Clifton College captured a third title in as many weeks on Sunday when they won the Inspired Cup Water Polo Tournament at Reddam House Helderfontein, defeating Wynberg Boys’ High 10-7 in the final.
The previous weekend, they beat Kearsney College 6-4 to lift the Northwood Stayers’ trophy, and the weekend before that, they beat Hilton College 7-5 in the KZN Top 10 final.
Up against a mix of first and second sides, coach Pierre le Roux‘s charges overwhelmed their competition in Pool A, scoring 71 goals in three matches while conceding only three against Hudson Park High, St Alban’s 2nds, and Rand Park High.
The St Alban’s College first side topped Pool B, with wins over Parktown Boys’ High, Hilton College 2nds, and Grey High 2nds, tallying 37 goals and conceding 14.
First place in Pool C went to Merrifield College. They drew 9-9 with St Stithians College 2nds, but won the subsequent penalty shootout 6-5. Merrifield also recorded wins over Affies 2nds and Reddam House Bedfordview, tallying 38 goals and surrendering half that number.
Wynberg Boys’ High, who had made the quarterfinals at the SACS Water Polo Tournament, ruled Pool D, defeating Maritzburg College, St David’s Marist Inanda 2nds, and Crawford College Lonehill.
In their key clash, against Maritzburg College, they won 13-8. The Capetonians finished with a healthy 53 goals scored and 12 conceded.
Clifton was on cruise control in the quarterfinals against St Stithians College 2nds, powering to a 20-2 win. Wynberg Boys’ High also won comfortably, handing the Hilton College 2nds a 13-3 defeat.
Maritzburg College put up a good fight, but went down 7-10 against the St Alban’s College first side, and in the tightest of the last eight matches, Merrifield held off Hudson Park in an Eastern Cape clash, winning 6-5.
Nabil Bejia and his Clifton team continued on their merry way in the semifinals, defeating St Alban’s 9-4, while Wynberg outplayed Merrifield, charging to a 17-3 win.
The final was a tight affair, but Clifton, the most dominant team in the tournament, triumphed once more.
Third place went to St Alban’s, who beat Merrifield 11-6 in the bronze playoff.
RESULTS
Pool A
Hudson Park 22-1 Rand Park
Clifton 24-1 St Alban’s 2nd
Clifton 35-0 Rand Park
Hudson Park 14-4 St Alban’s 2nd
St Alban’s 2nd (4) 8-8 (2) Rand Park
Clifton 12-2 Hudson Park
Pool B
St Alban’s 21-5 Parktown Boys’ High
Hilton 2nd 10-8 Grey High 2nd
St Alban’s 5-3 Hilton 2nd
Grey High 2nd 12-4 Parktown Boys’ High
Hilton 2nd 10-3 Parktown Boys’ High
St Alban’s 11-6 Grey High 2nd
Pool C
Merrifield 20-3 Reddam Bedfordview
St Stithians 2nd 3-2 Affies 2nd
Merrifield 9-7 Affies 2nd
St Stithians 2nd 13-4 Reddam Bedfordview
Merrifield (6) 9-9 (5) St Stithians 2nd
Affies 2nd 16-1 Reddam Bedfordview
Pool D
Maritzburg College 26-1 Crawford Lonehill
Wynberg 16-3 St David’s 2nd
Wynberg 13-8 Maritzburg College
Maritzburg College 12-5 St David’s 2nd
Wynberg 24-1 Crawford Lonehill
St David’s 2nd 18-4 Crawford Lonehill
Bottom Playoffs
Reddam Bedfordview (6) 8-8 (4) St Alban’s 2nd
Affies 2nd 12-5 Parktown Boys’ High
Grey High 2nd 22-1 Crawford Lonehill
St David’s 2nd 20-7 Rand Park
Quarterfinals
Clifton 20-2 St Stithians 2nd
Merrifield 6-5 Hudson Park
St Alban’s 1st 10-7 Maritzburg College
Wynberg 13-3 Hilton 2nd
13-16 Playoffs
St Alban’s 2nd 14-5 Crawford Lonehill
Parktown Boys’ High 15-11 Rand Park
9-12 Playoffs
Grey High 2nd 13-6 Reddam Bedfordview
Affies 2nd 7-3 St David’s 2nd
5-8 Playoffs
Maritzburg College 15-5 St Stithians 2nd
Hudson Park 7-5 Hilton 2nd
Semifinals
Clifton 9-4 St Alban’s
Wynberg 17-3 Merrifield
Final Placings
15/16: Rand Park 14-7 Crawford Lonehill
13/14: Parktown Boys’ High 11-10 St Alban’s 2nd
11/12: St David’s 2nd 14-6 Reddam Bedfordview
9/10: Affies 2nd 7-1 Grey High 2nd
7/8: St Stithians 2nd 9-5 Hilton College 2nd
5/6: Maritzburg College 10-5 Hudson Park
3/4: St Alban’s 1st 11-6 Merrifield
1/2: Clifton College 10-7 Wynberg
