@Roger: Check out the link below, which shows two of his tries. He was under intense pressure near his own goal line at the start, but managed to get an accurate, bullet pass out to his teammate.
@Vleis: brilliant player. Bishops are a very good team no doubt and KES actually played very well against them. Two interceptions against the run of play flattered the score somewhat but they were worthy winners. They simply blew PBHS away.
Great bounce back by KES yesterday against Westville
@chopper: @Roger: I watched the Bishops game and told my mates to watch out for Tristan Leyds – the younger brother of Dylan Leyds. For some reason, he only came on after about 15 minutes. Up until then it had been relatively even, but he completely changed the game.
Bishops without him is very good, but Bishops with him is exceptional. He’s probably about 1.85m tall, but looks like he weighs 65kg. He is an extremely quick, agile and clever player and has a bullet pass that he seems to flick out effortlessly.
He plays fullback for Bishops, but I think he could easily convert to scrumhalf if he decides to turn pro. I haven’t seen a single s15 player with a better pass than him to be honest.
@Roger: Bishops are an absolute joy to watch. High risk, high reward but backed up by quality skill levels and superb organizational ability on attack and defense. So enjoyed watching this team.
@Pedantic: Ja, the perspective is the Westville vs Parktown, 38-31, so Parktown are no mugs. The MyCom commentary is pretty sketchy so hard to know how it went. The last score was Sam Swanepoel, shades of the Westville match, bounced a few players and scores. Dunno, without seeing it, can’t judge. It’s a solid group of boys, no lacking their work ethic or ambition. They will surprise teams this year.
@Pedantic: @star: After the narrow win, with home ground advantage, including the Ref, the clock, our U19’s, our lite schedule and their injuries, I am not sure about the MC/KC game … Anything is possible.
Firstly – must agree with your and other comments regarding Meyer. He has been really impressive doing a lot of the grunt work and making a huge contribution at the breakdown. I notice he also calls all the lineouts so perhaps he is being groomed for leadership next season?
The scoreboard clock was indeed synched with the referee – it was an experiment which worked very well I thought. The schoolboys who operated the scoreboard sat with a senior referee on the sideline and stopped and started the clock based on signals from the referee. There was a thorough briefing on the protocol beforehand and it worked like…….clockwork
@star: Slate kleen-It is down to 2 games. Hilton and Westville. Both away games . I am giving away a distinct advantage but in the spirit of SBR, you are on.
As far as the MHS game is concerned- it was an excellent advert and kept the crowd interested till the final whistle.
@Pedantic: And I am not just saying that to score a discount on a new vehicle from the old man I did make a mental note for whoever plays 8th man for Westville on the 9th May that to run a crash ball down the blind side might not be the most productive of moves considering where the House 8th man ended up. Your boy had a very strong game and was the focal point of most of the K offence and defence.
@star: Just one correction, and I believe Tedder’s attempt was no try, but the ref was 40 metres from the action – looked like he was watching a lineout on the opposite side of the field, not sure he was in the right position to make the call.
Meyer has been impressing us hometown folk all season, looking forward to watching him in 2016.
@star: The Buccaneer only has half the bet won – College need to beat Kearsney on Stott before the payout – still confident I’ll keep the case in my own bar fridge
@McCulleys Workshop: I was with my old PT teacher from Westville( now at House) who pointed the father out high on the embankment and I thought it was Graham( old 50+ eyes). Nephew then but still great.
Did you collect your bet from ou Pedantic ? He thinks I am the Westville mafia so if there is a collection issue I am your man.
@Stripes: Great to see how humble you are in victory Agreed though, the best team won on the day.
KC obviously having a tough season, MHS can’t be too good beating them only by 3 with a huge sigh of relief from the MHS faithful at the final whistle as KC were looking the better side at that stage. Oh, but wait, MHS had taken their foot off the pedal .. that’s why
It’s a SBR game, really not the be all and end all of much – a handful of the 30 on the field will play rugby after school with maybe 1 or 2 actually doing anything worthwhile if they’re lucky – for the rest it will just be memories and banter in 30 years time like you’re having right now. Same can be said of the officials – they’re amateurs, will make the odd mistake but it’s really just a SBR game.
@GreenBlooded: I have seen top officials at Kings Park get those place kick decisions wrong on a couple of occasions over the years and it all boiled down to both officials standing directly under the posts for a straightforward kick and then looking at each other when the kick went past very close to the upright, so interesting to hear that positioning is part of the AR training. It’s still very tough in Euro club rugby when the ball is kicked higher than the upright.
@McCulleys Workshop: HAHA I think the mist had burnt off before we played. I see Mr Copeland around often. He has not changed a bit and has a son now at Hilton. Talking about the House pack , the lock’s son scored a try on Saturday. How great is that?
@star: Good memories Star, I remember that day in the mist. The MHS pack vs the HC back line, with Mr Copelands massive boot!
@Buffel: Any one of U19’s, injuries or dispicable refs, is this multiple choice?
@Buffel: I thought we could wipe the slate clean and start afresh. Your call I have to agree with GB re Tedder’s disallowed try. I was sitting just below the pool and it did seem that he might have lost the ball just before the line. The ref definitely was in the right position to make the call. What did concern me though was this issue of playing versus running time. When Meyer( who is starting to impress) scored reducing the margin to 3, House with a man down might have battled to hold a now rampant K at bay if there was 5 minutes to play. However a minute was allowed( which tied in with the main clock which surely did not take account of injury time. ) A exciting final episode was therefore diffused and was disappointing.
@ Stripes- I don’t know if you are a House OB but I would like to relay my abiding memories as a Westville boy doing a Hilton postmatric. There are 3 rugby memories in particular
1) Breaking my nose against St Andrews and having Andy van der Watt manually reconfigure it and send me back on the field .Those were certainly the days.
2) Playing on Goldstones for the first time and watch the favoured team implode in front of my eyes. I seem to consistently bump into members of that 1982 College team( yesterday it was the wing) who take great pleasure in reminding me of that 31-0 defeat. I am hoping that the son will redeem the old man later this year on no less than Reunion day
3) and finally the Great derby that is the Hilton/House match. I remember walking out of the San( where we stayed) and up the drive in the mist and thinking how intensely quiet it was. That day is like no other and anything can happen. Really looking forward to another great encounter.
@Stripes: I am doing justice to KC in that they had a try disallowed and could have won. . Anyway- as you say it is in the history books that MHS won on the day. Kearsney’s 10 almost amounts to the number of games MHS plays in a season.
Why would we have to be better in the second half of the season. Tell me what sides of note have you beaten up till now and how many games have you played.
As far as Hilton is concerned, be careful .You don’t want to lose to them seeing that we have already done the deed. Lets hope that the best side wins on the day. Don’t start popping the champagne corks yet. Come on Star- would love your old school do one over the old enemy just to give Mr. Stripe a bit of humble pie. Sport has a fantastic way of being a great leveller.
The AR did not call the try in the corner. He called ‘player was not in touch’. The non-grounding of the ball was called by the referee. Where were you sitting in relation to the incident that you had a better view that the on-field referee (who does know the laws since he runs all our law meetings)?
The missed conversion – which one are you referring to? There is a strict protocol with judging kicks at goal which we are trained for which in a large way depends on how the 2 AR’s position themselves and interact. A lot more to it that meets the untrained eye. It’s not just 2 palookas with flags. Once again – where were you sitting in relation to the kick that you had a better view than 2 trained AR’s in the correct position?
I must agree with @Stripes: – your comments don’t do either team or the fine display on Meadows yesterday any credit. Rather unfortunate.
@Buffel: Don’t agree with your comments about amber liquids or one eye! The best side won on the day and the record books will show that forever. Kearsney are now played 10 lost 5, 1 draw and won 4! Not exactly a great record. Your comments about the officials don’t do justice to a brave Kearsney side who never laid down and showed a lot of heart. Anyway time to move on, hope Kearsney are better in the second half of the season and I am looking forward to the House/Hilton derby next weekend. I am sure the best side will win on that day as well!
@star: Still ahead on the race to the line. Now KC to go close against Westville and beat Hilton and the beers are mine. I wish the Midlands ref society could get their act together. The second team ref always has a howler and as for Nicholson- man he makes people mad with his poor interpretation of the rules. The disallowed try in the corner by Tedder was given by the touch judge but in his infinite wisdom, he disallowed it. Hell, there is always controversy around when he is in the middle-or should I say in charge.
Piss poor. Bader clearly missed a conversion in the second half but Mr. Second team ref saw it otherwise and called it over. Stripes sees MHS as clear winners- maybe too many amber liquids on the side or looking out of one eye. It could have gone either way but in truth- 25-24 was the correct score in MHS favour and that was that.
Before House start popping the champagne corks they have to get over a big hurdle on the 2nd against Hilton. Hilton with Peverelle(1), de Marigny(8), Dahl (9), Hirschowitz(10) and Badenhorst( 15) have one on the best “spines” in KZN. If you add Bottriel and Loftus as an imposing centre combination and McGhee on the wing( all CW contenders) , then we will have to wait until the fat lady sings. I might have to take another trip up to the midlands proudly wearing the black and white this time
All the talk is of the attrition to the College team but Westville also seems to be limping home having already lost Qoma and Heyneke at the Jeppe festival . The boy might have to play in his 4th different position so the shuffling of cards is starting to hit home for a few teams now.
So here we are at the end of a great Saturday’s school boy rugby. Looking back on my opinions of how things would play out with the KZN teams I think I wasn’t to far off. I wasn’t at the Glenwood game but I can only assume EG Jansen stood up to Glenwood pack and that made things tough for them and explains the result. I think they will struggle again on Monday. I also wasn’t at Jeppe but was surprised at how close the College/Jeppe score was, I expected College to be broken from the drubbing at Kings Park. It was only 1 point but it is another loss and College have another game on Monday!
I was at the House/Kearsney game, a good game of rugby between 2 great schools. I definitely thought that House had the better of Kearsney and a lot of Kearsneys points were scored against the run of play. It was also a pity that House had an injury to a centre who was breaking the Kearsney line on a regular basis. I still think House should have won by 10+ points but unfortunately they took the foot off the pedal at the end. Well played to both teams!
Jeppe had their fair share of yellow cards today as well. Simply put, the officiating was not great, but it did not have any bearing on the outcome of the game…….swings and roundabouts! 21-20 final score….fair and square…..time to move on, accept the result, and plan for Monday vs Parktown.
@Gungets Tuft: Whoever told you that College had the better of the game could only have been a “one eyed red, black and white” spectator! Try 1 by College an arsey interception! Try 2 dotted down 12 inches short of the line…….knocked on…..and awarded…despite the assistant referee having told the referee…no try….14-0. Jeppe left two certain tries on the table with poor decision making in runaway efforts! The final score is a very fair reflection of a game where no quarter was asked or given. Congratulations to a Jeppe team that epitomized guts, heart, commitment and passion. College, let it be said, did not lie down and gave it their everything but ” it’s a game of small inches,” (which was seen by College with try 2, ). Two teams left it all out on the field which is what schoolboy rugby should be all about. Well done to both teams today…game of the day in my humble opinion!
Fair and accurate assessment. I think House had the better of KC for most of the match but took their foot off the pedal towards the end to set up yet another photo-finish on meadows. Great game – I think you are right – House to top KZN this year.
@Grasshopper: No offense intended just referring to a substantial margin of victory. 50+ is more than a drilling. That’s a drubbing a hiding a snot klap – or a combination
@Balikibaba: I was following MyCommlink. It would be nice to get an independent view of the match, I have been told that College were better than the result showed.
I will be driving up to watch the Kearsney v Michaelhouse match……hell of a lot cheaper than Jeppe…… my opinion of Kearsney is that they have not hit top gear. They are much like Glenwood who battled utill they gelled. If Kearsney gell then i predict Kearsney by 10+. Michaelhouse has always been a solid unit and are very well coached and their results have been showing just that. If Kearsney do not perform as mentioned above I predictHouse by 5.
@Pedantic: Never meant to be condescending or to intimate that the team only had 1 or 2 good players! Rather that rather that Dixon and Tedder seem to be the stars and the team relies on them a lot. I am sure they never could have beaten Glenwood with only 2 good players. Looking forward to a good contest between 2 great schools tomorrow.
@Pedantic: Yep, but at KZN or SA Schools level (we hold thumbs) he will have bigger props. I ended up playing lock in 1st year out of school and was only 105kg & 194cm…..I just like the way he plays there…..
@BOG: Mate, it was a compliment. Grey have so much depth and the winning philosophy ingrained in them that even when hit heavily by injury they can grind out wins over rated opposition…
@Grasshopper: The problem with him playing lock at school level is that he can’t give the team a proper lineout option which is crucial, reason being, with a small pack, they can’t lift him!
@Grasshopper: Well, that is why they have score boards at the matches- to see who won the match. Its good to be humble in defeat but better to be humble in victory. But as I said, the team looks very different from Kerf.
@Grasshopper: Good point … we saw that in the EG Jansen game at KERF, they looked buried, never panicked and just kept on with their structured play to grind out the win.
@BOG: Just my observation … I didn’t think GCB were as impressive at KERF as they have been in the past, hence my prediction for Monnas to win by 1 – could very well be wrong but I’ll stick to that.
@Pedantic: Are you seriously suggesting it was actually your 2/3 rd team which played GCB? Well, since we bring in injuries, that team of Grey was minus 9 injured players and the team at WK, looks very different from the one at Kerf. But, lets see- Monnas does have one of the best records against GCB.
@Pedantic: Unfortunately House at House will be a tough nut to crack. They are fresh and ready. Playing only 12 games a season gives them their best chance to win every game….good luck to your boy, a special player. Although I really do think his position at school level is lock…
@Stripes: You may well be right, MHS certainly favourites at home – we’ll find out tomorrow.
One thing for sure, there will be 13 or 14 players in maroon jerseys out there to prove your condescending comment of 1 or 2 good players wrong.
@Grasshopper: I have heard that Palvie is fine, hopefully we will see him take the field this weekend.
@Stripes: I agree, Glenwood will battle up front vs EG & Noord Kaap, so their best chance is via the backs. I think without Palvie they will battle even more. However, after two big wins they might put in very spirited performance and might sneak a win….
@Pedantic: I am looking forward to watching your boy play as he was missed at KERF. Remember I am also a Hilton O/B so my loyalties might not be where you think they are. However the case of beers with Buffel might sway me in the right direction.
I also think College will bounce back at Jeppe. All they need is parity in the tight exchanges which hopefully they will get against Jeppe and Parktown.
Have to disagree with you on the House vs KC call. Rugby is not a 1 or 2 person game and therefore a well rounded side like House with 15 good players will be at least 10 points better than KC. We will all find out on Saturday afternoon. Should be a good game and with the House music festival and a marching band playing before the game should be fun. I will be on the bank at Meadows shouting for House! Don’t know enough about the other schools to make a prediction other than Glenwood will struggle at Wildeklawer because they play too much rugby and the small College side with a number of injuries will start to falter at the Jeppe festival. Enjoy a great weekend of schoolboy rugby.
Just go for the win-2 points. My heart says KC all the way but it is an uphill battle my friend. Hope I get it wrong. Is youir boy right as rain and is Tedder playing
@Vleis: Makes it look so easy, must be a treat to watch on a 7’s field.
@Roger: Check out the link below, which shows two of his tries. He was under intense pressure near his own goal line at the start, but managed to get an accurate, bullet pass out to his teammate.
https://www.facebook.com/bishopsrugby/videos/vb.155363037881278/814392575311651/?type=2&theater
@Vleis: brilliant player. Bishops are a very good team no doubt and KES actually played very well against them. Two interceptions against the run of play flattered the score somewhat but they were worthy winners. They simply blew PBHS away.
Great bounce back by KES yesterday against Westville
Nice to know my boys in blue played well.
@chopper: @Roger: I watched the Bishops game and told my mates to watch out for Tristan Leyds – the younger brother of Dylan Leyds. For some reason, he only came on after about 15 minutes. Up until then it had been relatively even, but he completely changed the game.
Bishops without him is very good, but Bishops with him is exceptional. He’s probably about 1.85m tall, but looks like he weighs 65kg. He is an extremely quick, agile and clever player and has a bullet pass that he seems to flick out effortlessly.
He plays fullback for Bishops, but I think he could easily convert to scrumhalf if he decides to turn pro. I haven’t seen a single s15 player with a better pass than him to be honest.
@Roger: Bishops are an absolute joy to watch. High risk, high reward but backed up by quality skill levels and superb organizational ability on attack and defense. So enjoyed watching this team.
KES 18- 8 Westville FT
Gauteng clawing back in the Grogper Cup with KZN leading 8-7.
Westville leading KES 8-6 @ HT
Bishops 59 – 0 PBHS !!
Bishops destroying Boys High – wow!
Jeppe 27 – 21 DHS Full Time.
Sounds like some really close rugby at Jeppe 125th.
@Pedantic: 27-21 full time. Any win by a KZN school in Lions territory will be a good win.
Three yellow cards in the first half – Jeppe lead DHS 22-14 @ HT
@Pedantic: Ja, the perspective is the Westville vs Parktown, 38-31, so Parktown are no mugs. The MyCom commentary is pretty sketchy so hard to know how it went. The last score was Sam Swanepoel, shades of the Westville match, bounced a few players and scores. Dunno, without seeing it, can’t judge. It’s a solid group of boys, no lacking their work ethic or ambition. They will surprise teams this year.
@Gungets Tuft: Good win there, seems the boys had 2 really tight games – must have dug deep to grab the win.
Well played College, glad they won one of the games at the festival!
College 23 – Parktown 18
@Pedantic: @star: After the narrow win, with home ground advantage, including the Ref, the clock, our U19’s, our lite schedule and their injuries, I am not sure about the MC/KC game … Anything is possible.
@star:
Firstly – must agree with your and other comments regarding Meyer. He has been really impressive doing a lot of the grunt work and making a huge contribution at the breakdown. I notice he also calls all the lineouts so perhaps he is being groomed for leadership next season?
The scoreboard clock was indeed synched with the referee – it was an experiment which worked very well I thought. The schoolboys who operated the scoreboard sat with a senior referee on the sideline and stopped and started the clock based on signals from the referee. There was a thorough briefing on the protocol beforehand and it worked like…….clockwork
@star: Slate kleen-It is down to 2 games. Hilton and Westville. Both away games . I am giving away a distinct advantage but in the spirit of SBR, you are on.
As far as the MHS game is concerned- it was an excellent advert and kept the crowd interested till the final whistle.
@Pedantic: And I am not just saying that to score a discount on a new vehicle from the old man
I did make a mental note for whoever plays 8th man for Westville on the 9th May that to run a crash ball down the blind side might not be the most productive of moves considering where the House 8th man ended up. Your boy had a very strong game and was the focal point of most of the K offence and defence.
@star: Just one correction, and I believe Tedder’s attempt was no try, but the ref was 40 metres from the action – looked like he was watching a lineout on the opposite side of the field, not sure he was in the right position to make the call.
Meyer has been impressing us hometown folk all season, looking forward to watching him in 2016.
@star: The Buccaneer only has half the bet won – College need to beat Kearsney on Stott before the payout – still confident I’ll keep the case in my own bar fridge
@McCulleys Workshop: I was with my old PT teacher from Westville( now at House) who pointed the father out high on the embankment and I thought it was Graham( old 50+ eyes). Nephew then but still great.
Did you collect your bet from ou Pedantic ? He thinks I am the Westville mafia so if there is a collection issue I am your man.
@Stripes: Great to see how humble you are in victory
Agreed though, the best team won on the day.
KC obviously having a tough season, MHS can’t be too good beating them only by 3 with a huge sigh of relief from the MHS faithful at the final whistle as KC were looking the better side at that stage. Oh, but wait, MHS had taken their foot off the pedal .. that’s why
It’s a SBR game, really not the be all and end all of much – a handful of the 30 on the field will play rugby after school with maybe 1 or 2 actually doing anything worthwhile if they’re lucky – for the rest it will just be memories and banter in 30 years time like you’re having right now. Same can be said of the officials – they’re amateurs, will make the odd mistake but it’s really just a SBR game.
@GreenBlooded: I have seen top officials at Kings Park get those place kick decisions wrong on a couple of occasions over the years and it all boiled down to both officials standing directly under the posts for a straightforward kick and then looking at each other when the kick went past very close to the upright, so interesting to hear that positioning is part of the AR training. It’s still very tough in Euro club rugby when the ball is kicked higher than the upright.
@star: Herbert? He is the son of Bruce Herbert, who played natal schools in 86, Graham was your vintage, post matric in 82.
@McCulleys Workshop: HAHA I think the mist had burnt off before we played. I see Mr Copeland around often. He has not changed a bit and has a son now at Hilton. Talking about the House pack , the lock’s son scored a try on Saturday. How great is that?
@star: Good memories Star, I remember that day in the mist. The MHS pack vs the HC back line, with Mr Copelands massive boot!
@Buffel: Any one of U19’s, injuries or dispicable refs, is this multiple choice?
@Buffel: I thought we could wipe the slate clean and start afresh. Your call
I have to agree with GB re Tedder’s disallowed try. I was sitting just below the pool and it did seem that he might have lost the ball just before the line. The ref definitely was in the right position to make the call. What did concern me though was this issue of playing versus running time. When Meyer( who is starting to impress) scored reducing the margin to 3, House with a man down might have battled to hold a now rampant K at bay if there was 5 minutes to play. However a minute was allowed( which tied in with the main clock which surely did not take account of injury time. ) A exciting final episode was therefore diffused and was disappointing.
I am hoping that the son will redeem the old man later this year on no less than Reunion day 
@ Stripes- I don’t know if you are a House OB but I would like to relay my abiding memories as a Westville boy doing a Hilton postmatric. There are 3 rugby memories in particular
1) Breaking my nose against St Andrews and having Andy van der Watt manually reconfigure it and send me back on the field .Those were certainly the days.
2) Playing on Goldstones for the first time and watch the favoured team implode in front of my eyes. I seem to consistently bump into members of that 1982 College team( yesterday it was the wing) who take great pleasure in reminding me of that 31-0 defeat.
3) and finally the Great derby that is the Hilton/House match. I remember walking out of the San( where we stayed) and up the drive in the mist and thinking how intensely quiet it was. That day is like no other and anything can happen. Really looking forward to another great encounter.
@Stripes: I am doing justice to KC in that they had a try disallowed and could have won. . Anyway- as you say it is in the history books that MHS won on the day. Kearsney’s 10 almost amounts to the number of games MHS plays in a season.
Why would we have to be better in the second half of the season. Tell me what sides of note have you beaten up till now and how many games have you played.
As far as Hilton is concerned, be careful .You don’t want to lose to them seeing that we have already done the deed. Lets hope that the best side wins on the day. Don’t start popping the champagne corks yet. Come on Star- would love your old school do one over the old enemy just to give Mr. Stripe a bit of humble pie. Sport has a fantastic way of being a great leveller.
@Buffel:
The AR did not call the try in the corner. He called ‘player was not in touch’. The non-grounding of the ball was called by the referee. Where were you sitting in relation to the incident that you had a better view that the on-field referee (who does know the laws since he runs all our law meetings)?
The missed conversion – which one are you referring to? There is a strict protocol with judging kicks at goal which we are trained for which in a large way depends on how the 2 AR’s position themselves and interact. A lot more to it that meets the untrained eye. It’s not just 2 palookas with flags. Once again – where were you sitting in relation to the kick that you had a better view than 2 trained AR’s in the correct position?
I must agree with @Stripes: – your comments don’t do either team or the fine display on Meadows yesterday any credit. Rather unfortunate.
@Buffel: Don’t agree with your comments about amber liquids or one eye! The best side won on the day and the record books will show that forever. Kearsney are now played 10 lost 5, 1 draw and won 4! Not exactly a great record. Your comments about the officials don’t do justice to a brave Kearsney side who never laid down and showed a lot of heart. Anyway time to move on, hope Kearsney are better in the second half of the season and I am looking forward to the House/Hilton derby next weekend. I am sure the best side will win on that day as well!
@star: Still ahead on the race to the line. Now KC to go close against Westville and beat Hilton and the beers are mine. I wish the Midlands ref society could get their act together. The second team ref always has a howler and as for Nicholson- man he makes people mad with his poor interpretation of the rules. The disallowed try in the corner by Tedder was given by the touch judge but in his infinite wisdom, he disallowed it. Hell, there is always controversy around when he is in the middle-or should I say in charge.
Piss poor. Bader clearly missed a conversion in the second half but Mr. Second team ref saw it otherwise and called it over. Stripes sees MHS as clear winners- maybe too many amber liquids on the side or looking out of one eye. It could have gone either way but in truth- 25-24 was the correct score in MHS favour and that was that.
Before House start popping the champagne corks they have to get over a big hurdle on the 2nd against Hilton. Hilton with Peverelle(1), de Marigny(8), Dahl (9), Hirschowitz(10) and Badenhorst( 15) have one on the best “spines” in KZN. If you add Bottriel and Loftus as an imposing centre combination and McGhee on the wing( all CW contenders) , then we will have to wait until the fat lady sings. I might have to take another trip up to the midlands proudly wearing the black and white this time
so the shuffling of cards is starting to hit home for a few teams now.
All the talk is of the attrition to the College team but Westville also seems to be limping home having already lost Qoma and Heyneke at the Jeppe festival . The boy might have to play in his 4th different position
So here we are at the end of a great Saturday’s school boy rugby. Looking back on my opinions of how things would play out with the KZN teams I think I wasn’t to far off. I wasn’t at the Glenwood game but I can only assume EG Jansen stood up to Glenwood pack and that made things tough for them and explains the result. I think they will struggle again on Monday. I also wasn’t at Jeppe but was surprised at how close the College/Jeppe score was, I expected College to be broken from the drubbing at Kings Park. It was only 1 point but it is another loss and College have another game on Monday!
I was at the House/Kearsney game, a good game of rugby between 2 great schools. I definitely thought that House had the better of Kearsney and a lot of Kearsneys points were scored against the run of play. It was also a pity that House had an injury to a centre who was breaking the Kearsney line on a regular basis. I still think House should have won by 10+ points but unfortunately they took the foot off the pedal at the end. Well played to both teams!
Jeppe had their fair share of yellow cards today as well. Simply put, the officiating was not great, but it did not have any bearing on the outcome of the game…….swings and roundabouts! 21-20 final score….fair and square…..time to move on, accept the result, and plan for Monday vs Parktown.
@chopper: Was that the same linesman that advised on the two yellow cards?
I meant an independent commentator, perhaps a PBHS parent.
@Gungets Tuft: Whoever told you that College had the better of the game could only have been a “one eyed red, black and white” spectator! Try 1 by College an arsey interception! Try 2 dotted down 12 inches short of the line…….knocked on…..and awarded…despite the assistant referee having told the referee…no try….14-0. Jeppe left two certain tries on the table with poor decision making in runaway efforts! The final score is a very fair reflection of a game where no quarter was asked or given. Congratulations to a Jeppe team that epitomized guts, heart, commitment and passion. College, let it be said, did not lie down and gave it their everything but ” it’s a game of small inches,” (which was seen by College with try 2, ). Two teams left it all out on the field which is what schoolboy rugby should be all about. Well done to both teams today…game of the day in my humble opinion!
@GreenBlooded: house certainly not stretching themselves, nice chilled season with plenty of rest. Should easily top KZN…
@Redblack White:
Fair and accurate assessment. I think House had the better of KC for most of the match but took their foot off the pedal towards the end to set up yet another photo-finish on meadows. Great game – I think you are right – House to top KZN this year.
@Grasshopper: No offense intended just referring to a substantial margin of victory. 50+ is more than a drilling. That’s a drubbing a hiding a snot klap – or a combination
@Redblack White: Don’t know, I was told there would be a lot of shuffling of the team.
The Kings Park result will confuse and disappoint me for a long time. My theories will only be shared over a fanta at the Bowls club
@Balikibaba: I was following MyCommlink. It would be nice to get an independent view of the match, I have been told that College were better than the result showed.
@Redblack White: 33-3 is heavy but a drilling, hmmm! 50 plus is a drilling ;-)
Who was at Jeppe?
Teams and players that impressed?
@Redblack White: They were 27 – 10 up at one point … Big derby game, anything is possible.
@McCulleys Workshop: House catch 40 winks towards the end then? Close finish there. Sounds like it would have been worth the meander…..
IMO House are a safe bet to be KZzN tops this year
House 27 – KC 24 Ft
@Gungets Tuft: saw that EG Jansen drilled GW. Makes last weeks loss that much more painful yet puzzling?
@Gungets Tuft: Tight game then. Pity they couldn’t do more than a penalty in the second half after what seems a strong first half.
I was told that Guma might be at fullback after all the forced changes. Was this the case?
Final score Jeppe 21 – College 20. Jeppe win with a try on full time after a yellow card for the College #1
House 24 – KC 10
House 17 – KC 10
Half time at Jeppe, College 17 – Jeppe 10
Westville 38 – Parktown 31
Bishops 33 – KES 15
PBHS 24 DHS 17 full time
I will be driving up to watch the Kearsney v Michaelhouse match……hell of a lot cheaper than Jeppe…… my opinion of Kearsney is that they have not hit top gear. They are much like Glenwood who battled utill they gelled. If Kearsney gell then i predict Kearsney by 10+. Michaelhouse has always been a solid unit and are very well coached and their results have been showing just that. If Kearsney do not perform as mentioned above I predictHouse by 5.
@Stripes: Dixon and the double-barreled name from House could form an awesome lock partnership for KZN…
@Pedantic: Never meant to be condescending or to intimate that the team only had 1 or 2 good players! Rather that rather that Dixon and Tedder seem to be the stars and the team relies on them a lot. I am sure they never could have beaten Glenwood with only 2 good players. Looking forward to a good contest between 2 great schools tomorrow.
@Pedantic: Yep, but at KZN or SA Schools level (we hold thumbs) he will have bigger props. I ended up playing lock in 1st year out of school and was only 105kg & 194cm…..I just like the way he plays there…..
@BOG: Mate, it was a compliment. Grey have so much depth and the winning philosophy ingrained in them that even when hit heavily by injury they can grind out wins over rated opposition…
@Grasshopper: The problem with him playing lock at school level is that he can’t give the team a proper lineout option which is crucial, reason being, with a small pack, they can’t lift him!
@Grasshopper: Well, that is why they have score boards at the matches- to see who won the match. Its good to be humble in defeat but better to be humble in victory. But as I said, the team looks very different from Kerf.
@Grasshopper: Good point … we saw that in the EG Jansen game at KERF, they looked buried, never panicked and just kept on with their structured play to grind out the win.
@Pedantic: I agree, Grey looked quite average for them BUT they will still grind out many victories. They are like the Aussies, taught to win….
@BOG: Just my observation … I didn’t think GCB were as impressive at KERF as they have been in the past, hence my prediction for Monnas to win by 1 – could very well be wrong but I’ll stick to that.
@Pedantic: Are you seriously suggesting it was actually your 2/3 rd team which played GCB? Well, since we bring in injuries, that team of Grey was minus 9 injured players and the team at WK, looks very different from the one at Kerf. But, lets see- Monnas does have one of the best records against GCB.
@Pedantic: Unfortunately House at House will be a tough nut to crack. They are fresh and ready. Playing only 12 games a season gives them their best chance to win every game….good luck to your boy, a special player. Although I really do think his position at school level is lock…
@star: Geez, you also with a case of beers – way too much beer at stake on this match
Best you hide well … there may be some pilfering from your cooler box
@Stripes: You may well be right, MHS certainly favourites at home – we’ll find out tomorrow.
One thing for sure, there will be 13 or 14 players in maroon jerseys out there to prove your condescending comment of 1 or 2 good players wrong.
@Grasshopper: I have heard that Palvie is fine, hopefully we will see him take the field this weekend.
@Thumper: Yeah sorry about the delay there. Was meant to be assigned last season.
@Grasshopper: Palvie was in a class of his own against College and Northwood. Very special player!! Beet, thanks for the College jersey!
@Stripes: I agree, Glenwood will battle up front vs EG & Noord Kaap, so their best chance is via the backs. I think without Palvie they will battle even more. However, after two big wins they might put in very spirited performance and might sneak a win….
@Stripes: Agree, House by 10
@Pedantic: I am looking forward to watching your boy play as he was missed at KERF. Remember I am also a Hilton O/B so my loyalties might not be where you think they are.
However the case of beers with Buffel might sway me in the right direction.
I also think College will bounce back at Jeppe. All they need is parity in the tight exchanges which hopefully they will get against Jeppe and Parktown.
Have to disagree with you on the House vs KC call. Rugby is not a 1 or 2 person game and therefore a well rounded side like House with 15 good players will be at least 10 points better than KC. We will all find out on Saturday afternoon. Should be a good game and with the House music festival and a marching band playing before the game should be fun. I will be on the bank at Meadows shouting for House! Don’t know enough about the other schools to make a prediction other than Glenwood will struggle at Wildeklawer because they play too much rugby and the small College side with a number of injuries will start to falter at the Jeppe festival. Enjoy a great weekend of schoolboy rugby.
@Buffel: Yeah, when an effectively combined 1st / 2nd / 3rd KC team can hold them within 16 points, I don’t think Grey are having a great season.
@Pedantic: big call on the grey game
@Pedantic: We need that- a reversal would be awesome.
@Buffel: We won’t know until Friday, but the big guy looks ready and determined to redeem his 2014 team mates.
Just go for the win-2 points.
My heart says KC all the way but it is an uphill battle my friend. Hope I get it wrong. Is youir boy right as rain and is Tedder playing
@Buffel: Disappointing prediction from you for the MHS / KC match – remember, this is not 2014
Looks like a few got it close .. especially BioshaaiPa – Ploeg has it wrong again which means I get the edge on him for next week
KC/MHS going to be a good game- will catch up with my mates up the hill.Star, I think this is where things get a little interesting.
@star: Yeah I like the confidence you showing in Kearsney … maybe next weeks pool.
Hang on … did that just go over my head? Keep your gold balls where the sun don’t shine
@Pedantic: I thought Kearsney were playing MHS this weekend. I needed somewhere to put my gold ball.
@Pedantic: Ons verskil net met agt wedstryde!!
My picks for the weekend … http://blog.schoolboyrugby.co.za/?page_id=7339&user=2
Especially for Ploegie, so he can crib some of my scores