KERF – Player, School, Match & Team of Day 1

Just my opinions here:

My Player of the Day: Dian Gouws – Grey College
Simply brilliant. The blonde right winger seems like he can beat any would-be tackler in a one-on-one situation. He basically runs right up close to a defender and then executes an impossible to read side-step and runs by. Very quick off the mark acceleration and doesn’t seem to slow down when he side-steps either. seems like he can step of either foot as well. He got past numerous HTS tacklers.
My School of the Day: SACS
This was a hard one to call. Affies did very well to make beating a strong EG team look easy. Selborne were poetry in motion against Kearsney. However my expectation was that SACS were going to be easily beaten by Dale. At some point I expected Dale’s flair through Seven’s style rugby to take charge after they had won the battle up front. It didn’t happen. SACS never allowed Dale to develop any sort of attack playing patterns. They suffocated Dale and easily coped in the forward exchanges. Where SACS looked really graceful was with ball in hand. They had variation but it always looked well organised and composed. The impression created was they are a well-coached and disciplined team.
My Match of the Day: Westville 27 Menlopark 25
Menlo will look back at this highly entertaining game and ask themselves two questions. How did they allow the game to become such a close contest when they were seemingly in control and why didn’t they get the ball off the park when time was up. They tried to do the latter but when the intended kick for touch turned into an up-and-under instead, one of the Menlo players tried to play it from an offside position and was pinged. Westville kicker Neil van Rooyen then slotted a 50m kick from a fairly difficult angle to win the game. Menlo were very structured in their approach. Westville capitalised on counter-attack opportunities.
Comments on other games:
Selborne 48 Kearsney 7
It was a good contest for most of the first half. There were however a few signs of things to come. Selborne’s ability to find holes when spreading the ball and Kearsney falling off of first time tackles. This became the theme in second half as Selborne started to look like a very classy team using their pack to do the hard work and their backs to enjoy the glamorous spotlight. Midfield is where most of the damage was done.
Affies 41 EG Jansen 5
Before the day started this was meant to be match of the day between two highly rated teams . As far a physical rugby goes it did not let anyone down. The battle of the forwards in the loose and the setpieces was awesome to watch. Affies however spoilt the party with some very decisive finishing to make it look rather one sided. The Witbulle rarely missed opportunities but they also produced intelligent and patient play. The Affies backs were up to the challenge. EG on the other hand might have fared better had they stuck to the basics. At times they tried to over-elaborate or force the game resulting in mistakes. EG’s backs were not able to take full advantage of situations created by good forward play.
Glenwood 31 Framesby 0
The score was 0-0 after a forgettable first half. An inexperienced Framesby team competed well through for the first 30-minutes. Glenwood didn’t quite find rhythm in the second half either but they can take heart from the fact that they won comfortably without playing particularly well.
Grey College 22 HTS Middelburg 19
Grey started brightly and at a stage it looked like they might put up a big score even though they were not playing the need for speed game one often sees them adopt. HTS then dug in their heels and gradually the momentum of the match shifted. Grey started to lose confidence and their game became surprisingly inefficient. HTS showed true character. Their gutsy performance produced two tries and level matters at 19-19, before a last minute penalty won it for Grey.
My Team of the Day:
1. Jordan Els (Westville) – I think he could be an SA School candidate. He’s big (1.87m 116kg), scrums well, mobile and has good ball skills.
2. Schalk Erasmus (Affies) – hard position to call. The Menlo hooker was also good.
3. Andre van der Merwe (EG Jansen) – only u17 but watch this boy. He can jol. The EG scrum put Affies under a lot of pressure on numerous occasions
4. Ruben van Heerden (Affies) – assigned the tough job of looking after big Stassen in the lineout and did well.
5. Hendre Stassen (EG Jansen) – arguably one of the best school rugby players in the country. Maybe not at his best on Thursday but still easily noticeable for his involvement.
6. JC Pretorius (HTS Middelburg) – a player in the mold of Kwagga Smith. Huge heart. Never say die attitude. Also worth mentioning – super quick Selborne flank Heinrich Nieuwenhuizen
7. Eduan Lubbe (Affies) – played 6 but too good to overlook for team of the day.
8. Willem Hoffmeyer (Menlopark) – another very difficult call to make. Marco Palvie of Glenwood and Werner Roberts of Grey College also did well.
9. Divan Henning (Affies) – A real spark for his team. Also good was the faultless Neil Durow of Grey.
10. Jordan Chait (SACS) – Memorable performance. A flyhalf that controlled the game using good decisions and execution.
11. Tristan Coetzer (Selborne) – was part of the devastating midfield combination that opened up the Kearsney D. Grey College’s big Dawid Snyman also very good when given the opportunity.
12. David Brits (Selborne) – outstanding performance. He was the perfect team player. Didn’t try  to do too much but still made a huge contribution.
13. Stean Pienaar (Menlopark) – muscular centre who looks like a battering ram but has good footwork to manoeuvre by tacklers
14. Dian Gouws (Grey College) – the Brent Russell like player of the Day. Off the charts with WOW-factor!
15. Shane Ball (Westville) – Lots of good performers at 15. Ball’s contribution to Westville’s win was vital. Affie Henco Jordaan, Selborne’s Michael Botha and Menlo’s SA Schools player Andell Loubser good as well.