from some of the others matches played on the B field were:Drostdy was thrashed by Welkom Gym 54 points to 28, Framesby 51 had the better of New Zealand’s St Johns outfit, who scored 22 and Kirkham Grammar had the better of Nico Malan 45-22.
Day 3
The first fixture on the final day of the prestigious Wildeklawer Festival, saw Stellenberg take on EG Jansen, which saw the Stellenberg outfit running out victors by 19 points to 12. A very close and a well balanced game between the two teams.
The second game, between Affies and Oakdale, Affies proved a bit too strong for the Oakdale lads, running out winners by 32 points to 10, halftime score was 17-10 to Affies. Although there were 7 points difference between the two at the break, Affies then turned on the pressure in the second half as the final score showed.
Next saw Kirkham Grammar School from England taking on Outeniqua, with Kirkham drawing first blood via a converted try in the first 10 minutes. Outeniqua then ran in a try of their own 5 minutes later in the far corner, with the conversion sailing past the uprights, 7-5. Outeniqua then snatched the lead going ahead with a well converted try in the near side corner, taking the score to 12-7.
Just before the halftime break, Outeniqua landed a penalty for the score to go to 15-7 at the break.
Oueniqua drew first blood after the break with a converted try, making their lead 15 points, 22-7.However the visitors came back with a converted try of their own, taking the score to 22-12, narrowing the gap to 10 points. Kirkham then added on the pressure, scoring two more tries, one converted, taking the lead for the first time in the match, 24-22. But Outeniqua snatched back the lead, 25-24, which only lasted a few minutes before the final whistle when Kirkam were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, to snatch a two point victory, 27-25,in a great game of rugby, in the end.
The 12.30 fixture between Boland Landbou and Monument (Monas) was next on the program, also a thrilling game, with Monas taking an early 7 nil lead, through a try under the post, with the movement starting from inside their own half. Boland however scored their first try in the match, leveling the scores on 7 all, but Monas took the lead by scoring their second try, unconverted, 12-7. However, Monas went further ahead scoring a converted try,taking their lead to 19-7. But then, Boland came back and scored a try on the halftime whistle, which was converted, taking the halftime score 19-14 to Monas. However when the fhe final whistle blew, the score in this match saw Monas running out close winners with, Boland Landbou 38-33.
Next on the program saw another exciting, close encounter between Paarl Boys High taking on Durban High, with Paarl Boys putting the first points on the board via a converted try, leading 7 nil. The Durbaniites succeeded with a penalty just before halftime in a ding dong battle taking the score to 7-3 to Paarl Boys High. However, Durban High snatched a slender lead after the break with a pushover try to take the score to 10-7, but a while later Paarl Boys High took back the lead with an unconverted try 12-10. Durban High were awarded a penalty in front of the posts which was converted giving the team a slender one point lead 13-12. However in the end it was Paarl Boys High who ended on top, slotting a penalty, with Durban Boys pushing hard in the Paarl 22, but Paarl actually won the really tough encounter 15-13 in a tough and nail biting encounter to witness.
The 3.30pm fixture saw Paul Roos taking on Maritzburg College, with Paul Roos racing to a 19 nil lead, scoring three tries, two converted. Maritzburg College allowed Paul Roos to score another unconverted try, which took the score to 24 nil, at the halftime break. However Paul Roos proved too strong for their opposition taking their score to 31 nil. Not long afterwards, Paul Roos forged ahead with another two tries, converting one of them to make the score 43 nil. Paul Roos piled on the score further with 5 minutes left in the match, scoring another unconverted try, taking the score to 48 nil. Basically a one way ticket for Paul Roos, running out winners, 48 nil.
Paarl Gym took on Helpmekaar in the second last match of the tournament, It took 19 minutes for the first points to be shown on the scoreboard, when Paarl Gym ran in the first try, which was unconverted, 5 nil. Paarl’s second try came with 16 minutes left in the half, converted increasing their score to 12 nil. Helpmekaar came back, just before halftime with a penalty, taking the score to 12-3 at the break .However after the break, Paarl Gym went further ahead with an unconverted try, taking the score to 17-3. Shortly afterwards, Helpmekaar came back to score a converted try of their own, but then Paarl Gym fought back strongly to score a converted try of their own, taking the score to 24-10 with 3 minutes left. In the match, but in the end, Paarl Gym ran out winners by 31 points to 10, scoring a converted try to put the final nail in the coffin.
The final and main match of the evening and the tournament was Grey College taking on Garsfontein, in what seemed to be a one sided affair, with Grey running rings around Garsfontein, winning the match by 38 points to 10. One result received from the B field saw, hosts, Diamantveld running rings around the New Zealand visitors, St Johns College winning 40-24.