Grey High finished the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival on a winning note when they defeated Hilton College 20-7 in the final showdown in Gqeberha on Monday afternoon.
With a stiff south-easterly blowing down the ground, precision play was not always achieved but both sides gave it their all to bring the curtain down on another highly successful showcase of schoolboys rugby.
In the main curtain-raiser, Bishops and Michaelhouse also produced a titanic effort, with the former just managing to forge ahead in the critical moments to take the bragging rights with a 25-17 result.
The defining score in the Grey-Hilton clash came with just less than 10 minutes remaining when flyhalf Tristan Kemp showed great footwork to dodge and twist his way over the line, just next to the posts.
Hilton had the wind behind them in the second half, but Grey, besides conceding one try, did a good job of cancelling out that advantage.
They often managed to fight their way into the Hilton half and though the KwaZulu-Natal team were ferocious on defence, the constant pressure eventually told.
As the Grey forwards pounded at the line but could not break through, Kemp called for the ball and the five-pointer gave them some significant breathing space. He added the conversion to make it 20-7.
Grey took an important 10-0 lead into the second half after a penalty from Kemp was followed by a charging run from centre Bradley Myburgh to score near the posts.
Receiving the ball from a set move as he cut back against the defence, the midfielder powered his way through and Kemp added the conversion.
In the second half, Kemp added a second penalty before Hilton showed that they would not go away as they broke through, with No 8 Emmanuel Dankwa dotting down.
It was a similar move to the earlier Grey try as the big loose forward bashed through the home team’s defence, enabling Liyema Nela to add the two points.
With the match poised on knife’s edge, it was finally left to Kemp to lift Grey spirits after they had conceded a last-minute try on Saturday to draw their opening game with Michaelhouse.
Bishops, who lead 15-7 at the break, and Michaelhouse produced some highly entertaining rugby as each side scored three tries, but the boot of Alex Laspatzis made the difference as he slotted two penalties and two conversions.
Their tries came from Daniel van den Heever, Uzoma Ngcwangu and Rynard Gordon, while Michaelhouse, who pressed right until the end by faced some solid Bishops defence, scored through William Ridl, Noah Bates and Lwandle Nzama. Stefan Moolman added a conversion.
Earlier, Queen’s enjoyed a thrilling 17-14 win over Pretoria Boys’ High after they drew Saturday’s match against St Stithians 13-13 to go home unbeaten.
It was a tense finish, though, with Pretoria Boys’ having a five-metre line-out with time up, only to be held up by courageous Queen’s defence on the try line.
When the referee ruled that the ball was held up, the final whistle went as the hooter had already sounded.
Day two results: Westville bt Dale 28-13, DHS bt Selborne 35-5, Kearsney bt Hudson Park 41-31, Northwood bt Kingswood 33-14, Bishops bt Michaelhouse 25-17, Grey High bt Hilton 20-7, Daniel Pienaar bt St Charles 26-13, Muir bt Ithembelihle 26-12, Andrew Rabie bt Mali XV 19-5, St Stithians bt Port Rex 19-17.
The Herald