Updated. KZN Schools comes from 5-14 down at one stage to beat the Pumas 36-14 with a great second half performance. The Academy team drew 13-13, The KZNCD won and the KZN Grant Khomo team lost.
The three KZN Schools teams will make the trip to Mpumalanga to play the Pumas on Monday, 17 June 2013 as part of the first stages of their preparation for the various age-group weeks coming up during the July holidays.
For the Craven Week team this match should pose quite a challenge. Two highly rated schools, Nelspruit and HTS Middelburg form part of the Pumas region’s feeder system.
KZN’s best backline player Corne Vermaak will sit out this game due to an injury sustained while playing for Glenwood against Monnas and his schoolmate Jaco Coetzee is expected to only get 20-minutes of action after his recent recovery from injury as well. The likes of Reece McHardy (Westville) and Kurt Webster (DHS) are also nursing injuries and may have to be used with caution as well.
On 22 June, the KZN Craven Week team will be in Rustenburg to participate in the annual Bondedag, a festival featuring a number of the Noordvaal Craven Week teams as well as the Free State team. Here the fixtures are still to be confirmed.
The Michaelhouse – Hilton return derby takes place on the same day but with neither school having a KZN under-18A representative this season, the fixture will not clash with attempts to ready the provincial team. Last year the two private schools together contributed seven Craven Week players, resulting in the Bondedag trip having to be cancelled due to the timetable clash.
@GROOTKROKODIL: Pumas kon in my opinie n sterk span gekies het sou hulle die span om die sterk vaste 5 van HTS gekies het. Geleentheid verspeel.
@Beet: Had no idea about Du Plessis, pity he moved!
Were you at the KC game yesterday?? Jst had a thought, can we not get a petition signed FORCING a game between Westville and KC
If not, sorry Westville, but we just going to have to go on the warm up game I guess
@BOG: and regional inter-schools politics
@GROOTKROKODIL: Moenie skaam wees om die “bul by die horings” te pak en dit te noem wat dit is nie- diskriminasie en kwotas.
@GROOTKROKODIL: Selfde storie gehoor by Rooies se pa. wat n joke is dit nie!!
soos jy se volgende jaar en daarop sit die arme onderwyser nog steeds net waar hy is en die kinders streef hopelik na meer!!
@GROOTKROKODIL: Furthermore this lock selection has consequences. I know that the Sharks have him but I also know that surprise surprise he was the target acquisition of certain KZN high schools. They wanted to bring him to KZN this season which would have meant he would have played Craven Week for KZN Schools, possibly guaranteed. So the next Pumas youngster who gets an offer to move, chances are he will take it. Makes the conspiracy theorist in me wonder who actually stands to gain more from his exclusion in the long run.
@GROOTKROKODIL: I hear these stories in every region every year and they never cease to irritate me. How is it that something that was meant to be a celebration of the best SBR talent in SA became so corrupted. Whatever happened to a code of ethics whereby as a selector you make an honest attempt to select the best players available.
@woltrui die vasskop van HTS Middelburg was net goed genoeg om die Pumas se o/19A span te haal (dit is die Pumas se D span). Die heelagter van Nellies kon slegs die Pumas se C span haal en soos ons weet Jessie mis nie. Wat ook verwonderend is is dat die Puma se slotte wat gekies is glad nie lyn staan springers is nie. Die Pumas Craven week se no 4 slot is 1.86m lank en weeg 75kg(hy speel flank vir sy skool se 2de span). Terwyl Rooi bul slot wat 1.99 is en 101kg weeg te kort en te klein is volgens die Puma keurders. Hy het die sterke en magtige EG Jansen op hulle kniee gehad en 6 van hulle balle gesteel en so ‘n groot rol gespeel om die reuse span van EG te wen. Die slot is goed genoeg om volgende jaar ‘n volledige kontrak by die Sharks te kry en sodoende 0/19A afdeling Currie Beker te speel maar nie goed genoeg is om Craven week vir die Pumas te speel nie. Dien Leeu’s het hom ook ‘n kontrak aangebied. Wat teen die Nu power kampioene tel is dat hulle in ‘n mackro skool is wat in sterk ligas speel en dat hulle nie groen is nie. Dit blyk vir my dat dit nie gaan oor wie die beste speller in ‘n bepaalde posisie is nie maar wie die afrigters en keurders is en dis hartseer. Op die einde van die dag bly die afrigter van die Pumas volgende jaar en die jaar waar hy is net ‘n meneer van ‘n skool maar die kinders wat drome het vir ‘n toekoms in rugby gaan kom waar hulle behoort te kom. Net soos enige ander provinsie blyk dit dat die Pumas geen uitsondering is waar dit kom by die kies van spanne – bly ‘n deurmekaar spul!!!!!
@RUGBYMAD: Baie dankie RUGBYMAD. Verbaas dat die heelagter en stelskopper van Nellies nie gekies is nie. Sien ook nie die vaskop van HTS wat Centurion so gekarnuffel het nie??
HTS met 8 en Nellies met 7 spelers in die groep. Van die kwota spelers sien ek verteenwoordig nie hul skole se onderskeie 1 ste spanne nie?
PUMA CW TEAM
l1JP Herbst Middelburg THS
2Cauwen Mashaba General Hertzog
3Conraad van Vuuren Nelspruit HS
4Thulane Mkhonto Middelburg THS
5Michael Basson Middelburg THS
6Willandré Kotzenberg Middelburg THS
7Daniël Maartens Nelspruit HS
8Menzi Nhlabathi Nelspruit HS
9Rowan Gouws Middelburg THS
10Brandon Thompson Emerlo
11Bennie Mashbane Middelburg THS
12Helgaard Viljoen Nelspruit HS
13Mauro Bucuchane Nelspruit HS
14Odwa Nkunjane Witbank THS
15Lindelwa Zungu Piet Retief
16Jaco Vosloo Nelspruit HS
17Bheki Shongwe Baberton
18Christopher van Leeuwen Middelburg THS
19Tristan Jooste Witbank THS
20Christiaan Erasmus Nelspruit HS
21Allen Muller Middelburg THS
22Mzwakhe Fransman Witbank THS
@RBugger: Did you know that Jacques du Plessis was once upon a time a Kearsney student before he went to Ermelo. He represented KZN u13 at CW, coming out of Pongola back then.
@RBugger: @Woltrui: I assumed it was Nelspruit as well.
A few years back we had the privilege of hosting the Pumas in Durban. Their backs did not fire that day but boy if a couple of players left memorable impressions it was the openside flank and the lock. There names are Jacques du Plessis and Kwagga Smith. A few years on and guess where they are now. Du Plessis made SA Schools that year and Kwagga, well he was possibly the unluckiest SBR player in SA as he did not make SA Schools but was easily one of the best players at Craven Week for 2 years running. At least he is enjoying the rewards now.
@RBugger: OUCH!!!!
@Woltrui – I heard the game will be played in Middleburg – @Beet: Do you perhaps know where ot will be played??
@beet: @RBugger: If the game is played in Nelspruit(Lowveld) conditions will be similar to the conditions in Pietermaritzburg. Witbank or Middelburg would be a different story. I do think you will have to much class for the Puma boitjies though.
@Woltrui: It will indeed by a great first up test for the young KZN team, playing against tough opposition on the highveld – a great warm up game.
People have not really been talking of them this year, I suppose due to injury, but just watch the Du Preez boys pick up the pace in a KZN jersey this year, their school performances have been getting better by the game!
I think you will find that the KZN 8, Schramm, will also be a surprise package in the number 8 jersey. I rate him very highly and feel he his most certainly one to watch.
Looking forward to the game
@beet: They should be competitive Mr Beet. The no 6 of Nellies, Maartens (apparently a CW player in 2012) is somebody to look out for. Scored brilliant long distance tries against both Kloof and Kempies, where he surprised these teams with his speed and power. One of the better schoolboy players I saw this year. Also a very high work rate in the loose. The Pumas forwards should also be strong. Should be a good challenge to the Charkies.
@Woltrui: No nothing. Would really like to see their team. I imagine it will be relatively strong.
@beet: Morning Mr Beet. Any news on the Puma CW team sheet?
@TheGoose: Yes. Seems like he will. He had a similar setback last year. Missed the warmup but played at CW.
Is Corne Vermaak going to be fit for the CW in Polokwane?