| Jersey | Name | School | Sub-Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hendrik Vermaak | Grey Junior | PE City |
| 2 | Benji Breytenbach | Susannah Fourie | Uitenhage |
| 3 | Lubambo Maqutyana | Bluewater Bay | PE City |
| 4 | Russell Lister | Sunridge | PE City |
| 5 | Sino Antonie | Kabega | PE City |
| 6 | Damon Royle | Sunridge | PE City |
| 7 | Ruan Klasen | Dr Viljoen | PE City |
| 8 | Zander du Preez | Sunridge | PE City |
| 9 | Nathan Sieberhagen | Grey Junior | PE City |
| 10 | Daniel Smith | Sonop | Uitenhage |
| 11 | Aliswa Mapuma | Rowallan Park | PE City |
| 12 | Larquin Goliath | Grey Junior | PE City |
| 13 | Siviwe Zondani | Grey Junior | PE City |
| 14 | Grant Witbooi | Caritas | Uitenhage |
| 15 | Lathita Nqebe | Grey Junior | PE City |
| 16 | Sisonke Ndoto | Mount Pleasant | PE City |
| 17 | Liyabona Matabiele | Muir | Uitenhage |
| 18 | Johan van Biljon | Newton Park | PE City |
| 19 | Prince Thole | Setlaars Park | PE City |
| 20 | Luphomlo Ndiniso | Machui | PE North |
| 21 | Ethan Liberty | Stulting | Kouga |
| 22 | Kuhle Desha | Charlo | PE City |
@ MSP 12, No issue, great junior school, along with many others in PE.
@Dave what school do you support, you seem to have an issue with the junior school.
@Mike: I suppose if they had 3 imports (usually an 8th-man, a centre and a wing) who are twice the size of the opposition and they build the entire game-plan around getting the ball to them as often as possible, they have coached “well and correctly”. I am not complaining as everyone loves a winner hey?
@Mike: When they play the local schools a ballet teacher could “coach” them to 50 points blown short every game.-maybe with one or two exceptions.
The status-quo seems to be to import an 8th-man, a center and maybe a wing who arrive on cue in January and then a game-plan is “hatched” that ensures the ball gets to these three big boys as often as possible.
The result is that some kids at A and B-team level arrive at the High School who cannot pass a rugby ball (and lack other basic skills), because they have never had to. I don’t see that as being a result of “coaching well and coaching correctly”-but more a case of results – driven managing.
I personally don’t have a problem with it as everyone likes a winner!
@Dave41: I think your comparison with Claredon is a bad one seeing as they ony started playing rugby again a few years ago and play in the u13B league. You can put that down to numbers or the fact that they unfortunately don’t have much of a long rugby history which means that parents who want their children to play higher level rugby won’t opt for Claredon as a school. But I have to disagree with you with the coach swapping. I know there are many good coaches around Pe who are more than competent and yes in some cases they have to work harder. But working harder is all relative. Working hard to make sure you have two full teams per age group and working hard to beat Grey Bloem away in August are two very different things. These are different challenges. So different that not any coach could handle it. Remember success in this sense doesn’t just happen. With respect, throw any Claredon coach in that situation and it would be much more difficult. It takes years of creating a brand, coaching well and coaching correctly. You can’t put Grey Juniors success down to numbers or facilities for that matter. Remember that Grey competes against some very tough schools that most Pe schools won’t get to play like Selborne, Grey College, Queens, Dale, Wynberg, Paarl Boys Junior as well as tough tournament teams and at A team level they win consistently against those sides, something a coach from any other local side has little no experience doing. But I guess “success” for different schools have different connotations.
@Mike: A difference between being committed and being good. I would bet that If all age-group Grey Junior and say—Clarendon primary A -team coaches were switched around, the results wouldn’t be any different.
I am not knocking the Grey personnel as they are no doubt dedicated and hard-working, but so are many other teachers who ply their trades at other schools who simply do not have the numbers and resultant size advantages Grey often have. In fact they may have to work even harder.
It is important to keep this “success” in perspective and not throw it around as it can be dispelled with relative ease.
The No 15 from Grey is really a great prospect going forward.
One thing is most these boys will be at Grey next year.
@Dave41: As well as good coaching and a rich rugby history. Success doesn’t come easily.
@Frik: Yes, anyone with two eyes would see that.
Grey are formidable if measured against local co-ed schools. If the school had half the number of boys it would be different story. Some supporters and parents are dismissive of this fact and choose to revel in the “success”of what is a simple numbers advantage sprinkled with a few imports.
@disa: Yes, my source revealed that the EP team did in fact play warm-up games over the past weekend and beat KZN, Cheetahs, Griquas and the Griffons. I was wrong about WP.
My source is the father of one of the boys in the team.
The point of the above being that the team is not as bad as the two gentlemen above want to make out
What I mean by that is that Grey have a good team not saying that the other boys don’t deserve to be there.
@Queenian: With 5 of their star players playing for the EP team?..That is one third of the team!
What happened to schools like Handhaaf and Albertyn ? they use to produce plenty CW players in my days.
@disa: Will revert back gentlemen, as soon as I’ve followed up with my source.
B.t.w. I know the u/18 EP side is attending the tournament in Oudtshoorn, not sure about u/13’s.
@Frik: I think your source is inaccurate as the WP CW team was only selected and finalized over the past weekend. They might play each other in the Inter-Southern Provincial Tournament to be held in Oudtshoorn next weekend. That is if EP attends the tournament.
Grey have a nice little side this year, but overall not a standout team in comparison to a few stronger teams of previous years. As always, they are a well-drilled unit. That said, Selborne and GCB would also knock their provincial outfits over too.
Grey as a team will more often than not be stronger than boys picked on their individuality. Grey has the luxury of depth right from u9 so the boys get used to playing together. Other co-Ed schools struggle as soon as those one or two ‘star’ players are out. That’s why Grey junior puts 50 on most Pe sides. The Sunridge boys in this side are really good and definitely deserve their spot there. Not too sure about all the others, haven’t seen them.
@Frik: I suspect they were speaking more to the strength of the Grey team rather than the weakness of this EP team. We farmers are not very good at articulating ourselves you know
@rugbyfan: Not sure of the accuracy of my source though. Should be fairly easy to get confirmation.
@rugbyfan: Interesting that you two gentlemen would say that. As far as I know this team has beaten both the Free State and WP in warm up matches
Grey PE Under13A would beat this team with ease.
The Grey Under 13A would beat this team.