HTS Middelburg played without several first choice players including injured flyhalf Riekert Barnard but ultimately paid the price for poor defence and went down 10-18 to Transvalia in their first competitive match of their 2017 season. Transvalia were the better team on the day and used the setpieces to help gain an upperhand.
Overall it was a decent day for Valke regional team from Vanderbijlpark. For the HTS Middelburg Rooibulle there is a lot of hard work ahead over the next week and a bit. Next up is a huge derby against fellow Pumas heavyweights Nelspruit in the Tuks-reeks.
Results
1st XV : Transvalia 18 – 10 HTS Middelburg
2nd XV : Transvalia 12 – 27 HTS Middelburg
u16A : Transvalia 48 – 21 HTS Middelburg
u15A : Transvalia 21 – 05 HTS Middelburg
u14A : Transvalia 08 – 15 HTS Middelburg
@AbsolutMenlo: agree that Klerksdorp in the mix. Oos Moot also very competitive in the age groups for past few years. Problem is that they prefer easier clashes early in season – not good for development or rankings.
@Laevelder: I looked at the 5 year ranking table on the side. There hasn’t been much to separate Nellies and HTS over that period and they are two of the more consistent performs for the last 4 seasons in a ranking range where people often suggest that its very hard to determine where each should actually slot in.
@Skopgraaf243: Interesting read on the Noordvaal spanne there. I enjoyed it.
I heard that Die Anker, although perhaps not a rank topping team in 2017 should be good in their segment – the Puks Prestige and Large Schools.
The Leopards large schools was very interesting last year. Sounds like Potch Gim might come out on top in that section.
@AbsolutMenlo: Ek wil net seker maak……het daar nie van die senior seuns geskuif na ander skole toe nie? Indien nie, gaan Waterkloof beslis ‘n sterk span in die veld kan stoot.
Menlo het nie verniet verlede jaar die Tuksreeks gewen nie, en dit kan hierdie jaar weer die geval wees…..
ja klink ook redelik vir my Absolut.. behalwe jou beskeie opinie oor Menlo.. hul gaan beter doen
Ek sal Noordvaal so groepeer:
1) Affies vir oulaas…2018 onwards gaan hulle steeds sterk wees, maar glad nie oorheers (jammer Affies en Monnas speel nie)
2) Monnas, Helpies en Garsfontein
3) EG, Kloof, Nelspruit en Eldo
4) HTS, Transvalia, Noordheuwel, Kempton en Menlo
Sjoe ja jy’s reg.. sal Klofies tussen 5 en 7 iewers sit.. sorry Sewes!
…maar jy is verseker in die kol. Jammer man.
Waterkloof gaan ook GROOT aanslag hê die jaar.
AbsolutMenlo…Waterkloof speel mos nie meer om te wen nie
@Laevelder: …. julle vergeet van Waterkloof! Kloof metriek groep het 0/16 Beeld finaal gespeel en het ‘n sterk groep o/16 ( 2016) wat aanvul.
@Skopgraaf243: Goeie opsomming!
Valkie … laat ons nou nie die perde voor osse span nie!
@Laevelder: Ek kan met daardie een saamstem. Beide Monnas en Helpies gaan ‘n groot jaar hê, en baie moeilik geklop word.
Die Verseker kompetisie gaan ‘n groot een wees hierdie jaar en in my beskeie opinie kan dit Garsfontein en Monument wees wat sake uitspook in die finaal, en Helpies weer Grootskole champs…..
@Laevelder…Noordvaal 2017 :
1)Monnas in teorie moet kompeterend wees
2)Dreamteam sal sterk begin met kommer op diepte
3)Affies gaan nie die veld aan die brand speel nie maar tradisioneel altyd sterk
4)Menlo lucky packet en behoort vir odd verrassing te sorg as al die drade raak
5)Garsies ook nuwe coach soos monnas behoort goeie teenstand te bied.
6)EG ook sterk maar hoofsaaklik jonger groep dalk
7)Eldos, beste span in jare, altans so hoor ek
8)NHS, ook jongspan maar kliphard
9)HTS, vinnige fisiese spel
10)Transvalia, klink belowend
Noordheuwel dalk beter span laasjaat gehad
of Kempton miskien weer spanbou jaar
@Laevelder: hopelik nie in daai volgorde kan net sowel van ander kant af gelees word. Paar spanne onder die radar gaan verras.
Ja voor die fluitjies begin blaas.. sal die volgende spanne op papier(op reputasie,talentpoel &junior sukses) die spanne wees om te klop in die Noordvaal 2017 :1)Monnas (nuwe coach en al) 2)Dreamteam 3)Affies 4)Menlo 5)Garsies 6)EG 7)Eldos 8)NHS 9)HTS 10)Transvalia, Noordheuwel of Kempton.. Just a shot in the dark
@Skopgraaf243: Dit is vrek moeilik om op die pawiljoen te sit en jou mond te hou teen HTS Middelburg. Verlede jaar moes ek twee ouers, en freaken groot manne by dit, keer of daar was ‘n geveg op die hoofpawijoen. Ons goue seuns mag tog net nie aan hulle ou seuntjie geraak het nie dan het woorde wat nie in die Kinderbybel verskyn nie vrylik uit hulle monde gevloei…..Dit was later so erg dat sekere ouers van HTS ook net hulle koppe geskud het.
@Laevelder: By the look of things, as you would know, there are about 4 boys left over from last year due to start next week, being van Eck, Muller, van der Bank and Roets (I’m not sure if he did play a game or two)……the rest are players with no 1st team experience. So this year the majority of the boys are Grade 11. The boys off the bench last year got limited exposure.
As you rightly pointed out, these coaches can make the boys excel and if listen to the birds singing they are looking forward to the season with conviction and self-believe.
It’s almost time………
@beet: Yes between 7 and 11 times I guess.. so they should be very familiar with each other by now. I think we should be competitive again.. like I said so many times that the coaches can take an average group and make them excel.. we are blessed with a real rugby loving culture.We do not have that much left from last year..maybe 3 to 4 who were in the starting 15 and another 3 coming from the bench. They u/16 that came through from last year are showing some promise (think they lost 10-24 to a very strong Menlo 0/16 team last year in the Beeld semi’s) .. time will tell.. but the boys,coaches & parents ..and old boys like me cant wait for the season to start
@Laevelder: I can well imagine how much the players look forward to the encounter. The u18A players must have met some of their opponents upwards of 8 times already over their high school rugby careers.
What are the Rhinos looking like for 2017?
@beet: Ja that is 8 players.. they will be vey fired up for next Tuesday.. our boys too.. last time we met they beat us in the Puma final in Nelspruit after Cravenweek and most people already drafted us in as winners for the Beeld play-offs.. HTS had other plans.. So one can never ever underestimate a Rooibul team
Taking nothing away from Transvalia and their win, HTSM were without 1st XV player no. 3,6,5,9,11,13 & 15 and obviously their key no.10 from what I’ve heard
@Skopgraaf243: Ja Daniel is n yster.. was n groot wedstryd wenner in the 2013 Rhino span.. blitsig.. jammer die “sogenamde manne wat rugby loopbane roep” se nog al die jare hy is te kort en klein. Hy het hul jaar na jaar verkeerd bewys van 0/14 dae af. Onthou nog Craven week game teen die Sharks hoe hy teen die Dup boeties gespeel het( seker 20+ kg ligter as hul) .. en man of the match was.. Pumas het ook gewen daardie dag. You go Daniel!!
…a match for this particular group though!
Valkie … I see 2015 HTS beat Transvalia 15-13 u16.
Not that you can read too much into it but seems always been a match for HTS and Transvalia, athletes or not.
Gisteraand varsity beker gekyk Pukke vs Shimals, met daai 6-flank van die Shimlas, oud Nellie. Beer van n game gehad.
Valkie…om drie keer langs dieselfde ou te sit en ondersteun moet jy maar jouself gedra
Nee wat, dis duidelik hulle het sonder hulle atlete gespeel en dit maak ‘n reuse verskil. HTS Middelburg is in alle opsigte nie ‘n maklike span om teen te speel.
Dan moet mens ook ingedagte hou dat hulle ons reeds een wedstryd voor is, en dit maak ook dinge vir hulle soortvan makliker.
Ons kan nie wag om hulle 7 Maart te ontvang nie, al is die eerste van drie wedstryde wat ons hierdie teen hulle speel……..Dis jammer ‘the powers that be’ het ander planne probeer maak nie dat ons nie drie keer teen dieselfde span speel nie.
Transvalia’s off season preparation seems to be paying off. Three of their four sides coming out ontop.
We’re looking forward to a good match coming saterday.
Especially with our new-look 1st team.
I think it is important Menlo get the season off to a good start.
Transvalia’s u16 side is also promising remember two years ago with Klerksdorp in the finals of Tuks, that year u14.
Could be a good game.