May 2025. In an action-packed, high-scoring clash between two of South Africa’s premier schoolboy rugby sides, Grey College edged Affies 42–37 in Bloemfontein. While standout individual contributions from Ethan Adams, Lamla Mgedezi and Darius Erwee lit up the game, it was ultimately the Grey pack that deserved the highest praise. Their relentless effort and composure helped subdue what has been an excellent Affies forward unit this season — and laid the platform for a memorable victory.
Affies got off to a dream start when fullback Lamond Baatjies capitalised on a handling error by Grey College to score an opportunistic try. They extended their lead to 10–0 shortly thereafter, thanks to a classy effort by talented flyhalf Ruben Groenewald.
However, Grey responded after an Affies player was sent to the bin for a professional foul — a moment that might have resulted in a penalty try had this been a TMO-assisted senior fixture. The try-scorer was Grey’s electric fullback Lamla Mgedezi, who found acres of space out wide from a set-piece inside the Affies 22.
Despite being a man down, Affies struck back immediately. Their back row has been outstanding in the tight-loose this season, and their hard work paid off once more with some slick midfield linking play. The ball was worked wide to the right, where young wing Josh Gouws dived over for a well-finished try.
Not long after, Ethan Adams produced a trademark low-centre-of-gravity swerve to beat the defence from close range and score. Grey then took the lead for the first time, courtesy of a 5-metre rolling maul finished off by no.8 Adem Nieuwoudt. The buildup was sparked by a midfield turnover won by Adams, followed by a pinpoint corner kick from flyhalf Darius Erwee.
Halftime score: Grey College 21 – Affies 17
Grey started the second half brightly, repelling a dangerous Affies rolling maul and earning a penalty turnover. Confident scrumhalf Sherwin Buys sparked the move, linking up with Erwee, who stayed on his feet in contact to set the platform for yet another Adams try.
Groenewald kept Affies in touch with a smartly taken drop goal under penalty advantage, narrowing the gap to 28–20.
Affies responded with a brilliant team try, rounded off by prop Roal Kruger. The movement involved multiple hands, sharp passing, and clever angles of attack — cutting the deficit to just one point.
With momentum swinging wildly, the game lifted in intensity. Grey launched a promising attack but were turned over deep in Affies’ red zone. A long, pressure-free clearance kick from Affies allowed Erwee to ignite a devastating counter, putting the lightning-quick Mgedezi into space for yet another highlight-reel try — one of many in his outstanding 2025 campaign. Grey led 35–27 with 13 minutes remaining.
Grey then shifted up a gear, applying sustained pressure on the Affies defence. Players like Adams, Xander Smit, and Tiaan Fourie made telling contributions with powerful carries. Affies’ task grew even tougher when captain Groenewald was shown a yellow card, reducing them to 14 men once again.
Grey were held up for the third time in the match, earning a 5-metre attacking scrum. From the base, O’Ryan Kleyn scored after taking a perfectly timed pass, with Adams’ clever decoy run drawing defenders and creating the gap.
Incredibly, Affies refused to back down. Still down to 14 men, they hit back through their hardworking No. 8 Stefan McDonald, who powered his way over to make it 42–32.
The visitors had the final say when a lineout throw to the front was cleverly worked back to reserve hooker Charl Els, who crashed over in the left-hand corner.
Final score: Grey College 42 – Affies 37
A pulsating encounter between two schoolboy rugby giants — and a match that more than lived up to its billing.
@beet (Comment #33)
Kleyn is a Great player he and Erwee seems to really understand each other ,same with Kleyn and Adams…
@Smallies (Comment #31)
All the talk now is about Darius Erwee and rightly so. He was off the charts today but I think Grey also made a good change by promoting Kleyn. Nice player. Will be a good one in 2026. To me the powerhouses success not necessarily based on u17 returners. You expect those with 2nd year experience to be better as a minimum and hopefully display more leadership but not necessarily the core next year’s team.
@Smallies (Comment #29)
Yeah last year’s Affies team were very unlucky.
They outplayed Paul Roos and they lost off the last kickoff by Grey. All they had to do was catch and kick out. Also had their chances to beat Gim at the Plaas. Their pack was so dominant and although the 10 had his critics, he could kick 50/22’s and did some good things to keep them going forward.
But Affies main challenge remains transforming their backline play. On a high tempo game like today. Lots of Grey backs stood out but the Affies backs were not so easy to remember.
The first thing I would get rid of at Affies is the spin pass. Neill Jacobs is doing amazing work at Affies as witnessed by their overall results in Bloem today so its hard to fault him at all but I would recommend Affies invest in him going to Australia and spending time with Rugby League outfits to see how they pass the ball end over end without losing ball speed yet improving accuracy and opening up running line options far closer to the advantage line without risking intercepts
@beet (Comment #30)
With Mgedesi Kleyn and Tyropolis thats a great nucleus
@Smallies (Comment #23)
100%
Other u17s
CT Eddie Mabena u17
HK Henru Erasmus u17
LF Steven Muller u17
PR AJ Hendriks u17
UF Prestan Bennett u17
UF Keaton Pottas u17
@Grizzly (Comment #25)
In my opinie was verlede jaar Affies se beste kans in n lang tyd ,hulle het tuis gespeel en het die game oorheers en net aan die einde verloor
@Smallies (Comment #16)
Affies rugby van /14 – 1ste nie gelyke nie. Dink die naaste wat n skool sal kom is PRG,as ek moet skat/wed se ek 35%.
@Grizzly (Comment #26)
Dink Grey het 2017 2018 2019 rond laas die meerderheid games teen Affies gewen
@Smallies (Comment #16)
Affies rugby van /14 – 1ste nie gelyk nie. Dink die naaste wat gaan kom is PRG,as ek moet skat/wed se ek 35%.
@4×4 (Comment #10)
Daars die feite, nie so jonk nie. Ou moet passop van wie jy post vat as feite, my inkluis. Maar Grey sal weer daar wees, hierdie was n kans vir beside die Bere en Affies.
@beet (Comment #22)
Thanks
@beet (Comment #21)
I think Kleyn and Preston Bennet is also u 17
@Grizzly (Comment #17)
Stellenberg is the young team with 8 u17s
Paarl Gim also have about 6 u17s
The numbers are here under the DHS/Northwood section
https://schoolboyrugby.co.za/?p=46514
@4×4 (Comment #10)
1 David Hayidakis u18
2 Tian Fourie u18
3 JG Badenhorst u18
4 Claude Steyn u18
5 AJ Meyer u18
6 Xander Smit u18
7 Alexi Tyropolis u17
8 Adem Nieuwoudt u18
9 Sherwin Buys u18
10 Darius Erwee u18
11 Thristan Maree u18
12 O’Ryan Kleyn u17
13 Ethan Adams u18
14 Benjamin vd Berg u18
15 Lamla Mgedezi u17
@OudAffie (Comment #4)
A few years ago these kind of results in Bloem were unimaginable.
Wow but Affies rugby is strong. They did same to Gim in Paarl
@4×4 (Comment #6)
How many points did Affies score with 14 on the park – 3 tries. Not bad going in that regard either
@Smallies (Comment #16)
Dink nie jy is te ver af nie. As OudAffie die resultate plaas is meerderheid van Affies se spanne aan die wen kant en baie kere is dit ook nie krag teen krag nie
@4×4 (Comment #10)
Ek het in begin van seisoen, kan nie onthou wat se post nie gelees dis baie jong span. Iets soos 8?Beet as jy of iemand info het.
@HSBR (Comment #15)
Ek dink dat Affies van 1ste span tot by O14 F dalk die sterkste rugby skool in die land kan wees
@OudAffie (Comment #4)
Met daai resultate is dit duidelik dat Affie rugby oor die algemeen baie sterk en baie gesond is.
@Grizzly (Comment #12)
Tyropolis……verder weet ek glad nie ek is glad nie meer op die ball met dit nie
@Grizzly (Comment #11)
Neem in ag dat hy eintlik n 12 is ne dit maak sy vordering op 10 nogals groot
Hy het ook nie gestart die eerste 5 of ses games nie as ek reg is is Gim sy eerste start gewees
@Smallies (Comment #3)
Kan jy help met die gr 11 in Grey span?
@Smallies (Comment #3)
Ek sal hom na PRG gelyk 2 de sit met Bere 10.Hy doen sy basiese take goed en hyt nie gelyke pale toe nie. Bere 10 verdedig en val beter aan. Onvoorspelbaar en vat die bal flat wat hom gevaarlik maak. Dan Affies, Monnas en Stellenberg 10’e.
@Grizzly (Comment #9)
Watter manne in die Grey span is volgende jaar weer daar?
@4×4 (Comment #6)
Ek het ook net so k#k gevoel die heel week gehad. So asof hulle oorgretig gaan wees. Nie over confident nie maar meer oorgretig. Vir my het Grey teen die Bere na Gim begin wys hulle gel en hulle begin confidence in hulle execution wys. Hulle gaan weer n hand vol wees volgende seisoen. Ek sal die game later kyk.
@Smallies (Comment #3)
Stem 100% saam met jou. Hy beleef ‘n droom seisoen.
@OudAffie (Comment #4)
Weereens scarry uitslae. Baie geluk Affies.
@Grizzly (Comment #5)
Swak dissipline het Affies gekos, 21 punte teen hulle aangeteken in daai tydperk wat hulle met 14 man gespeel het. Ek het heel week gevoel gehad dat tank en lamlam die gamebreakers gaan wees, en het hulle toe nie teleurgestel nie. Baie geluk Grey, niemand daag net in Bloem op en vatn’n wen nie! Sterkte vir res van julle seisoen!! Affies well done, goed baklei teen ‘n reus wat ontwaak het!!!
Baie geluk Grey. Ek het nog nie die game gesien nie so kan nie komentaar lewer nie. In my voorspelling het ek gese Grey met 3 oor hul spelbrekers 10, 12 en 15.partykeer is die obvious voor jou. Ek het n voorstel gemaak aan BHP oor n weg verloor met minder as 7 om die verloor span n bonus punt of iets te gee. Bogenoemde wedstryd beaam dit net weer vir my. Geluk Affies,dit bly n dem goeie seisoen.
AFFIES TEEN GREY KOLLEGE
14B: Affies wen 39-0
14C: Affies wen 48-0
14D: Affies wen 62-0
14E: Affies wen 34-31
14F: Affies wen 50-5
15A: Grey wen 29-22
15B: Affies wen 26-21
15C: Affies wen 17-11
15D: Affies wen 36-7
15E: Affies wen 32-7
15F: Affies wen 71-0
16A: Affies wen 41-35
16B: Grey wen 27-24
16C: Affies wen 52-0
16D: Affies wen 40-12
16E: Affies wen 52-19
9des: Affies wen 44-0
8stes: Affies wen 36-10
7des: Affies wen 18-12
6des: Affies wen 46-12
5des: Affies wen 47-5
4des: Gelykop 20-20
3des: Grey wen 13-10
2des: Grey wen 36-21
1stes: Grey wen 42-37
Darius Erwee is in my veiw the breakthrough player of the year at the moment…no frills no fanfare just does the business…
@Sisyphus1866 (Comment #1)
AFfies net so swak
DAAR BESTAAN NIE SO 'N DING SSOS 'N "SWAK" GREY BLOEM SPAN NIE