KZN teams College and Northwood put in spirited performances against difficult opponents in the form of Pretoria Boys High and Jeppe over the weekend. However 2 more loses, now means that the Gauteng boys have a 4-0 lead with 8 to play. KZN look like they are going to need a European Ryder Cup team like comeback to win this one.
Supporters views:
From a College supporter’s perspective, they felt their boys took a big Pretoria Boys High pack on very well by meeting them in the physical challenges. However a penalty count of 11-2 in PBHS’s favour in the first half alone contributed to College going into the break 22-12 down. College came back strongly in the second half, so strong that they took the lead at 23-22. BUT in the last scrum of the game, ping! In one of those highly subjective calls, the referee nailed College for scrumming upwards and Boys High slotted the winning penalty to end it at 25-23. Interestingly Bishops fans also had a bit of dissatisfaction with a reffing decision during their recent 20-15 defeat against PBHS. Check out this vid (http://www.schoolboyrugby.co.za/pretor1.wmv) and decide for yourself: try or no try???
Northwood’s 33-24 defeat to Jeppe was described as a titanic struggle by a Northwood fan. Northwood got the better of the forward exchanges, Jeppe had the advantage in the backs. At one stage the score was 25-24 to Jeppe and the account of the third try was that Jeppe knocked the ball on into their own player and then knocked the ball on a further two times before the hosts scored their match sealing try. However all-in-all, it seemed like Northwood were happy to give the ref the benefit of the doubt, so he must have done well otherwise. Bottomline on this one is HUGE improvement for Northwood. Something to build onto.
From the Jeppe perspective, losing concentration during the second half cost them big time. They conceded 2 soft tries and threw away a comfy lead of 25-10 in the process. Place kicking was also an issue with first choice White-Sharpley out. Potentially 15 kickable points were missed. Positives were 5 tries and the mature approach of the Jeppe team in that they didn’t panic and as a result were able to regather themselves and shut Northwood out. It’s a big weekend coming up for Jeppe. They meet KES this Saturday in one of SA school rugby’s best attended games of any given season.
Latest update: Northwood fought back from 11-3 down to beat St Benedicts 15-11 and help KZN to register their first win.
Next up in the Grogper is Westville versus Boys High this Saturday. This should be a really good game.
| DATE | SCHOOL | SCHOOL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/03/13 | St Davids | 17 | 6 | St Charles |
| 01/04/13 | St Albans | 26 | 25 | Hilton |
| 13/04/13 | Pretoria BH | 25 | 23 | M. College |
| 13/04/13 | Jeppe | 33 | 24 | Northwood |
| 15/04/13 | Northwood | 15 | 11 | St Benedicts |
| 20/04/13 | Westville | 22 | 17 | Pretoria BH |
| 04/05/13 | KES | Westville | ||
| 04/05/13 | Parktown | DHS | ||
| 18/05/13 | M. College | KES | ||
| 18/05/13 | St Stithians | Kearsney | ||
| 25/05/13 | St Johns | Michaelhouse | ||
| 27/07/13 | M. College | Pretoria BH |
@Klofie Pa: Hiehiehie. Die ingels ma moeilik. Hoop Affies is reg vir daai Klofie kameraman. Ga hom teer en veer
@Woltrui: Wollie kom nader en laat die oom verduidelik….
dis soos little en nie littel!!! verstaan djy Wollie???
spot net!!
Sterkte vir vanaand. Sou kom maar omgelukkig werk wat ek moet klaarmaak. Wel n rep van Kloof wat gaan videos gaan neem van al julle sterkpunte in die spel. Ons doen dit andersom jy sien!!
Why is there suddenly an extra game on the Grogper Cup fixture list. Wasn’t there original just 11 games. Im sure one game was registered after the official cut off date for Grogper Cup fixtures. Or is members of a certain province getting desperate?
Can somebody explain to a rockspaaider how to pronounce the name of the cup?
“Gro pher”?? 8)
@JeppeRugbyFan: word of warning, having half the team in grade 11 does not guarantee a great 2014. Glenwood learnt this hard lesson and all 7 coming back were Craven & Academy week reps. 2012 was a year to forget. Good to see Jeppe back after some heavy losses last year…
@Tang: Agreed, this Jeppe side is definitely one of the better sides we have fielded in a while and the great thing is that 7 of the starting 15 are still in grade 11.
I was also at the festival and you are so right, had it not been for our locks’ lack of discipline in the first five minutes I think we may have beaten Noord Kaap. If you take into account we where leading 16 – 12 with 10 minutes to go having played basically the entire game with 14 men, you can understand the boys would run out of steam in the last 10 minutes which is when NK scored 2 tries to win. The Bosch side is good but I think our boys may have given a better account of themselves had it not been raining. The conditions definitely didn’t suit them, whereas I think Bosch are accustomed to playing in the wet conditions. The Bosch game plan was also extremely well executed by their flyhalf who kicked brilliantly for position and turned our pack around every time we got into the Bosch half.
This weekend against KES should be interesting because although there are a few niggles after the Northwood game, it looks like 13 of the first choice 15 are fit and ready with the other 2 still possible starters so we holding thumbs.
It would be interesting to hear from Roger because from what I hear Engelbrecht will be starting this weekend at flyhalf although I seriously doubt KES would take the chance with him not having played for such a long time.
@Grasshopper:
Yeah it definitely will be!! But I’m sure he’s up to the challenge and a very good luck to him!! 14th Headmaster of DHS! Very good school to come from is Bosch
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Welcome Mr Erasmus, it’s going to be a massive challenge but good luck! Here is to many years of friendly rivalry across the other side of the Berea!
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Welcome to KZN Sir!! Congrats and best wishes in your new role.
http://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10151594567954254&id=345023869253&from_feed=1&refid=8&_ft_=qid.5867452462600382733%3Amf_story_key.-954957628692205563
Leon Erasmus named as new headmaster of DHS!!
Where is Roger as this Cup is partly named in his honor? I would like his input re KES which have already lost to Trinity House and Marlow.Based on those 2 results the Jeppe game is set up properly. Where is Engelbrecht(10) as he was not named on the teamsheet to play Parktown.
@NW_Knight: Try travelling to Pukke and then back to Kearsney, usually 6 games in 10 days. Luckily this year we played Framesby before the main season so it was 5 games in 10 days, Garsfontein, Drostdy, Paul Roos, Selborne and Paarl Gim in 10 days……now that is hectic! Garsies and Gim top 10 and the others all top 20/30….
@ Jeppe Rugby Fan,
I watched Jeppe at the MC festival and I think Jeppe are an underrated team. Jeppe were unlucky agains Noord Kaap (pity about the initial lapse of discipline) and good against Queens. Rondebosch proved a little too strong but Rondebosch are an excellent outfit (gave Monnas a real scare).
I think Jeppe are going to surprise a few teams this year and any team playing against them would be foolish to under estimate them.
Hope Jeppe have a successful season and realise their full potential.
If Jeppe play anywhere near their full potential, I feel they can beat KES at KES this weekend.
@Grassy: Wasn’t exactly festival games – I think traveling to JHB (or PTA in MC’s case) is a little tougher (especially when sandwiched between 2 home games.
Beet,
Normally you give quite an impartial review of the match and match result. On the point of the first half penalty count (PBHS VS MC), the count of 11-2 against MC was not unreasonable. College have a tendency not to roll away or allow the tackler to place the ball. Of the 11 first half penalties, I would estimate that 9 or even 10 were for infringements at the breakdown. In the second half, College were more disciplined and did not concede silly penalties. I felt it was the improved discipline of College that robbed PBHS of the momentum they had built up in the first half.
In any case, it was a great fixture and it was a pity that one side had to walk away as the looser. `
The return fixture in PMB will be a cracker.
I am looking forward to the Westville VS PBHS fixture this weekend. As far as I am aware, this if the first time the schools are playing a full fixture and it should be a great day down in Durban.
@Grasshopper: Tippex dilemma for Beet …..
Notry!
@Gungets Tuft: Pucking hell it must be a circus out there with the calls! Syv, sex, семь, siedem, niege, four!
@NW_Knight: Welcome to the festival world, where schools play 3 top 20 sides in 6 days, pretty tough, especially at Kearsney. Glenwood played Paul Roos, Selborne and Paarl Gim in 6 days, Westville played Paarl Gim, Outeniqua and Framesby in 6 days……crazy isn’t it. Glenwood have already played 8 full season games and have not even been playing a month….
@Grasshopper: So, they might have done better if the oke had not kept on shouting “throw me the puck, throw me the puck!!!” and the Polish #9 was insulted and screamed “Puck you too bru” …
@Beet: I thought they did well last night, especially considering it was the3rd game in 6 days for some of them. Also had 5 boys out with injury. Good to see the U16’s coming back to best against a good Bennies side.
@Gungets Tuft: well I heard they had a Swedish flyhalf!
@beet: Harder to find Grade 12 backline players of quality from countries that don’t play rugby???
@GreenBlooded: Thanks. Fixed. I wonder what might have been had NW acquired one or two backs on the same level as their frontrow. I wont be surprised if NW has 1 or maybe even 2 CW players this year.
@beet: Your table has it that NW beat PBHS – sure the NW faithful will love you for that!
Sorry just checked with him, he is the St David’s coach, got the saints mixed up! Great coach though…
I think my mate is the Bennies coach, used to play with him in under 21….
@JeppeRugbyFan: Yeah I watched the game. Ground was wet underfoot and Northwood struggled to get going. Bennies played with plenty of heat- they almost made it 5-0.
Northwood 15 – St Benedicts 11 according to Twitter.
@GreenBlooded: thanks
@star: I didn’t even know it was on
@star: Damn right mate – but can Northwood be trusted to deliver the goods??? These missions need to be carefully assigned…..
@beet: Northwood.
Why is the game not included for the Grogper cup? We need all the home games we can get.
@GreenBlooded: Thanks.
@GreenBlooded: Where are they playing?
@All Black: Tonight 18:30
Anybody know when Northwood are playing St Benedicts?
@BOG: I can almost hear the howls of laughter from here – not from myself either (you know I don’t criticise refs).
@CapeMan: But if the pass was forward then what is all the fuss about? A try would have been the wrong decision??
An obvious solution to the refereeing problem, would be for the schools from other provinces to play their rugby in the Free State. The province is conveniently centrally situated, within easy reach of all, it is almost assured of a rain-free encounter, but most of all, guaranteed of impartial and honest officiating. As they say in the “trade”- “the province of integrity and honesty! “
@GreenBlooded: Granted that pass was forward but I think a TMO would have given that. Pass it to some other ref mates of yours if you dont mind.
@GreenBlooded: The most frustrating aspect for me is not the actual penalty count against you at an away game or even when you play a supposed top side at home (in the WC the officials usually try to even this up towards the end, when the damage has been done), but rather bad calls that change the momentum of the game and alter the eventual outcome. These are more subtle and harder to pin-point. I have only seen a few genuine bad or blatantly bias calls in recent years down here, but unfortunately I have seen many of those 50/50 calls favouring the home/top side and those often determine the outcome. On the positive, I have seen JK ref many matches down here over the years and have never seen him have a bad day, he is not affected by any hometown pressure and just blows it consistently for both sides. There are many down here that can learn from him…..
@CapeMan: Did you see the Bishops forward pass before the ruck formed? Marginal perhaps. What the ref clearly did miss was the offside pillar from PBHS – the penalty should have gone to Bishops for that.
@CapeMan: I have watched this clip over and over again and cannot see the ball being grounded. Even if we assume it was grounded – we cannot see where it was grounded, if it was carried over by momentum or double movement etc. I must admit it looks dodgy – but I cannot sayor sure. Would a TMO have given that based on video evidence??? I think not. However I will send it to some other ref mates and see what they say.
@GreenBlooded: Come now greenblooded. That ball was clearly grounded.
Northwood are playing St Bennedicts tonight at Northwood. Does anyone have the times? NW_Knight????
@CapeMan: I don’t know that it was a double movement – please re-read my post – specifically the part that says “We cannot see from the video if this is the right call or not.” That is what the ref signalled. I do not know what happened because I wasn’t there and I cannot see the ball being grounded in that clip.
@CapeMan: Greenblooded is a society ref so knows what he is talking about….but hey ho maybe you needed to be there to know for sure..
Absolute hogwash decision against Bishops. The ref made a terrible call with a fantastic view of what was going on. How is that double movement greenblooded?. As a pure rugby supporter that was just a terrible call. Balikibaba must be going bonkers.
@Grasshopper: I think it would be a mistake for Glenwood to give up KERF or for the organisers to drop Glenwood. As I posted a few minutes earlier I think the organisers should try to get College into the mix as well.
@All Black: Absolutely – my point is that the difference between an 11-11 penalty count and a 11-2 penalty count often comes down to discipline and/or possession.
Dont want to get into open debate about penalties and refs etc but it is highly unlikely that any team at any level can play 35 minutes of rugby without infringing. The 2 penalties given to College were in the last minute of the first half. Especially if 2 teams are competitive.
There are quite a few guaranteed Natal victories to come, so it’s going to be tight. I predict a 6 to 5 final result…either way.
@Grasshopper: I’d much rather Glenwood stay at Kearsney. I don’t care much for Pukke and Wildeklawer.
On the Bishops/PBHS video, we cannot see the ball being grounded so we can’t say what the ref saw. He is clearly signalling ‘double movement’ i.e. ‘not releasing’ so it seems his judgement is “ball carrier grounded the ball short and did not release”. We cannot see from the video if this is the right call or not.
The initial pass before the ruck is set up looks forward though (scrum to PBHS) failing that then I would have definitely pinged the PBHS pillar who attempted to make the tackle on the ‘scorer’ who came in from the side and was neither bound or behind the last man’s feet.
@ Greenblooded- You obviously do not have much faith in Westville doing the double and putiing us back on course.Miracles do happen on occasion
@GreenBlooded: Agreed! Hopefully Glenwood stop playing all these festivals and maybe set-up a fixture with Jeppe, KES or PBHS and show that KZN talent is also down in Scumbilo. I think this year was the last of our contract with Kearsney, Pukke and Wildeklawer so we might be looking at attending other festivals like KES, St Johns, St Stithians and Grey PE……
@Grasshopper: And since only 3/11 of these matches are in KZN – I think the Grogper trophy will stay firmly in the Big-Smoke this season.
A penalty count of 11-2 – does that mean that the ref is ‘biased’ or does it mean that one side infringed 11 times and the other side twice? Penalty counts are proof of nothing other than the discipline in the 2 teams.
What do you do when you have a defensive scrum in your own half, in the middle of the field, against a team with a long range goal kicker, with a ref who you perceive to be biased against you, in the last minute of the game and a point in the lead? You do not do ANYTHING remotely CLOSE to being perceived as a penalty infringement. You scrum straight, you stay onside, your loosies stay bound, your scrummie does not obstruct etc etc etc. It’s about keeping cool heads in high-pressure situations. That is what happened on Brooks Field on Saturday. My only concern with the ref was that he did not let the game flow but he was not ‘biased’.
When are PBHS going to get a proper pavilion. With 85h prime Pretoria real estate and such beautiful facilities, the stands is a let down. The last time Affies an BH played the school did put some extra stands in behind the northern poles. At the moment I don’t think the stands can accommodate 2000 people.
@Woltrui: Also, travelling up to thinner air is far harder than travelling down to abundant air, proven by all the Kenyan athletes who do high altitude training. Also, I remember going up to JHB for athletics and a few of us would get this weird sort of cold sweat from the altitude and our 800m plus athletes would gasp for air. I don’t want to make excuses but the reality is the Gauteng schools will always have the advantage no matter where the game is played…
The PBHS and MC game. As neutral spectator the following comments. “Gees” at the game something to behold. I sat between some MC old boys and some passionate BH parents. Some funny comments during the game.
Concerning the penalty count. When MC kept ball possession in second half the penalty count levelled out(would be interesting to know what the final tally was). As expected the penalty that gave MC the lead just before the end of the game was not well perceived by the PBHS parents.
A great match to watch. Very tactical game with two well coached sides. What an exciting end.
I also tend to agree that a team traveling a long distance start with a 10 point handicap. The return match will be a cracker.
Sorry BH, College was louder and had the edge on the “gees” department.
mmmmmmmm, these home town refs and their blindside calls
Marius Jonker reffed the Westville vs Empangeni game……………..what a pleasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Again, Gauteng’s top English schools are involved and KZN’s are not, only two of the top 5 in College and Westville. Throw Kearsney, Glenwood and Michaelhouse into the mix and the results would be different. Also, take away the difficulty in playing on the highveld having just arrived 24hrs earlier away and the results would be different, these few point margin losses would be wins.