Wednesday was D-Day for making final calls on KwaZulu-Natal Craven Week players that were carrying injuries over the past few weeks. Thankfully Corne Vermaak, Marcel Coetzee and the Du Preez twins are all fit and ready to go but the news wasn’t good for scrumhalf Matt Reece-Edwards, who has not recovered from an injury sustained during the closing stages of Kearsney’s final game against Maritzburg College and will miss the trip to Craven Week.This season Reece-Edwards became only the ninth Kearsney player to reach 50 caps. He stood in as acting captain for his school’s 1st XV for a large part of the highly successful season, which included a personal highlight when he was awarded a bursary study prize worth R100000 after the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. His loss to the Craven Week campaign has been described as a huge one by KZN head coach Barend Steyn.
Reece-Edwards will be replaced by in the squad by utility back Kelvin Elder of Maritzburg College. Over the last two seasons Elder has filled in at scrumhalf, fullback and centre for his school. He has impressed with the diversity of his game, being able to link well with those around him as well as use his physical strength in contact when the situation calls for it. Elder also packs a sweet get-out-of-jail left boot.
In all likelihood, Westville’s Reece McHardy will now start all three Craven Week games at scrumhalf with Elder almost certain to be employed in midfield for one game and being cover at halfback.
Craven Week starts on Monday 08 July 2013.
Reece-Edwards joins a list of top school rugby players who will miss out due to injury. Amongst the high profile names missing are JD Schickerling, Ryan Oosthuizen, Warrick Gelant, Ruan Ackermann and Carel Durow.
KZN Craven Week Squad
| # | Name | Surname | High School | Primary School | H | W | DoB | u13 Craven Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mazamo | Majola | Westville | Pitlochry, KZN | 182 | 101 | 20/02/95 | |
| 2 | Kerron | van Vuuren | Glenwood | Escombe, KZN | 185 | 98 | 23/05/95 | |
| 3 | Koos | Tredoux | Glenwood | Wiedapark, Gauteng | 180 | 110 | 28/02/96 | |
| 4 | Ntokozo | Vidima | Glenwood | ??? | 189 | 93 | 13/05/95 | |
| 5 | Daniel | du Preez | Kearsney | DPHS, KZN | 196 | 108 | 05/08/95 | 2008 |
| 6 | Mzwandile | Mazibuko | Glenwood | Richards Bay, KZN | 184 | 89 | 06/03/95 | |
| 7 | Jean-Luc | du Preez | Kearsney | DPHS, KZN | 194 | 110 | 05/08/95 | 2008 |
| 8 | Ayron | Schramm | Kearsney | Highbury, KZN | 191 | 101 | 18/04/95 | |
| 9 | Reece | McHardy | Westville | Westville, KZN | 174 | 83 | 17/07/95 | |
| 10 | Tristan | Tedder | Kearsney | DPHS, KZN | 179 | 70 | 17/04/96 | 2009 |
| 11 | Sphamandla | Ngcobo | Glenwood | Ndeleshane, KZN | 156 | 70 | 28/07/95 | |
| 12 | Akona | Nela | Glenwood | Selborne, E/Cape | 179 | 88 | 03/04/95 | |
| 13 | Marcel | Coetzee | Maritzburg Coll | Wartburg Kirchdorf, KZN | 178 | 90 | 14/12/95 | |
| 14 | Banele | Ngwenya | Maritzburg Coll | King’s, KZN | 163 | 68 | 02/08/95 | |
| 15 | Corné | Vermaak | Glenwood | Drakensberg | 181 | 87 | 18/02/95 | 2008 |
| 16 | Jordan | Meaker | Kearsney | Highbury, KZN | 170 | 80 | 18/08/95 | |
| 17 | Njabula | Gumede | Maritzburg Coll | Eshowe, KZN | 182 | 103 | 03/01/95 | 2008 |
| 18 | Thabiso | Zuma | Maritzburg College | George-Cato, KZN | 178 | 110 | 25/04/95 | |
| 19 | Jaco | Coetzee | Glenwood | Garsfontein, Gauteng | 187 | 95 | 10/06/96 | |
| 20 | Kelvin | Elder | Maritzburg College | Port Natal | 184 | 84 | 20/01/95 | |
| 21 | Kurt | Webster | DHS | Glenwood, KZN | 176 | 84 | 12/01/96 | |
| 22 | Morné | Joubert | Glenwood | Elarduspark, Gauteng | 179 | 76 | 19/01/96 |
@Mculleys Workshop: Sorry bud, did not mean to annoy or shock you.
I suppose I am perhaps bias and have never been to Hilton – I go watch Kearsney all the time and I guess you fall for a school when it becomes your team of choice
Good luck to the KZN boys this morning, it’s going to be very tough but just give your best. These Bulls are big but they are also human, tackle hard and show them what you can do….
@Buffel: Only got to see Mathew R-E play one game this season and that was the unfortunate game against MC where he got injured. So it would be unfair for me to make a comparison. Based on what others have said I would have to agree with you. I wasn’t trying to say that McHardy was better, just that I think he is class player to have as a backup.
In the Kearsney game against College, R-E should have been taken off when he first got injured. The decision to let him carry on when he first got injured may have cost him the CW opportunity this year and a shot at SA Schools. A very poor decision in my opinion.
@Westers: I agree that he has all the qualties but so too does Mathew R-C. They are both very good at their jobs and little to call between the 2. Reece is more physical but Mat has an outstanding knack of finding a gap and exploiting it with his pace and side step. Good luck to the boys at CW and may they enjoy this experience. Hope no injuries . GO SHARKIES.
@beet: You know my view on McHardy but I thought I would give you my opinion/answer to your question. The boy always gives his all from start to finish in every game. His kicking game is probably only second in KZN schools to Wright, but even that is close. He reads the game superbly, hence Westville playing him at fly half for most of the season. He has a great pass and makes some telling breaks, keeping the opposition guessing. And he can tackle. Saw him slip a few this season but he is not frightened to take on the big guys when he has to and his cover defence is great.
He wont let the side down.
Good luck to all teams, Hope it is an injury free week (at least no serious injuries) for all involved. But extra luck to the KZN boys. Give it horns.
@WBHS Griffon: what about congratulating the two Kearsney and two College A team reps. Also the DHS and Glenwood reps?
@WBHS Griffon: What do you like about McHardy’s game?
Fine performance by Northwood in the hockey arena.
Nice to see the number of Westville reps too, another great all round sporting achievement and another sport where we right up there with the best!
Well done to McHardy now getting his chance to shine at scrum half, should have been the starting scrummie in the first place in my opinion.
@McCulleys Workshop: I think any school over 100 will have easy on the eye traditional buildings, Victorian probably. Unless they have knocked them down. Even Affies has some nice buildings….
@kcob: Well, as our Rugby didn’t make the Top 60 league this year, at least we are up there in the ‘easy on the eye’ stakes.
@McCulleys Workshop: I tend to agree. As a KCOB I of course love my old school; but Hilton, MHS and St Johns are probably the most easy on the eye schools around. Spectacular.
Well done to all the KZN boys making the SA schools hockey sides, Northwood with 4, College 2, Kearsney 2, Westville 2 and Glenwood and DHS 1 apiece….fairly reflects the strength of each schools hockey. I thought Glenwood might have got one other though….
The 2013 SA Schools U18 ‘A’ Hockey Team
Matthew de Sousa (KZN Coastal – Northwood)
Tyson Dlungwana (KZN Inland – Maritzburg)
Siya Nolotshungu (KZN Inland – Maritzburg)
Nqobile Ntuli (KZN Coastal – Kearnsey)
Ryan Wallace (KZN Coastal – Kearsney)
The 2013 SA Schools U18 ‘B’ Hockey Team
Jacques Bleeker (KZN Coastals – Westville)
Taylor Kelly-Stack (KZN Coastal – DHS)
Javed Mea (KZN Coastal – Westville)
Stephan McManus (KZN Coastal – Northwood)
Dayne Naidoo (KZN Coastal B – Glenwood)
Tylo Remke (KZN Coastal – Northwood)
Dale van der Merwe (KZN Coastal – Northwood)
@Grasshopper:
Glenwood has managed to get some of the KZN players just like College and DHS and others. I’m not sure if the standards can get any higher to be honest cause this years side is fantastic.
Haha I just have my ears on the ground and some good friends on the inside.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Not sure about next year but you seem to have some sort of interest in the Under14 age group, maybe a coach? Isn’t your son in Under15 now? Glenwood might not have got the KZN players but would have certainly got some from other provinces. They would not let the standard at that level drop for next year…..
@McCulleys Workshop: I have been to the majority of schools in SA and for me Michaelhouse and Hilton take the cake for facilities etc, followed by Bishops and then maybe Kearsney. Bishops is awesome but on a smaller scale to MHS and Hilton, amazing views of the mountain. In terms of buildings Pretoria Boys High has an impressive facade. Queens is not bad either….but in the end MHS must be the best school in SA…..
@RBugger: I am actually amazed at your statement, Kearsney aren’t leagues ahead of anything, but on a par with many of our good traditional government schools. St Johns has some of the most classic Sir Herbert Baker buildings to grace our country (he was also the architect of Grey College, Wynberg Boys, the Michaelhouse Chapel, the Union Buildings), Hilton college has possibly the best spectator school rugby field in the country, unbelievable facilities, unlimited fields and space, spectacular buildings, brilliant cricket pitches, and fantastic views, if that’s what turns your crank. It is incomparable.
@Grasshopper:
Yes yes Parkview. Haha well interestingly DHS actually gave him a swimming scholarship not a rugby one so he must have been a swimmer who could play at the time..
But eish those pencils, giving Glenwood some stiff competition.
and I hear they’ve worked like a charm for next years rugby group too
@HORSEFLY NO.1: ah Parkview maybe? One would have thought he would have been recruited by Glenwood unless DHS offered him a Faber Castell pencil….
@Grasshopper:
He didn’t go to Prep. He went to a school that I’ve forgotten the name of that used to be merged with Glenwood Prep.
Plus, he followed 2 of his brothers to DHS so it was a no-brainer
@Buffel: No not him, a flyhalf in the mid nighties. He could have played Natal schools cricket too. What is strange is Webster went to Glenwood Prep and ended up at DHS! Kearsney is a very good school if you can afford R100k a year. I’m looking at Durban College in Durban and Herschel in Cape Town for my daughter, purely on IEB and facilities…..
Good to see our Escombe boy Kerron van Vuuren. Who would’ve thought he’d go as far as CW because there’s no rugby at Escombe Primary.
This is a finest team and I believe we would go very far and plus we got a strong bench. To top it up our forwards pack is 810kg good pack indeed.
It is very unfortunate to lose a player like Matt and we wish him a speedy recovery and we hopping to see him in the future at senior level.
@RBugger: agree wholeheartedly .
@Buffel: Kearsney is league’s ahead of anything I have seen! Having schooled at Pretoria Boys High – we played yearly fixtures against Kearsney and Michaelhouse – as well as Joburgs St Johns and St Stithians and I can honestly say Kearsney was always our number 1, just in terms of facilities and the beauty of the school, the views and the awesome stand on the first team ground! Running out of that tunnel at first team level brought goose-bumos to every single player, even though we were the away side.
Great school
@Grasshopper: could that have been the blonde flyer. Played with him in the defence force team and went on the represent Natal. DHS is still a 1st tier school and think the boys still get exposure-Webster being an example. My situation was very similar to Tedder. Am an old boy hence my boy has gone there. I think if my boy had gone to DHS, he would have got the right exposure having played with Webster at club and provincial club level for a number of years . Saying that, Kearsney is a fantastic school and he gets the best all round schooling, IMO, and would not have it any other way.
@Buffel: kind of agree, however I have seen many a great individual get lost in the system by going to a weak rugby school. A friend of mine was SA Schools potential went to Grosvenor on the Bluff and got lost in a weak team and league. Have good players around you helps you look better and improve your game. Competition also helps players keep up to speed and not stagnate. The Doops are that good that they would have come through whatever school they went too. These sorts of players are one in a decade eg Derek La Marque and Barker in the late 70’s
@Grasshopper: I think that whatever school they attended they would have been right there. All the boys mentioned and more would have been in the mix but in the case of Tedder, a Kearsney old boy’s son, it was a no brainer that he attend Kearsney.
Terrible shame for Matt. Wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his rugga future
@Buffel: Terrible, I played 1st team for my school from grade 9 and broke my ankle in matric, this was the biggest dissapointment of my school career,.. it even had an impact on my marks. I gave everything at the time to try and make rugby some kind of a career. This was in the early eigthies. The real opportunities was few and far between. I remember that Franscious Pienaar repeated matric with rugby as the main reason. At least the talented boys are contracted much earlier, which in my opinion is a good thing.
Great pity for Matt, hopefully he shines in senior rugby. Same thing happened to Fred Zeilanga who probably would have made SA schools without his injury, now on the fringes at the Sharks. What is interesting is the three DPHS boys, the Doops and Tedder, I wonder if they had gone to DHS if they would have shown as much……
A big disappointment for Mat. This is the pinnical of one’s high school career and would have capped off an amazing run of 3 years of 1st team rugby at Kearsney. The one positive to look forward to is the Sharks Academy in 2014 and higher honours going forward. Well done Mat and the Kearsney fraternity is proud of your achievements.