Westville
Westville went down to the Eastern Cape and in the process of losing 16-10 to a very promising Grey High from Port Elizabeth at the Graeme Rugby Day, the KZN team won over a lot of local supporters. Westville was gutsy, absorbed the pressure and focused on getting a result in a tough physical game. Grey missed a few scoring opportunities but in the end it was Westville who came close to winning it in the dying seconds, when the ball was held-up over the try-line and the referee blew the final whistle without allowing the 5-metre scrum to take place.
Posing the question of whether or not the scrum should have gone ahead to international referee Craig Joubert via an old school mate of his, the reply was: “time is up, no scrum if the hooter went before the ref blew for held up ingoal.”
Trending not for the first and definitely not the last time either this season is the name of ‘Ville’ scrumhalf Reece McHardy. McHardy was acknowledged for his good performance in the 20-10 win against Hilton a few days earlier and in Grahamstown, he was described by some as the second best player on the day. Westville completed their 8-days with a 27-5 win against Stirling from East London.
Westville plays Paarl Gymnasium, Outeniqua and Framesby at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival.
Hilton
The game against Westville was described as a test match with both sides looking for tactical territory over an expansive game. All three tries scored came from defensive pressure and neither side were able to capitalise on line breaks which suggests stronger defence won the day. Hilton is a very capable team, well led by scrumhalf Cameron Wright who is a key player for them. Their backs struggled once centre Tristan Blewett left the field. Despite this, they will only get better so anticipate a few upsets from them during the KZN season. Wright, Blewett and flank Nqobi Maseko all had very good games.
Hilton plays Bishops, Helpmekaar, St Albans at the St Stithians Festival over Easter.
Maritzburg College
College played George Campbell on Goldstones in an historic first ever meeting between the two schools. The home team eventually triumphed 39-10 against a fired up Campbell. The match was played in wet weather which made the ball greasy and everything that goes with it. College struggled in the scrums and made a few wrong decisions that cost them points. Even though College no.8 Daryn Goodson is only in Gr.11 this year, he is already providing strong indications of his worth at open level. Part of the College focus in the practices leading up to their 150th birthday rugby festival over Easter will be to improve on organisation and finishing skills. The Red, Black, White looks set to go into battle with a size disadvantage for the first two matches but will look to counter this with skill and structure.
College plays Grey High (PE), Noord-Kaap and Queens over Easter.
George Campbell
Campbell looked dangerous at times against College but the team was yet to really click this season. One Saturday later they recorded a comfortable 67-10 win against Pinetown. The score line suggests that Campbell found a bit of fluency and hopefully got back some of the missing confidence ahead of the Bizsport Festival over Easter at Glenwood.
Campbell plays Benoni first up before things get really tough with games against Stellenberg and Middelburg (Pumas) at Bizsport.
Kearsney
Kearsney made it two in a row against Glenwood with this recent 26-25 result bearing a strong relation to the 2012 game in which Kearsney also had to come from behind and win a game they dominated via a late try. In the 2012 game a hero for Kearsney was fullback Josh Devine, who’s positional play and running the ball back that day was almost faultless and yet in 2013, Chris Lines somehow managed to improve on that standard with a performance that an SA Schools quality player would have been proud of.
Kearsney hosts their 6th annual Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF). They meet Framesby, Paarl Gim and Boland Landbou during the festival.
Glenwood
It’s been a tough eight days for Glenwood who suffered three defeats in a row, all against quality opposition. Whereas at Kearsney, Glenwood seem to make excellent use of limited opportunities on attack to score points, a recurring theme at the NWU-Puk Skouspel in Potchefstroom seemed to be that of crucial final pass slash handling errors costing them tries. Perhaps the most alarming factor though was the average of 36 points per game conceded over the three matches, suggesting that they have to work very hard on tightening up defence ahead of the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. A match report from Glenwood indicates that they missed 27 tackles during the Garsies game alone. Even still Glenwood remains an exciting high tempo team to watch. KZN schools wing Corne Vermaak had a bit of a quiet start to the season but in Potch, he really seemed to have come alive, being rewarded with a starting place in the Pukke Skouspel XV. Mention must also be made of Wandi Mazibuko, the Glenwood flank has been their best player this season thus far and was also in that Pukke team. Captain Rupert Kay also played very well at the Pukke Fest.
Glenwood plays Paul Roos, Selborne and Paarl Gymnasium at KERF.
Michaelhouse
Michaelhouse recorded a convincing 38-11 win against Northwood. It was a game with much interest in how the battle of two big packs of forwards would turn out but in the end it seemed that the large margin in the score-line between the two schools had much to do with brilliant backline execution by House. Rightfully a lot of praise was heaped upon the Michaelhouse flyhalf Michael Bouwer and the centre combination of Barrie Forrester-Smith and Tyran Faber. The super slick backline moves could not steal the limelight from Sharks bound loosehead prop Cameron Holenstein though. With his powerful ball-running ability it looks like Holenstein has taken over this role from inspirational 2012 captain Justin Moberly.
House is currently on a tour of Namibia.
Northwood
Northwood might be justified in feeling that the pre-season hype surrounding the appointment of a top coach and the arrival of a few new players, created some unfair expectations. For what it’s worth the game against Michaelhouse drew a lot of interest just as the match against Kearsney did a week earlier and for a school trying very hard to get back on level terms with many of it’s Tier-1 opponents, this public attention is a positive thing. In spite of the results, the targets set at the beginning of the year are still on track, so Northwood are not panicking.
For Northwood backline combinations have been a problem but parts of that functioned much better against Michaelhouse. There are still things to fix and the Knights have three weeks and three festival games to work on it. Northwood felt that scrums, despite becoming uncontested later on in the game, went well especially considering that they were without a first choice prop and mauls were really good, with a try resulting from one. A player that earned quite a bit of praise was hardworking flank Jonas Mikalcius who played his best game to date in Balgowan.
Port Natal cancelled the game scheduled for 23 March, so like a few other teams, Northwood was inactive over the weekend.
DHS
DHS had a close call against Port Natal, sneaking home 28-25 in the end. It’s a season during which School will probably take any Tier-1 win as a huge bonus, with Northwood looking like the only realistic target for success at this stage. Success for DHS might be better measured in terms of improvements that are witnessed in their young team over the course of the season, with many expected to return and make up the core of the 2014 1st XV. In spite of the downgrade in expectations, DHS supporters seem very enthusiastic about their talented flyhalf and captain Kurt Webster. Webster still has to be tested against the higher quality opponents this year but there is a realistic chance that he will be picked for the KZN Craven Week squad and he may even be handed one of the leadership roles in that team.
Rondebosch, Dale and Grey High (PE) are the games lined up for DHS at the Maritzburg College 150th this Easter.
@Gungets Tuft: c’mon Gungets – at least three of those meetings were at the Saints festival – only 80% home game for KES
@BOG, different gala I believe. They had like 3 events on one weekend, two gala’s and Midmar…..madness!
@Grasshopper: Was GCB disqualified after the gala at Westville on 9 February? As far as I know, they came in second(after Westville) on 263 points
@Queenian: I think they might lack some height all round, front row is fine, loosies nice and mobile. They did well against a big George Campbell pack so I don’t see any issues. The lack of height will have to be fixed with skill from the #2 and from the jumpers and support players. Team game.
@Gungets Tuft: Do MC have a big pack this year.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: KES vs College
First played in 1959
Played 11
College won 6
KES won 5
Of those 11 matches College have played away to KES 8 times, winning 4 of them. KES has won twice on Goldstones, in 2009 (52-14) and 2011 (28-20)
In 2011 KES won 10 out of 24 games at home, 2 drawn.
Hopefully KES will find the keys to the bus and start travelling again soon.
@Slam, will do but College is a team we both play. Affies, College, DHS and Westville were teams we both played last year. But my analysis is pretty clear playing at College is a different ball game….
http://www.rugbynewssa.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1105:from-holland-to-south-africa&catid=8&Itemid=100009
This is one of the new boys at Northwood
@Roger @Grasshopper come on okes leave College out of your discussion
How can they be too focused on A team if they won 10 games vs College. Everyone knows that if you do that you’ll be killed by College in every game but 4.
Also, isn’t KES allowed to do so as they were in a tight spot a few years ago.
Even Glenwood started out by focusing just on A teams
@Roger, you see avoiding the whole point again. KES are too focused on their 1st team. Glenwood beat College is 2009 31-0 at Glenwood and 23-11 at College. Methinks you pull out the convenient results….
Check this out; http://www.glenwoodhighschool.co.za/node/3110
@Grasshopper: butr Grassy – Kes doesn’t lose at Goldstones and put fifty past College in 2009
Sorry Roger, can’t seem to find the KES vs Westville results so can’t do the analysis. It will be the same though….
@Horsie, we all know there are too many factors to make direct comparisons, but overall stats against the same opposition do tell a story. KES is not a rugby powerhouse that it thinks it is. Not saying Glenwood is but it seems KES is another 1st and A team type of school….
OK Roger now that is going to take some work, here goes;
Glenwood vs College (@College)
http://www.glenwoodhighschool.co.za/sites/default/files/vs%20College%204%20Aug_0.pdf
Played: 23
Won: 8
Lost: 13
Drew: 2
% win: 35%
Points for: 325 (avg 14)
Points against: 430 (avg 19)
Glenwood vs College (@Glenwood)
http://www.glenwoodhighschool.co.za/sites/default/files/vs%20College%209%20June.pdf
Played: 24
Won: 15
Lost: 8
Drew: 1
% win: 63%
Points for: 413 (avg 17)
Points against: 276 ( avg 12)
Just shows what a big difference home advantage plays.
KES vs College (@KES)
http://www.kingedwardschool.co.za/Content/Result.aspx?eid=721
Played: 24
KES won: 10
College won: 12
Drawn: 2
KES % win: 42%
Points for KES: 384 ( avg 16)
Points for College: 449 (avg 19)
And this is after bus trips up to JHB and the altitude. Again, the stats show that Glenwood is overall the better rugby school and that playing College at home is a different ball game altogether. College can turn games around just because of the power of Goldstones….
@Grasshopper:
We all know nothing is for sure here, anything ccan happen on the day. For example, according to these stats glenwood u16a should beaat KES but I doubt they would. Also, KES U14A lost 40-12 to Affies and 40-3 to DHS. Does that mean that the DHS team wouldve beaten Affies? I think not! Specially since they lost 10-3 to Glenwood whom lost 20-8 to Affies.
Just saying
@GreenBlooded: you know what Mark Twain said – lies, damned lies and statistics!
Hopper – cos you are so good at this compare Westville and College as well
@Grasshopper: Boooo-yeah!! That is what is commonly known as a “Stat slap-down”!!!
OK, let’s do some analysis against a common opponent remembering Glenwood travelled to the highveld in buses and were playing away from home, a big factor and KES were at home without travelling and used to the altitude.
KES vs Affies (@KES)
Played: 25
Won: 1
Lost: 23
Drew: 1
Win %: 4%
Points for: 169 (avg 7)
Points against: 853 (avg 34)
1st Affies Lost 13 15
2nd Affies Lost 6 22
3rd Affies Lost 11 53
4th Affies Drew 20 20
5th Affies Lost 0 42
6th Affies Lost 5 45
7th Affies Lost 0 29
8th Affies Lost 7 21
16A Affies Lost 7 15
16B Affies Won 29 15
16C Affies Lost 0 45
16D Affies Lost 0 47
16E Affies Lost 5 32
15A Affies Lost 0 30
15B Affies Lost 3 52
15C Affies Lost 10 19
15D Affies lost 7 43
15E Affies Lost 5 33
15F Affies Lost 5 26
14A Affies Lost 12 40
14B Affies Lost 0 45
14C Affies Lost 6 26
14D Affies Lost 8 47
14E Affies Lost 0 52
14F Affies Lost 10 39
Glenwood vs Affies (@Affies) – http://www.glenwoodhighschool.co.za/sites/default/files/vs%20Affies.pdf
Played: 26
Won: 3
Lost: 22
Drew: 1
Win %: 12%
Points for: 164 (avg 6)
Points against: 751 (avg 29)
Now the question is how many points Affies would have scored if they played at home and if KES would have won any games at all. Overall, which school is better at rugby based on this?
@Tjoppa, not sure about that hey. KES couldn’t even beat their local rivals PBHS twice and Jeppe, who both got squashed by Affies etc. Glenwood beat Monnas and so did KES by small margins, methinks if the game was played at KES then KES would have won but on Dixons Glenwood would have won. KES are good at avoiding the hard games away from home, even this year they managed to swindle the set-up and get Westville to play up there instead of at Westville.
@GreenBlooded: cmon mate – we all know Trinityhouse would hammer Glenwood
@Tjoppa: We would never know cos they don’t play us (or any other strong opposition for that matter).
@Tjoppa: and 2011 and 2010 and 2009 and and and……….
@Grasshopper: They for sure would have wiped the grass with you guys last year.
@Meadows, very true! 202 points off the pace, pretty bad that….
@Grasshopper: Alan Burt can’t have enjoyed DHS’s performance at a gala named after him
@Grasshopper: wise man your grandad – you should listen to him
@Roger, my grandad is the frustrated KES boy. He has delusions of grandeur or just going senile because he thought KES was the best at rugby. I had to let him down nicely to say sorry Grandad but they are no longer big fry and they only play the local sides in Jhb these days….
@Grasshopper: trawling the KES website now Hopper – always knew you were a frustrated KES boy
@Roger: Or your swimming season;
SWIMMING – ALAN BURT GALA: (Sat 9 Feb)
1. Westville 291
2. Pretoria Boys 234
3. Glenwood 205
4. Clifton 193
5. Kearsney 182
6. St Stithians 153
7. St Davids 149
8. KES 105
9. DHS 89
10. Parktown 43
@beet: I wonder what that count was against Kearsney? Game lost right there!! Hope they buck up in that department come KERF otherwise I might just wear neutral colours in the beer tent!!
@beet: If you start losing to many games thats what happens.
Sjoe I just received an emailed report stating that Glenwood missed 27 tackles against Garsies!
@Roger: Nah mate. Know a pi$$ taker when I see one.
It’s only those who don’t know Glenwood that define it as a ‘rugby school’. It is so much more than that. There was an article in the newspaper a week or so back about a special academic class they have for the brighter boys where they are given an advanced topic and have to teach the others. That description doesn’t do the program justice – I’ll try and find the article.
@Roger: Are you talking about KES?
@Grasshopper: one trick ponies – flat track bullies – Glenwood and Mathew Hayden – he, he, he, he
@Roger, then don’t pour vinegar onto open wounds or twist the knife whilst’s it’s in. Simple really. KES can only claim to be an authority of these matters when they actually prove themselves against the best week in week out….
@GreenBlooded: you Greenies are a sensitive bunch heh – be careful not to be defined by your rugby season
@Grasshopper: too many – should limit to 10
Serioulsy though – the School tried 3rd term rugby last year and they have binned that experiment so the fixture list this year is a bit of a cock up – apparently next year it is all sorted and they will be back to 16 games again which – in my opinion – is optimal for 17/18 year olds. English schools in Gauteng have never played rugby in term 3 – its soccer and athletics season. Last year’s flirtation with term 3 rugby didn’t work
@Roger: 8)
KES only play 13 fixtures all season, 10 regular and 3 festival, jeez pushing the boat out there.
http://www.kingedwardschool.co.za/library/Documents/KES%20RUGBY%20FIXTURES%202013%20FINAL.pdf
@Grasshopper: clever heh 8)
@GreenBlooded: Yep, the ‘hyena’s’ just scraped a win against St Stithians and strategically avoided Garsies in their own Easter tourno…..KES are like politicians, brilliant at avoiding the tough stuff….
@Grasshopper: Yeah mate – amazing how the hyenas come out when there is a whiff of blood!!
We’ve been saying since the end of last season that this year will be a year to consolidate so some early season losses are inevitable. I think it is the quality of rugby the Glenwood is playing that is significant. Kearsney could have gone either way, Drostdy was lost in the last minute if I’m not mistaken and the only real klap we got was from Garsies who are looking like Top 5 material at this stage. I wonder how the hyenas would have done?? Not a whole heap better methinks!!
@Grasshopper: clever heh 8)
@Roger, no not really we were expecting a tough season with the majority of the boys in their first year in 1st team. Also, the losses were to really strong opposition. Would love to see how KES would do against this years Garsies side and Kearsney, whoops sorry forgot KES don’t test themselves….only in two games and that only started up again last year…..
dear oh dear oh dear oh dear – The Green machine lose 3 on the trot – trouble in paradise
Even though I don’t expect them to become world-beaters or come in top of kzn, I do expect them not to”take any Tier-1 win as a huge bonus, with Northwood looking like the only realistic target for success at this stage.” I do think we’ll get one or two major upsets,time will tell