Are those days when you described No.8’s using glam terms such “positional player”, “link between forwards and backs” and “smart reader of the game” vanishing?
It does feel like the one time boardroom exec that wore the no.8 jersey is now a blue collar worker who has to help out his South African number-6 working class buddy to secure ball at the breakdowns and leave the yuppie lifestyle behind.
Yes, no, maybe?
Well the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival Day-1 did have this distinct feeling that number-7 wearing blindside flanks where the new A-list red carpet players of the pack.
Things got off to a great start with Worcester Gim’s Waylon Pienaar (1.90m, 90kg, u19) setting the tone for the day with another of his trademark all-round awesome displays in the setpiece and loose. Although he is u19, he’s already proved that he was a top player last season and hopeful he gets an opportunity to build on his attributes after school.
Along the way there were some nice performances by youngsters in the form of Bradley le Grange (DHS, 1.82m, 90kg, u17), Crisjan de Lange (Nico Malan, 1.91m,88kg,u17) and Eden Calitz (Framesby, 1.88m, 98kg, u17).
Before the season started, there probably were not too many linking Connor McIntyre (Kearsney, 1.86m, 99kg, u18) with a Sharks u18 Craven Week call-up but on current form, if the permutations work out, the One-Stripe’s collision dominator surely has to be the leading contender for that blindside role.
The day got capped by highly rated Alutha Wesi (Rondebosch, 1.82m, 95kg, u18) producing the kind of effort that may link him with SA Schools consideration. He triple-P’ed a mix of power, pace and physicality that made him a difficult to contain customer with ball-in-hand and a real menace on D.
I’ve heard the Glenwood hooker is immense, not sure his name.
7 is a position with several players knocking on the door for higher honours. Lots of talent there on display at NS as well.