Jeppe Boys take on SA’s best

The Jeppe High School for Boys first rugby team took part in the St John’s Easter rugby festival over the Easter long weekend.

Although the team only managed to win one of three games, the players played some exciting rugby and were unlucky to lose to two of the strongest school teams in the country.

In Jeppe’s first game, on Thursday, April 2, they beat St Charles College of Pietermaritzburg 27-24, after leading 20-0 at half-time.

The Pietermaritzburg team fought back well in the second half, even briefly taking the lead with a score of 24-20. But in the final minutes of the match, Jeppe’s right wing Cameron Burg scored an injury-time try to win the game.

Jeppe’s other tries were scored by Hachivah Diyamani, MJ Mbobo and Bradley Robbins. Wandisele Simelane converted a penalty and two conversions.

In the team’s second game, Jeppe went down 14-5 to Paul Roos Gimnasium of Stellenbosch. Paul Roos were the second-ranked team in the country last year and the game was played in pouring rain, which suited the Cape team better than it did the Jeppe lads.

Jeppe took on Hoërskool Nelspruit on Monday, April 6, which turned out to be the match of the tournament.

The match developed into a 70-point thriller, in which the lead changed hands several times.

Nelspruit led early on, before a flurry of Jeppe tries early in the second half saw them take control. The Nelspruit team fought back strongly to take the lead late in the game.

Jeppe was awarded a penalty in the final seconds of the match. While the line was good, the conversion attempt fell agonisingly short, which saw them go down 35-33.

Jeppe’s tries were scored by Hachivah Diyamani, Henry Wickens, Nathan Grove, Richard Mangwiro and Tyron Green. Damian Paysley added a penalty and three conversions.

The team has short break before facing Durban’s Northwood Boys’ High, at home on Saturday, April 18.