KES missed a late penalty, as they drew 17-17 with Jeppe in their Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools match, while Maritzburg College beat Affies 37-10.
After two consecutive defeats to their Johannesburg rivals in as many years, KES went into this fixture as the underdogs. They looked like they were going to buck the trend, but the crossbar denied them a victory when fullback Rashard Fuller’s extra-time penalty bounced back onto the field of play.
It was a dire affair in the first quarter as neither side could break each others’ defence. However, in the 20th minute the home crowd erupted when outside centre Sibusiso Mngomezulu shrugged off a tackler to score Jeppe’s opener. Flyhalf Brenton Faulds converted. KES responded with a penalty from Fuller, to trail 7-3 at the break.
The match opened up in the second stanza, with both teams running the ball at every opportunity. Jeppe then started to control the tempo of the game and pinned KES back in their own half. But the visitors absorbed the pressure before flank Brendon O’Donaghue’s brilliant solo try put them in the lead.
Jeppe hit the front once more when Faulds slotted his first penalty. KES looked tired and Jeppe pounced. They ran KES rugged only to be stopped by Fuller, who then got to his feet to win a turnover penalty.
That didn’t deter the home side, as captain Jethro de Lange dotted down for a converted score. But their discipline let them down at crucial stages and Fuller split the uprights on three occasions to level matters at 17-17.
And with time just about up, KES got a penalty inside their own half on the right-hand touchline. Fuller lined up the long-range kick and gave it a massive thump, but the crossbar denied the KES fullback, and his team, an incredible victory.
In other results, Grey College continued their unbeaten run with a 29-12 win over Glenwood, Paarl Boys' High hammered Bishops 36-3, Wynberg beat Drostdy 19-5, Menlopark defeated Pretoria Boys’ 37-24, Kingswood thrashed Union 64-10, Grey PE beat Daniel Pienaar 44-29, Framesby saw off Northern Cape 33-24, Maritzburg recorded a rare 37-10 win over Affies and Paul Roos held off Oakdale for a 24-11 victory.
Results:
Jeppe 17 KES 17
Grey College 29 Glenwood 12
Paarl Boys' 36 Bishops 3
Wynberg 19 Drostdy 5
Menlopark 37 Pretoria Boys' 24
Kingswood 64 Union 10
Grey PE 44 Daniel Pienaar 29
Framesby 33 Northern Cape 24
Maritzburg 37 Affies 10
Paul Roos 24 Oakdale 11
