Early day but it would be good to see where you feel the top teams are falling into the rank order.
Top 10 early frontrunners
1 Paarl Gim / Grey College
In just about everyone’s prediction, one of these two powerhouses is the early favourites to clinch top spot and it will possibly take an unbeaten season to do it!
3 Garsfontein vs HJS Paarl BH
This can now be billed biggest game at Noord-Suid tournament. Garsies will look back to a time when their star team beat Paarl Gim and realise these kinds of opportunities don’t come around too often. They have the team and the early season form. Can they carry it? HJS have fielded more talented teams in the past but they do tend to be a BMT team and they do have a reputation for consistency.
5 Affies / Monument / Paul Roos / Stellenberg
There is an uncertainty about all four above to sustain the rigorous focus required over the six-month period. They are expected to lose big games but show enough to earn the spots if and big if, they don’t allow erratic form in the games they should win, to contribute to their demise.
9 Bishops / Oakdale / Outeniqua
Both Bishops and Oakdale weren’t on the radar before the 2022 season but have since shown the expansive rugby form that could put them on the path to a high finishes. Outeniqua has the physical size and other elements to achieve but there are unanswered questions about whether or not they can package it all for 70-minutes at a time.
Western Cape hopefuls
Rondebosch / Boland Landbou
Rondebosch are a so far so good WIP without any major tests so far. There is a chance we might not learn a lot more about their true potential at the Grey High Rugby Festival – this will depend on the quality of Jeppe in that Day 2 matchup.
Boland Landbou made a reasonable close-call losing start against the Kwaggas but with the next major test set to be Affies at Wildeklawer, it will be difficult for them to find ranking favour before mid-April.
Outside chance of a Top 20 finish
Waterkloof
Menlopark
Drostdy
Durbanville
Helpmekaar
EG Jansen
A mixed bag. Klofies have not done much wrong, while the rest have stuttered a bit and will have to find their feet again if they are to entertain hopes of a high finish this season. Even if they don’t finish in the Top 20, they are the sort of teams that could determine the fate of other higher ranked outfits.
KZN
Glenwood / Hilton / Maritzburg College / Westville
Typically three KZN teams fill Top 20 places annually with the best performer placing near the Top 10 on average. Michaelhouse could still weigh into this equation as well. Hilton who are the provincial crown favourites at this stage, are perhaps not ambitious enough to warrant anything higher that 15th place nationally in a count back, especially if the KZN league gets discounted on a national strength scale.
Eastern Cape
1 Grey HS
2 Brandwag / Framesby / Hudson Park / Kingswood / Marlow
Grey High are expected to get players back and lead the Eastern Cape charge minus their big end of season rivals Selborne, who are off to a less than convincing start.
Selborne’s demise opens the door for a showdown amongst several other top schools to claim the province’s no.2 ranking and perhaps with it, a Top 20 finish if they can keep their win ratio high.
GEMS (Gauteng English-medium schools)
Jeppe / KES
So little is known about Jeppe or KES for now. At least one of the two would be a safe bet for Top 20 status.The Grey High Rugby Festival Day 2 will provide some crucial answers.
Goeie more.
Wanneer doen jy die eerste ranking vir 2022. Gaan jy ook weer die skool as n geheel ( 1ste tot u14) rank.
Groetnis
@All Black: So a team that needed 4 or 5 penalties after time expired to draw against a team playing only their second game, away from home on the highveld with local “support”, penalised to death and with 5 or 6 grade 11s at this point is not a top 3 team. Paarl will struggle to make top 10 this year. Phps if they went for the win, but they went for the draw. Does Garafontein have any u19s?
Baie goeie week aangebied by Noord Suid en heel waarskynlik by die mooiste rugbyveld in Pretoria wat bygedra het tot ‘n lekker atmosfeer. Affies het goed gelyk, maar Garsies is verseker die span om te klop die jaar. Hulle lyk in dieselfde klas as Grey en Gim
@Smallies: Ek en jy stem eintlik saam. Moet nie dink dat my opmerking daarop gemik was om vir Gim te verdedig, in teendeel, Gim kan 22 spanne per Saterdag in die veld stoot (met 550 seuns) dus speel minstens 63% van die seuns in Gim rugby. Ander groot skole met baie meer seuns kan nie soveel spanne beskikbaar stel nie. Daarom sê ek dat die relatiewe sterkte van ‘n skool se rugby moet gemeet word aan die hoeveelheid seuns wat rugby speel, en die die totale hoeveelheid seuns in die skool nie.
@Jan Kriel: moet my nie verkeerd verstaan nie ,ek is nogals bietjie van n fan van Gim juis oor wat hulle regkry as gemengde skool en het al gese dat Gim as gemengde skool nie sy gelyke het in die land nie
@Smallies:Mens moet eerder kyk na hoeveel seuns in elke skool rugby speel. Nie alle skole het ‘n rugby kultuur, waar 80% van die seuns rugby speel, nie
@Jong Matie: gaan n Grote wees.
@OomPB: Wildeklawer
Paul Roos gaan moeilik die top 20 maak. Speel Gim teen Grey die jaar?
@Jong Matie: Gaan kyk wat Boland Landbou met n paar seuns reg kry.
@Smallies: Groot verskil in die jaarlikse ranglys posisies ook
@Smallies: Die nommers by Marlow is op van verlede jaar af.
Daar is ‘n paar Jbay seuns in die jaar se groep wat nog /17 is, gaan hulle met belangstelling volg.
En daai 8 lyk na ‘n bulletjie.
@Jong Matie: Groot verskil tussen 550 en 250,maar ja amper so iets
@beet: I have to admit Im not a big fan of senior professional coaches at school boy level….I’m more of the using teachers to coach tipe ,yes you can use old boys to help the coach ,but for me the first team coach should be a teacher.They understand the make-up of boys and all the pressure of combining school and a hectic rugby schedule much better
@Smallies: Almost like Paarl Gim with 550 boys and achieving basically a top 3 spot every year. It is insane.
@Smallies: Yes it wasn’t a great start for DHS but I think they have improved. The former HJS coach Peter Engledow is there now and by a few accounts it seems like he is on the right track and has the support of the rugby staff. Bethlehem Voortrekker are also working hard to improve their results, so that result was a good reward for them.
@beet: didn’t DHS take a loss against Bethlehem Voortekker early this season?
@beet: Marlow is a very unique school,only 250 boys ,all in boarding school…they should not be able to perform at elite level schoolboy rugby ….and yet they do
@Smallies: Hi Smallies
Little Marlow with less than 50 matrics per year having a BIG season!
So far the KZN is nicely set. Some good interschools battles coming up. Five schools mentioned in the post above but the likes of DHS and Kearsney will hopefully also be able to add some competitive weight to the outcomes. It might not be Northwood’s year but they at least have some good junior teams coming up and a rugby enthusiast for a headmaster does help.
@Grizzly: jip dinge lyk goed,Goeie pak ,en die backs lyk heel goed….Garsies en Affies lyk vir my op die staduim na die beste in PTA ,weskaap Gim ,Boishaai en Oakdale,oos kaap,lyk Marlow goed en Grey high ook…Selborne flok weet nie wat daar gebeur het nie,KZN volg ek nie regtig nie
@Ouboet: nee wat Ouboet this is a very good Gim team.
@Ouboet: ek persoonlik dink dat Morne Scheepers ook moet start vir Gim first team
@jakes: Ek dink as Oakdale minder foute gemaak het kon hul maklik ‘n 50 opgesit het. Dis egter moeilik om veel uit wedstryd wys te raak, want dis maar begin van seisoen. Vandag en more se wedstryde sal ons dalk meer leer.
Paarl Gim se agterlyn is kort van spoed & slaankrag, ek het dit gesien vs Stellenberg; Sodra graad 11 sè Clemond Nel klaar is met atletiek moet hy in dai 1ste speel; jy kan nie ‘n seun wat 100M in 10.7sec hardloop miskyk nie
@jakes: die agterlyn kort aandag aan. Hulle het glad nie vir my gefire soos hulle kan.
I have a feeling it is going to be a tough year for EG Jansen especially competing in the Noordvaal Cup 1st division. Very very tough competition lying ahead. But the season is still early and they will need to pick up their game to be in the top 20. 1 win out of 3 so far this year .
Wat ‘n lekker naweek was dit nie. Skolerugby is weer aan die gang. 0/14,15,16,19,13…. toernooie. Ons is SA was lank genoeg die vooreg ontsê. Great start vir Garsfontein, Grey Paarl Gim,Affies, Paul Roos, Oakdale en Stellenberg.
Monnas weet ek gaan baie verbeter. Dit Wit Bulle van Krugersdorp gaan dit nie daar los. Dankie Beet vir die plasings en skrywes.