They are big, they are strong, they are physical and they love to dominate! That’s an adequate description of the two sets of packs that will do battle on Saturday, 21 March 2015 when Monument (Krugersdorp) the Tuks Skole Reeks for Co-ed schools overall winners in 2014 and EG Jansen (Boksburg) the competition’s 1st XV rugby defending champions meet in the eagerly awaited Group-A final round match.
To get an idea of just how big these boys are, the Jansies starting pack will tip the scales at a massive 814kg with an average of 1.89m per player. Monnas are almost as big at a 793kg pack size and 1.91m per forward on average.
Neither team’s talent ends at no.8. In order to achieve the high goals set for themselves, it is essential to have attacking and defensive abilities amongst their backs as well. Here both schools have been working extremely hard to develop backline players and playing patterns that are able to compliment the forward domination by turning possession into points and plugging holes in D when necessary.
This will arguably be the biggest game of the SA schoolboy rugby season to date. The winners will top their group and meet the runner-up of Group-C in one quarterfinal. At this stage that opponent looks likely to be HTS Middelburg. Unbeaten Eldoraigne (Pretoria) leads Group-C and look set to take on the losers of the Monnas-EG clash.
TEAMS:
| MONUMENT | A/G | KG | CM | EG JANSEN | A/G | KG | CM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan McBeth | u17 | 110 | 189 | 1 | Abraham Baumann | u18 | 108 | 183 |
| 2 | Justin Brandon | u18 | 84 | 180 | 2 | Nico Pepyer | u18 | 95 | 180 |
| 3 | CJ Botes | u18 | 109 | 184 | 3 | Andre van der Merwe | u17 | 111 | 184 |
| 4 | Ruan Vermaak | u17 | 110 | 199 | 4 | Edwin Jansen | u18 | 90 | 192 |
| 5 | Reinhardt Nothnagel | u18 | 103 | 202 | 5 | Hendre Stassen | u18 | 112 | 201 |
| 6 | Reyno Potgieter | u17 | 85 | 184 | 6 | Dillon Robus | u18 | 95 | 185 |
| 7 | Thomas Meyer | u18 | 96 | 195 | 7 | Dylan van der Walt | u18 | 95 | 192 |
| 8 | Len Massyn | u18 | 96 | 192 | 8 | Warren Brits | u18 | 108 | 194 |
| TOTAL KG /AVG CM | 793 | 191 | 814 | 189 | |||||
| 9 | Franco Tiedt | u18 | 9 | Ginter Smuts | u17 | 80 | 173 | ||
| 10 | Xander Kruger | u17 | 10 | Xander Crause | u18 | 87 | 178 | ||
| 11 | Arno van der Westhuizen | u17 | 11 | Irvin Ali | u18 | 80 | 180 | ||
| 12 | Ernst Beumer | u18 | 12 | Erich Cronje | u18 | 90 | 186 | ||
| 13 | Ivan Smit | u18 | 13 | Marco Niemandt | u18 | 88 | 181 | ||
| 14 | Elmar du Plessis | u18 | 14 | Quinton Beaton | u17 | 80 | 173 | ||
| 15 | Stian Joubert | u18 | 15 | David Mostert | u18 | 92 | 192 | ||
| 16 | PJ Botha | u17 | 16 | Werner Fourie | u17 | 83 | 187 | ||
| 17 | Coenrad Vrey | u17 | 17 | Rehann Baumann | u17 | 103 | 186 | ||
| 18 | MJ Pelser | u17 | 18 | Esuan van Niekerk | u18 | 115 | 180 | ||
| 19 | Shawn Coetzee | u18 | 19 | Dandre Brand | u18 | 95 | 192 | ||
| 20 | Ruben Gibbs | u18 | 20 | Jacques Joubert | u18 | 85 | 184 | ||
| 21 | Cornel Gnade | u17 | 21 | Romano Jonkerman | u17 | 65 | 177 | ||
| 22 | Goodman Mkwhanazi | u18 | 22 | Franklin -Marc Wagner | u17 | 68 | 169 | ||
| 23 | Dewald Schoeman | u17 | 23 | Henry Pike | u17 | 80 | 182 | ||
| 24 | 24 | Francois du Preez | u17 | 110 | 192 |
Sous trein!
Well whatever happens, the Tuks series in 2015 is going to be a tough one for the top 8..I see some brilliant games as from the 1/4 finals..
@jakes: with respect to Eldos, the team losing here may have an easier play-off. Die Rooies in a play-off game is always tough as hell
@jakes: indeed u are correct… they will meet again this year no doubt! Just keep in mind that as far as I know the Monnas’ games were stopped well before the final whistle… Having said that, I also think EG has the edge in the backline…
@Jakes: Can’t compare the scores as some games were stopped early.
If I compare scores which EGJ and Monnas scored against the same opponents, I see EG Jansen win this one by around 10-15 points..but Monnas have home ground advantage so it could be closer. Remember Saturday’s game will only determine 1 and 2 in their group.. Be aware that these two MIGHT meet each other in the final of the Tuks series again…a loss Saturday will just mean a more difficult path to the final.. but anything can still happen and another team might also rise and play in the finals (Garsfontein, Eldoraigne, Kempies, HTS Middelburg, Nelspruit)Now imagine how big that game will be if EGJ and Monnas were to meet in the final..After the Tuks series Monnas and EGJ will once again play each other in the Beeld trophy in the new league for Macro schools..another competition, which also have finals..So Saturday’s game will not be be the last between the two this year..
Warren Brits!!! what on earth where they feeding you at home FFS…. 108kgs and 1.94
goodness gracious.
Damn!!! Monnas ALWAYS produce monster locks that enforcer Ruan Vermaak will grow and extra kilo or two in 2016….Hendre Stassen barring a loss of form or injury should make SA schools he is a bit of of a hot head isn’t he?!?! quality player though he was already in demand last year.
how big are those Monnas locks – eisch! Ruan Vermaak – U17, 110kg and 1,99m! wtf do they feed these kids!
in my day 1,95m and 95kg was huge for a lock!
The Monnas pack size has been updated. 793kg and 1.91m avg
There was a slight error on the data received regarding EG flank Dylan vd Walt, who is 95kg and not 110kg as previously reported. Therefore EG still a massive 814kg
@TheGoose: At Monnas.
Where is this game being played?
@valke: …I take that back
@Playa: If you can not run the 100m in 10.7s ( electronic time ), then you probably still will not make that squad.
Goeie hemel, hierdie kinders is groot! Hopenlik is daar nie baie beserings nie
@Tang: @Roger: I know this is not news but it was reported at the time that the Bok team’s forwards after readmission in 1992 weighed the same as the SA Schools’ side’s forwards of 2012.
If I changed my name to Franklin -Marc Wagner, I could slot into the EG squad
Crisis – these guys are huge!
The weight and size of the packs is truly amazing. EG Jansen have a pack that weighs almost as much as the Lions Super 15 pack.
The development of school boys (supplements, training programmes, etc) shows no sign of slowing.
In the 1970’s and 1980’s school boy rugby players at first team level probably had two practices a week and hardly ever hit the gym. Nowdays, most first teams practice every day and the boys are doing pre-season and in-season gym work.
@Beet – It would be interesting to track the height and weight of school boy teams over time. During the Stormers VS Chiefs clash, I heard a comment about the average weight of the Springbok pack in the 1950’s was 84 kg. There is not one forward in the EG Jansen pack who weighs below 84 kg. It is a sign of the times and the evolution and adaption players have to make to compete at first team level.
Monnas met 7