ST Charles College played host to Michaelhouse and Clifton College on a blisteringly hot day to kick off the winter sports programme for all three schools on Saturday.
The hosts enjoyed a slight advantage in the 10 hockey fixtures that were contested, with the grandstand event of the day ending in a 1-1 draw between the two second teams.
Seventeen Michaelhouse rugby teams met with opposition from St Charles and Clifton Colleges, most of which were staggered fixtures proving a bridge too far for many of the lower Michaelhouse teams on their first weekend of full contact rugby.
In the open age groups, only the seventh and fifth XV results suggested serious mismatches with both sides going down heavily to St Charles fourth and third XVs respectively. Michaelhouse’s sixths held their own in a thrilling 31-31 clash with Clifton’s third XV, while the fourths were able to dominate Clifton’s seconds in their comfortable 36-10 win. Michaelhouse’s thirds edged to the narrowest of wins, 15-14, over St Charles’ second team, while Clifton’s first XV hung on to their 26-24 win over Michaelhouse’s second XV.
St Charles would have been keen to record their first win over the Boys from Balgowan since 1960.
2018 Academy Week centre, Thami Zakwe, broke the early deadlock as he crashed over for an unconverted try. St Charles struck back with some direct play, exploiting a chink in Michaelhouse’s defence to take the lead for the only time on the day. Pre-season conditioning again paid dividends as the visitors were able to cross the line two more times during the first half with unconverted tries by Mark Grant and No. 10 Luc Pousson.
Flyhalf Pousson confirmed his man- of-the-match performance when he soaked up pressure from a scrum under his own poles to cut the advantage line and put Grant away for his second try on debut.
Hooker Jamie Deeble’s try from a driving lineout closed Michaelhouse’s account for a comfortable, if not yet confident, 27-7 win.• Murray Witherspoon is the marketing manager of Michaelhouse.