In 2025, Westville Boys’ High visited Michaelhouse in their last game of the season, with an opportunity to complete an unbeaten campaign. They rose to the occasion, powering to a 50-20 victory.
On Saturday, ‘House visited Bowden’s. While 2026 hasn’t been nearly as good a season for the home side, they took to the field with a healthy team for a fourth successive week, and Michaelhouse found out what a Westville team in full flight could do.
The Griffins evoked memories of the unbeaten 2025 side in full flow, producing a stunning second-half showing to hand the visitors a 52-19 loss after they led only 12-7 at halftime.
Michaelhouse’s previous biggest loss in 2026 was by only nine points, and they had beaten, among others, Northwood and Affies, but they were emphatically second-best as Westville turned on the style on their Old Boys’ Day.
One of the primary reasons for their demise was Westville’s outside centre, Jadrian Afrikaner, one of the most dangerous finishers in the country. He had himself a game for the ages, crossing for four tries as the hosts totalled eight tries to Michaelhouse’s three.
“He was sensational. That was a phenomenal performance,” Westville coach Zander Erasmus said. “He’s been the best rugby player in KZN this season, hands down, by far. He has the ability to beat defenders, to step, to accelerate. He’s physical in contact, and he has a kicking game and an offloading game.
“Playing Sevens for the Sharks, and playing with guys like Zekhethelo Siyaya and Jade-Will Koopman last year, and this year, having those types of players, has complemented the way we want to play.
“Every time we needed a big moment this year, it came from Jadrian Afrikaner, with an intercept, or a line break, or a sensational runaway try.
“He’s been good on defence, tracking back and working hard without the ball to give us an extra player. I think that’s one of his underrated strengths, and that’s why we play him at centre, because of his work rate.
“For SA Schools and at the Craven Week, he’s been a finisher. But, as a defence coach, that’s probably the thing that I am going to miss the most, his off-the-ball work rate.”
Afrikaner also profited from a sound partnership with Curtis Fenton, who was forced to leave the field with an injury. But his replacement, the versatile Ezra Karolisin, was one of the five try scorers for Westville.
Fenton came into his own this season, playing the most minutes alongside his midfield partner and the team’s no. 10, Jade-Will Koopman. “He’s hard, direct. He gives us so much. He hits hard, he runs hard,” said Erasmus. “When he had to front up against the Sharks Craven Week no. 12, [Alex Jankowitz], he didn’t look like the junior.
“He’s uncompromising in his approach and has developed his passing game so much in the last eight months. Having him in our Sevens programme elevated his play. We saw some glimpses there last year, but he has become the rock we needed at 12. We have always had good inside centres in our school, and he has provided such a good platform.”
Astonishingly, given the emphatic victory, just over 10 minutes into the second half, the teams were all-square at 19-19. But Westville scored the last 33 points of the contest without reply over the course of the remaining 25 minutes.
Nicolas Salamousas and company actually took a quick lead after laying siege to the Westville try line in the early going before Alex Jankowitz dived over just to the left of the uprights. He also converted his try to make it 7-0.
Westville got onto the scoreboard for the first time in the 17th minute when Afrikaner rode a tackle, fell to his knees, quickly regained his footing and evaded four would-be tacklers to score in the right corner.
Jade-Will Koopman’s reliable boot levelled the scoring.
The territorial advantage belonged to Westville, and so, too, did the possession stakes. They also produced swift, quality ball from rucks and stretched Michaelhouse by moving the ball swiftly from side to side. That approach brought them a second try in the 27th minute, with Avumile Lisa burning up the left touchline before finding Afrikaner on his inside for another five points.
The second half, interestingly, began much like the first half, with Michaelhouse camping on Westville’s try line and, again, within the first three minutes, they were over, this time through 8th-man Oliver Guy. Jankowitz was wide with the conversion kick, but the scores were level.
It took Westville only two minutes to hit the front again, though, and the try came from Avumile Lisa, who pounced on a loose pass inside the ‘House goal area to score, with Koopman adding the extras. Then the playmakers – Lux Sonkonoknono, Jadrian Afrikaner, and Jade-Will Koopman – combined for a thrilling long-range try, finished and converted by the flyhalf.
Bukho Sotaka got in on the try-scoring act just after an hour had been played before Afrikaner struck twice within two minutes. Afrikaner’s four-try haul took him to 19 for the season from 15 matches, an outstanding return for an outside centre.
The victory, Erasmus said, was a combination of many factors working harmoniously in union, and they began to coalesce long before the match kicked off.
“It was special to have our previous head coach, Jabz Zulu, do our presentation and culture session before the game. Four years ago, he was instrumental in getting Koopman, Afrikaner, and Lwandile Mlaba to Westville from the iQhawe Week. It was a lekker full-circle moment.”
He also praised the massive turnout of Old Boys and credited the Chairman of the Old Boys’ Association, Michael Falkson, for his support. “It was an amazing day. I haven’t seen Bowden’s packed like that in a long time,” Erasmus reckoned.
On the field, Westville’s plan worked a treat, as the coach explained: “We saw that if we could play on the same side, with our forwards coming around the corner, and manipulate space on the other side, we could play backs against backs. We knew that would give us a good shot.”
It worked because the home side’s forwards laid a solid foundation. “Having big Sbu Hlongwa back at loosehead was good for us. He carries hard around the corner, he scrums well, and he gives us massive forward momentum,” Erasmus reflected.
He also credited the skipper, Westville’s SA Schools’ lock, Lwandle Mlaba, who, he said, has led the team exceptionally well, highlighting the captain’s reading of the game, his high-quality lineout work, and his hard work in the set scrums.
The hosts’ quick ball movement, especially away from the rucks, was a key component in their victory. “Our ruck speed comes down to our conditioning,” the coach explained. “I’ve got to give Sebenza Maphumulo some flowers there. He’s been amazing keeping us fresh, and our in-house chiropractor, Dr Keegan Hughes, has been very good at managing the boys,” Erasmus said.
Another massive plus for the Griffins was having their best players available for the past four weeks, giving them a squad which understood its roles intimately. That experience made a world of difference.
One of those difference-makers for whom Erasmus reserved special praise was scrumhalf Sandiswa Mbokazi: “He’s been superb, giving us good tempo,” he said. “Over the last four weeks, we were really dominant in the way we wanted to play, which was evident in the three big scores we had against KES, Glenwood, and now Michaelhouse.”
Looking back on the big win on Bowden’s, coach Zander Erasmus sounded like The A-Team‘s Hannibal Smith, saying he loves it when a plan comes together.
“Wayno Visagie, our backline coach, has done phenomenal work. As our attack coach, he has provided us with clarity about how we want to play, and Mzamo Majola, our forwards’ coach, who is also an Old Boy, has taken care of the forwards superbly.
“Obviously, the players do their thing, but this can’t happen without the other coaches. I am not a successful coach without them.”
As the saying goes, it takes a village. In this case, it takes a school: a rugby coaching team, talented players, and supporters, from the past pupils, present learners, parents, and staff. When they work in harmony, the results can be richly rewarding and hugely impressive. They were on Saturday.
Scorers:
Westville 52 (12) – Tries: Jadrian Afrikaner (4), Ezra Karosilin, Avumile Lisa, Jade-Will Koopman, Bukho Sotaka. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman (6). Michaelhouse 19 (7) – Tries: Oliver Guy (2), Alex Jankowitz. Conversions: Alex Jankowitz (2).
Other results:
u19
II: Westville 31 Michaelhouse 26
III: Michaelhouse 43 Westville 7
IV: Michaelhouse 54 Westville 0
V: Michaelhouse 47 Westville 0
VI: Michaelhouse 36 Westville 5
VII: Michaelhouse 52 Westville 5
u16
A: Westville 19 Michaelhouse 19
B: Westville 9 Michaelhouse 0
C: Westville 17 Michaelhouse 14
D: Westville 22 Michaelhouse 5
u15
A: Westville 21 Michaelhouse 19
B: Westville 29 Michaelhouse 12
C: Westville 15 Michaelhouse 7
D: Westville 50 Michaelhouse 7
u14
A: Westville 21 Michaelhouse 5
B: Westville 38 Michaelhouse 12
C: Westville 51 Michaelhouse 0
D: Westville 50 Michaelhouse 5
