Envirosan Old Boys remain the only unbeaten side in the House of Paint Premier Division KZNRU club rugby competition after soundly beating Maritzburg Varsity 40-11 at the students' Washington Road home grounds in the capital.

The other front runners for top honours in the league met with mixed fortunes over the weekend with Acer Durban Collegians going down 20-5 to Jonsson Crusaders out at Ranleigh Crescent in Durban North and Thanda Zululand Rhinos scoring a good 29-15 away win over ChemSpec Jaguars in Sydenham. In the other game, House of Paint College Rovers got back to their winning ways with a 32-5 win over Durban Harlequins Airtron Coastal on their home grounds at Reebok Park (KP 3).

Oldies outscored Varsity by six tries to one with centre Quinten Crocker crossing for two of them and are certainly looking like the side to beat at this stage of the season. They have looked the most composed of the top sides thus far with the 2008 champions Rovers looking only a shadow of what they produced last season. Crusaders too are looking very much like a side that could well come to the fore as the season progresses and have to be considered strong contenders as well.

Crusaders looked a very useful unit in downing Collegians with their fleet footed wing Jan van de Merwe scoring a brilliant solo try to go with another from their fiercely competitive and almost unstoppable centre Zane Rabino. Halfbacks Steve Thompson and Mickey Malloy shared the kicks to conclude their scoring. Collegians, who definitely looked out of sorts without the Rudi Dames factor, replied with a lone try from Ulrich Pretoruis. What must be particularly pleasing for the Durban North club is the strength of their second stringers who had little trouble in blowing Collegians away, beating their visitors 39-19.

Rovers crossed for four tries in their win over the outfit from the Bluff with wings Keegan Scott and Anton Verster, lock Kobie du Randt and centre Chester Koyana getting the touchdowns. Flyhalf Guy Cronje kicked the balance with three conversions and two penalties.

Rhino’s flyhalf Luylo ‘Ten Ten’ Tobezweni was the toast of the Zululand side from Empangeni scoring the lions share of their winning points against Jaguars and thus leaving the log table looking delicately poised with a point separating the top four sides - making this an incredibly competitive season already, which is just what the club game needed.

In the Frank Norris Under 20 ‘A’ league, Rovers had their new speed sensation Roscoe ‘Ferrari’ Speckman in yet another try scoring mood with four of the best. This lad really looks an exciting prospect for the future as they went on to beat Harlequins 50-14. Their other tries came from centre Kurt Mavrodaris, Arno van Zyl and Ross David-Anderson. Patrick Lambie converted six of the seven tries and added a penalty. In the other games Durban Collegians beat Crusaders 46-10, Empangeni hammered Jaguars 71-19 and Old Boys accounted for Midlands 51-30 in a high scoring contest.

In the First Division Amanzimtoti kept up their impressive performances, this time thrashing Kokstad 63-0. Hillcrest had a bye while Gestetner Maritzburg Collegians beat Durban Varsity 29-7. Ballito Dolphins had the better of Wentworth beating them 25-15 while in the remaining game South Coast Warriors from Port Shepstone beat Maritzburg Waratahs 44-0.

- Jos Robson - The Mercury