| INFO | DATE | SCHOOL | SCHOOL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11h00 | Sat.25Apr | Pretoria BH | 24 | 17 | DHS |
| 12h20 | Sat.25Apr | Parktown | 31 | 38 | Westville |
| 13h40 | Sat.25Apr | KES | 15 | 33 | Bishops |
| 15h00 | Sat.25Apr | Jeppe | 21 | 20 | Maritzburg College |
| 09h00 | Mon.27Apr | Parktown | 18 | 23 | Maritzburg College |
| 10h20 | Mon.27Apr | Jeppe | 27 | 21 | DHS |
| 11h40 | Mon.27Apr | KES | 18 | 11 | Westville |
| 13h00 | Mon.27Apr | Pretoria BH | 0 | 59 | Bishops |
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@Chopper – Must agree with you. Poor skills from both teams.
Westville 38-31 Parktown full time
Westville 33- 3 Parktown 1/2 time
@Tang: Poor skill sets from both sides and definitely NOT a spectacle by any means. Westville vs Parktown on the go now, with two mouth watering encounters to come. Bishops vs KES, followed by Jeppe vs Maritzburg………
Pretoria Boys High 24 VS DHS 17.
Tough physical game. Very close. Well done to both sides.
@chopper: In an ideal world Chopper
I have plenty of personal and business travel I do – and as much as I plan around set dates of conferences, board meetings etc. There are still those months where I see the air hostesses better than my wife. And then throw in a curve ball like a funeral, a client “disaster” or a wedding in Cape Town the day after a meeting in Bujumbura and you have a problem.
i am sure that guys like you who have been doing this for years – still end up with some of those runs. All credit to the guys who do the planning – logistics of buses and fixtures – then arrange refs appropriately – some years – some teams just end up with a more yo-yo than others. Think of the Sharks Super rugby season a few seasons back when they bounced over the ocean about 5 times in the season.
@Gungets Tuft: Ones planning revolves around what one cannot control and those are the dates of the festivals one chooses to attend. Thereafter one can control the local down the line fixtures by NOT requesting the “travel away to Gauteng” fixtures around where the festivals actually happen. Invitations to Festivals go out more than a year in advance so a little bit of good old nous is all that is required. Careful planning can get one a season where the travel is spread out over the length of the season. #noexcusesforthis
Let me ask a question here on the English section of the blog
Seriously, is Grey PE, this year, just k@k or what’s going on there? They have 2 exceptional backs in Vers and Bosch, but still….
@chopper: All easily said, not as easily done. There are a lot more festivals now, and even if your school is. It attending then everyone else is. It needs all the KZN teams to do the same thing, arrange local matches first, then festivals. It’s not like it was in 2009 or 2010, a lot more going on now. It’s not just a College thing, it’s everyone. It means bigger squads, resting kids carefully at festivals, etc.
And before ou Roger gets on his horse, its not a moan, all the top schools have the same issue, face the same challenges with depth and resting, but I wonder where it will end, other than the end of the traditional rivalries, these being traded for showpiece festivals with more marketing potential due to them being televised. It’s been debated here, I saw a debate on a friends Facebook about how sport in Aus schools hardly exists, it’s all gone to clubs.
Let’s see where it ends.
@Gungets Tuft: It’s a question of arranging ones run of the mill fixtures around things one cannot control, namely rugby festivals at other schools. There is no substitute for forward planning sadly, and in this case this is exactly what this is…poor planning by whoever does the fixtures.
@Roger: Who’s moaning. Take a breath big boy.
@Gungets Tuft: stop moaning – KES also declined the Wildeklawer invite to attend Jeppe 125 – and agreed to play Westville at Jeppe 125 as well as regular season fixture – not ideal.
College should plan better!
@chopper: Happened a couple of years back as well – 2011 or 2012??.
Grey PE, then home, then Wildeklawer in Kimberly, then home, then KES, all in two weeks or so. Sometimes the timetables just conspire. The way out would have been to not attend Jeppe (or Wildeklawer which is what College gave up to go to Jeppe), but old traditions and friendships hold sway too. Or do what House do, limit the season to 11 or 12 games – it’s an option …
@Rugger fan: It’s called planning! Not sure what type of planning?
I feel sorry for the College boys too – were up in Saints 2 weeks back – Durban this weekend – Jeppe next weekend (2 games) then back to PMB on Monday and back up to Pretoria on Thursday. What is the equivalent of jetlag (N3 bus lag
) – and Westville probably just as bad having returned from Affies this weekend! 
I can’t see Pretoria Boys winning one of the fixtures they will be involved in.
Straight after Bishops on 27 April, they play MC on Friday 1 May (first home game of the season for Boys High).
If PBHS pick up two wins from their next 4 fixtures, they will be doing well. However, I just can’t see this happening. Boys High look rushed when they have the ball and they make error after error. Individual skills are just not evident and the side seems completely devoid of ideas to score points. In fact, this applies to all age groups. It is extremely worrying to see where Boys High Rugby is at the moment.
Any changes to the fixtures?
The ones I have are:
125th Anniversary Rugby Festival
Saturday 25th April
11:00 Pretoria Boys vs DHS
12:20 Parktown Boys vs Westville Boys
13:40 KES vs Bishops
15:00 Jeppe Boys vs Maritzburg College
Monday 27th April
10:00 Parktown Boys vs Maritzburg College
11:20 Jeppe Boys vs DHS
12:40 KES vs Westville Boys
14:00 Pretoria Boys vs Bishops
The only change is Glenwwod/EG Jansen on day 1 – rather than Jeppe/M College?
@Rugger fan: Would like to know which u15 and u16 teams playing at paarl boys and gym respectively. Should be some good match ups there as well.
Dates for the U16 tournament at Jeppe have been announced as 2 April to 6 April.
still no confirmation on teams or first round fixtures.
@beet: I will try and get one today. I dont think there is an official fixture list out yet. I saw the list of the schools attending and each school was informed who they playing against on the first day. A Jeppe parent might have more success getting the fixture list.
If anyone has the Jeppe u16 festival fixtures, please send email it to me. Thanks
@Balikibaba: Yes you can breathe a sigh of relief
@beet: I see so, Beet. So you mean I was at a private school then?
@sparkie: The fixtures were not posted. I saw the list of the first day’s fixtures at our u16 Rugby parents meeting last week. Took notes of schools attending but only saw who Selborne was playing on the 1st day. Unfortunately I wont be able to make it to JHB as my eldest son will be attending Keasrney festival at the same time.
@GCollege86: Selbourne should have a strong u16 side this year. If I remember correctly they were strong in the age groups last year. Where were the day one fixtures posted.? love this time of year with age group festivals and my favourite KERF. Paarl age group festivals should also be interesting.
I heard Jeppe are playing M College U16 on day 1 – but my source may have mixed up the 1st XV fixtures?
@sparkie: Only the first day’s fixtures has been published. After each day the next fixture list will be announced to try and match up strenth against strenth. If I remember correctly, Selborne u16’s will play KES u16’s on day 1.
@GCollege86: Thanks for that. Should be some interesting match ups. Always difficult to arrange festivals with so many taking place that time of year.
ah – so KES play the Durban mob twice on the Highveld – once at Jeppe and once at KES.
I see a double coming the Reds’ way
@beet: he, he, he – well done Beet – fumbled in the slips but caught the rebound!
@Balikibaba: Sorry! I tweaked it a bit without letting Bishops feel like the outsiders.
@Roger: @Tang:
Westville and KES now play twice this season.
The strong inter-schools rugby relations between the GEMS and KZNEMS, posed a real challenge for the Jeppe 125th organisers, so they approached both schools to agree the match.
It also seemed like a few schools did not accept the invite therefore DHS take note! If you plan to hold a 150th festival, start you preparations now. In fact it might already be too late.
If you
@sparkie: As far as I know the following u16 teams will be attending:
Kearsney
Nelspruit High
KES
Pretoria BH
Park Town BH
Helpmekaar
Upington High
St Benedicks
Pietersburg High
Golden Lions Inv,
Queens College
Westville
Maritzburg College
Selborne College
DHS
HTS Middelburg
Noordheuwel and
Jeppe BH.
And there I was thinking my parents had sent me to a private school. Never knew Bishops was a government school. Quite a blow to my ego. LOL!!!
@sparkie: Selborne u16’s will be there.
@Rugger fan: Was also wondering.That u16 Jeppe festival was supposed to be on first week of April , one month away. Hope they get some good sides as it clashes with Paarl Gym u16 week
Two tough fixtures for Parktown Boys – Westville and then Maritzburg College.
@Roger – No matter how you slice and dice the fixtures, day two is a problem. Two schools will have to be added to the mix to solve the problems.
@Roger – Day two is a real problem. I thought Northwood were going to be at the Jeppe 125 Festival which would solve some problems.
Boys High and KES play Westville and Maritzburg college during the regular season (PBHS play MC twice a year so I guess a third fixture for PBHS VS MC is out of the question). Jeppe are playing Westville during the season.
I reckon Jeppe need to get Northwood and one other to attend the festival. This would solve all the day 2 problems. I am sure an Eastern Cape school such as Selborne, Dale or Queens would take the opportunity.
@Tang: DHS is the only option – KES play all the schools attending in regular season bar Bishops and DHS
@Roger – who could KES play on day 2?
Are KES playing DHS during the regular season?
KES due to play Westville on 23 May so not sure the above is correct.
Also – since when did Bishops stop charging fees
6 mactches for the Grogper Cup
Any news on the U16 Jeppe tournament yet?