Northwood maintained their unbeaten record on Friday night, with a good 17 – 0 victory over Pinetown. Although there seems to be some confusion regarding the new scrumming laws, Northwood’s pack performed well and were too strong for Pinetown. Hooker Trevor Nkwamba scored late in the first half to ensure Northwood had a half time lead of 7 – 0. TC Edmunds and Thabo Thabete scored in the second half to ensure a third successive victory. While Northwood have not yet hit their stride, the team has conceded only 6 points in 3 games – far better than any other team in the competition.
Coach Donald Ngwenya has utilised a squad rotation system to ensure the 32 boys in contention for a spot in the 1st team get sufficient exposure and this has worked well. It has enabled him to work around the swimming, water polo and cricket commitments of some of the players and has also given him the luxury of being able to rest players with minor injuries. Other schools in the competition do not face the same challenges with overlapping sports and thus have a distinct advantage this early in the season.
Tuesday night sees Northwood taking on Port Natal, who managed a last gasp victory over George Campbell on Friday night. It promises to be a great game and possibly a dress rehearsal for the finals.
