Staff Reporter
Maritzburg College delivered a commanding 61-5 victory over Pretoria Boys High in their 1st XV rugby match in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, breaking the contest open in the first half and never allowing the visitors back into it.
College set the tone almost immediately when Liyema Tsoko crossed in the second minute and Dom du Toit added the conversion for an early 7-0 lead.
Pretoria Boys High struck back in the 11th minute through Aya Mabuza, but the missed conversion left them 7-5 behind and that proved to be their only score of the afternoon.
From there, Maritzburg College took full control.
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Driven by a dominant pack and sharp execution behind the scrum, the home side repeatedly turned pressure into points and ran in tries from across the park. By halftime, College had opened up a 40-5 lead, leaving Pretoria Boys High with a mountain to climb.
The hosts continued in the same vein after the break, maintaining their tempo and accuracy as they pushed further clear. Even with a number of substitutions early in the second half, there was no drop in intensity as College closed out an emphatic win.
Maritzburg College’s scorers reflected the breadth of their attacking display. Tsoko got the early breakthrough, while Mumbere Vyambwera and Du Toit each scored twice. Further tries came from Smith, Caleb Scheepers, Stanton and Boshoff. Du Toit also proved reliable off the tee, landing eight conversions from nine attempts.
The final margin underlined College’s superiority in all areas. They were more direct and physical up front, more precise in their finishing and far more ruthless once chances opened up.
For Pretoria Boys High, the result was a heavy setback after briefly narrowing the gap to two points in the opening quarter. But once College settled, the visitors struggled to contain the sustained pressure and were unable to match the home side’s pace and control.
