Drostdy might be the sleepers in the 2024 preseason predictions

One thing is for sure, HTS Drostdy of Worcester in the Cape, will not look undersized when they pack down against Paul Roos Gymnasium on 16 March 2024.

The Mammoth Donkeys have a monster-sized octet up front. Their combined weight is in excess of 800kg. If head coach Tobie Botes (12 caps for Italy at 9 & 10) can channel the efforts of these big boys into a one cohesive physical unit, they are going to be a handful for any team and may still rank well nationally.

The first big assignment against Stellenberg set for Saturday 09 March can cancelled due to WP Athletics scheduling. Instead the Donkeys will now be put through the paces in a chukka trial match against Paarl Gymnasium.

Next up for the Donkeys, Paul Roos’ and a big Maroon Machine pack that will not be bullied into submission. A little over a week later, an interest dual awaits in the form of another expected big hitter – Dr EG Jansen at Noord-Suid in Pretoria. Not that the Jansies do not have a decent pack, but for 2024 they possess an amazing backline and one suspects they will try to run anyone who the come up against off their feet, even more so if they sense its a big pack that they can tire. So that is gearing up to be a battle of two strategies: forward domination – the growing it factor to be a significant somebody in schoolboy rugby and backline firepower, the scoreboard ticker from the time when defences were slower and backs were more likely to miss or fall off first-time tackles or be completely outdone by the speed of a good, accurate pass game.

After EG, its the unfortunate reality of the Donkeys annual fixture list, which provides them with precious few opportunities to mix it with the leading rugby schools. Oakdale on 20 July in the third term, may be a last chance to leave a lasting impression by overcoming a highly ranked school.